Bordeaux
Bordeaux (/bɔːrˈdoʊ/, bor-DOH; French: [bɔʁdo] ⓘ; Gascon Occitan: Bordèu [buɾˈðɛw]; Basque: Bordele) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, southwestern France.It is a central and strategic hub for the aeronautics, military and space sector, home to major companies such as Dassault Aviation, ArianeGroup, Safran and Thales.In 107 BC, the Battle of Burdigala was fought by the Romans who were defending the Allobroges, a Gallic tribe allied to Rome, and the Tigurini led by Divico.In the late 6th century AD the city re-emerged as the seat of a county and an archdiocese within the Merovingian kingdom of the Franks, but royal Frankish power was never strong.The city started to play a regional role as a major urban center on the fringes of the newly founded Frankish Duchy of Vasconia.In 737, following his father Eudes's death, the Aquitanian duke Hunald led a rebellion to which Charles responded by launching an expedition that captured Bordeaux.In 778, Seguin (or Sihimin) was appointed count of Bordeaux, probably undermining the power of the Duke Lupo, and possibly leading to the Battle of Roncevaux Pass.Although the port of Bordeaux was a buzzing trade center, the stability and success of the city was threatened by Viking and Norman incursions and political instability.[21] Under the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny it became briefly the capital of an independent state (1362–1372) under Edward, the Black Prince, but after the Battle of Castillon (1453) it was annexed by France.The Gironde valley's economic value and significance was satiated by the city's commercial power which was in dire contrast to the emerging widespread poverty affecting its inhabitants.Trade and commerce were the driving factors in the region's economic prosperity, still this resulted in a significant number of locals struggling to survive on a daily basis due to lack of food and resources.This socioeconomic disparity served as fertile ground for discontent, sparking frequent episodes of mass unrest well before the tumultuous events of 1783.The city's placement along the Gironde River was very strategic, helping to facilitate the transportation of produce to markets both internationally and domestically, which led to an increase in exports and Bordeaux's economic prosperity.Historically the left bank is more developed because when flowing outside the bend, the water makes a furrow of the required depth to allow the passing of merchant ships, which used to offload on this side of the river.[33] Bordeaux wine growing area has about 116,160 hectares (287,000 acres) of vineyards, 57 appellations, 10,000 wine-producing estates (châteaux) and 13,000 grape growers.[35] The Cité du Vin, a museum as well as a place of exhibitions, shows, movie projections and academic seminars on the theme of wine opened its doors in June 2016.The Dassault Falcon private jets are built there as well as the military aircraft Rafale and Mirage 2000, the Airbus A380 cockpit, the boosters of Ariane 5, and the M51 SLBM missile.[42] The built-up area has grown for more than a century beyond the municipal borders of Bordeaux due to the small size of the commune (49 km2 (19 sq mi)) and urban sprawl.The headquarters of Urban Community of Bordeaux Mériadeck is located in the neighbourhood and the city is at the head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry that bears his name.[44] They are divided according to the following composition: Since the Liberation (1944), there have been six mayors of Bordeaux: At the 2007 presidential election, the Bordelais gave 31.37% of their votes to Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party against 30.84% to Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the UMP.In the second district of Gironde the UMP mayor and all new Minister of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea Alain Juppé confronted the General Counsel PS Michèle Delaunay.At regional elections in 2010, the Socialist incumbent president Alain Rousset won the first round by totaling 35.19% in Bordeaux, but this score was lower than the plan for Gironde and Aquitaine.[citation needed] Bordeaux is home to one of Europe's biggest 18th-century architectural urban areas, making it a sought-after destination for tourists and cinema production crews.[55] And thirdly, in that same period, a major migratory movement by Aquitanians took place to the Caribbean colonies, with Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) being the most popular destination.[citation needed] Bordeaux is the first city in France to have created, in the 1980s, an architecture exhibition and research centre, Arc en rêve.It is served by the French national (SNCF) railway's high speed train, the TGV, that gets to Paris in two hours, with connections to major European centers such as Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Geneva and London.The Gare Saint-Jean is the major hub for regional trains (TER) operated by the SNCF to Arcachon, Limoges, Agen, Périgueux, Langon, Pau, Le Médoc, Angoulême and Bayonne.Historically the train line used to terminate at a station on the right bank of the river Garonne near the Pont de Pierre, and passengers crossed the bridge to get into the city.Subsequently, a double-track steel railway bridge was constructed in the 1850s, by Gustave Eiffel, to bring trains across the river direct into Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean.Between 1951 and 1955, an annual Formula 1 motor race was held on a 2.5-kilometre circuit which looped around the Esplanade des Quinconces and along the waterfront, attracting drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Jean Behra and Maurice Trintignant.
Bordeaux wineBordeaux (disambiguation)SS BurdigalaBordelaise sauceOccitanPrefecturecommunePlace de la BourseCité du VinTour Pey-BerlandGrand Théâtre de BordeauxSaint-André CathedralPont de pierreGaronnefleur-de-lisFranceRegionNouvelle-AquitaineDepartmentGirondeArrondissementBordeauxCanton5 cantonsBordeaux MétropolePierre HurmicThe Greens9th in FranceDemonymTime zoneUNESCO World Heritage SiteBordeaux, Port of the MoonSessionGasconBasquesuburbsexurbsmetropolitan areaMarseilleToulouseBordeaux Metropolisindirectly electedmetropolitan authoritychâteauxvineyardsVinexpoDassault AviationArianeGroupSafranThalesmegajoule lasersEurope PrizePort of the MoonUNESCOWorld Heritage ListGlobalization and World Cities Research NetworkTimeline of BordeauxCeltic tribeBituriges VivisciAquitanianBattle of BurdigalaAllobrogesGallic tribeTiguriniDivicoconsulLucius Cassius LonginusPiliers de TutelleVandalsVisigothsFranksGreeks in pre-Roman GaulCabinet des MédaillesMerovingiantremissesBritish Museumkingdom of the FranksDuchy of VasconiaCount of BordeauxBasquesAbd er RahmanDuke EudesUmayyadsBattle of the River GaronneDordogneBattle of Poitiersduke HunaldCharlesWaiferPepin the ShortFronsacSeguin (or Sihimin)Battle of Roncevaux PassVasconiaCarolingiansCounts of BordeauxDuke of VasconiaVikingsSeguin IIport of BordeauxVikingNormanRamnulfidDukes of AquitaineWilliam IVHouse of PoitiersEléonoreAquitaineHenry II PlantagenêtCount of AnjouHenry I of EnglandAngevin EmpirePyreneescity cathedral St-AndréTreaty of BrétignyEdward, the Black PrinceBattle of CastillonFrondeKingdom of FranceLouis XIVFrench RevolutionGirondistsMontagnardsRobespierreBenjamin Franklinslave revolt