The ( in the southeast of
France .
Vaucluse was created on
8 December 1793 out of parts of the departments of
Bouches-du-Rhône ,
Drôme , and Basses-Alpes (later renamed
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ).
Vaucluse is bordered by the
Rhône to the west and the River
Durance to the south. Mountains occupy a significant proportion of the eastern half of the department, with
Mont Ventoux (1,912 m), also known as "the Giant of Provence", dominating the landscape. Other important mountain ranges include the
Dentelles De Montmirail , the
Monts De Vaucluse , and the
Luberon . Fruit and vegetables are cultivated in great quantities in the lower-lying parts of the department, on one of the most fertile plains in southern France. The Vaucluse département has a rather large exclave within the
Drôme department, the
Canton of
Valréas (
Enclave Des Papes ).
Important urban centres include
Avignon ,
Orange ,
Carpentras ,
Cavaillon , and
Apt .
- Urban population: 416,301 (83%)
- Rural population: 83,384 (17%)
