Pyrénées-Orientales

Pyrénées-Orientales is a department in Southern France, close to the border with Spain and the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the region of Occitania and is named after the Pyrenees mountains. The area has a rich history and was once part of the Principality of Catalonia.

In 2023, about 496,855 people lived there. Pyrénées-Orientales touches several places, including the departments of Ariège and Aude in France, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Spanish province of Girona. It also surrounds a small Spanish area called Llívia.

Some parts of Pyrénées-Orientales, like the Cerdagne, are considered part of the Iberian Peninsula. The department is a beautiful mix of landscapes and cultures, making it an interesting place to learn about.

History

Further information: County of Cerdagne, County of Conflent, County of Roussillon, and Northern Catalonia

Before the year 1659, most of this area was part of the old land called the Principality of Catalonia, which belonged to the Crown of Aragon and was under the rule of the Monarchy of Spain. Because of this, most people there spoke the language called Catalan, and today some still call the area Northern Catalonia.

The modern area known as Pyrénées-Orientales was created in 1790 during a big change in France called the French Revolution. It was first named Roussillon, after an old area it matches closely. Soon after, in the same year, its name was changed to Pyrénées-Orientales.

A little later, in 1793, Spain tried to take over the area, but it was taken back after thirteen months in what is called the War of the Roussillon.

In the 1800s, Pyrénées-Orientales was known for supporting ideas about fair government in France. A smart and fair-minded leader named François Arago came from a place called Estagel in this area.

Geography

Pyrénées-Orientales covers an area of 4,115 km². It features three river valleys in the Pyrenees mountains — the Agly, Têt, and Tech — and the eastern Plain of Roussillon where these valleys meet. Most people and farming happen in the plain, which takes up only 30% of the land. There is one water reservoir at Lac de Matemale and a lake called Casteilla.

This area is special because it lets people enjoy both the mountains and the sea, like a few other places in France such as Alpes-Maritimes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Aude, and Corsica. The upper Têt valley is in the far west and has just over a tenth of the department’s people. To the southeast, the Tech valley and the Côte Vermeille are home to nearly 100,000 people. The Agly basin in the northeast shares similarities with nearby parts of Aude. Llívia is a town in Cerdanya, part of Girona in Catalonia, Spain, but it is surrounded by French land.

The biggest town is Perpignan, where about a quarter of the people live. As of 2023, there are seven towns with more than 10,000 people.

Economy

Pyrénées-Orientales is known for growing wine and attracting visitors. Many people enjoy the beautiful scenery and places to explore in this area.

Demographics

The city of Perpignan has about 122,000 people and makes up more than a quarter of the department’s population. If you include the suburbs, it’s more than half. Other towns with over 10,000 people are Canet-en-Roussillon, Saint-Estève, Saint-Cyprien, Argelès-sur-Mer, Cabestany and Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque. There are also smaller towns like Rivesaltes, Bompas, Pia, Thuir, Céret, Elne, Le Soler, Prades and Toulouges.

Most people in the area are aged 60 or older, which is higher than in the rest of France. Because of this, there are more deaths than births, but the population has still grown over the years because many people move there to live. Many retirees are attracted to the area because of its nice weather.

French is spoken by nearly everyone, but Catalan and Occitan are also spoken by many people. On 10 December 2007, the Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales recognized Catalan as a regional language.

Administration

The département is managed by the Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales in Perpignan. It is part of the region of Occitanie. The council works with the European Union, the Generalitat of Catalonia, and Andorra to create a special area called a Eurodistrict.

There is discussion about changing the name of Pyrénées-Orientales because some people feel it does not reflect the Catalan identity of the area. In November 2025, the council will ask people to vote on new name options, with "Pays Catalan" and "Pyrénées Catalanes" being popular choices.

Cuisine

Main article: Catalan cuisine

The food in Pyrénées-Orientales comes from the area's Catalan history. You can find dishes like paella, caragols a la llauna, and calçots in many restaurants, especially during special festivals.

This area is well-known for its wines, with red grapes grown everywhere. Special wines like muscat de Rivesaltes and Banyuls are sold all around. The mountains in the south give us foods like olives and goat's cheese. Fish, especially anchovies from Collioure, are also popular, though there is less fish now because of fewer fish in the Mediterranean sea.

Culture

Pyrénées-Orientales has many interesting places to visit. For example, Banyuls-sur-Mer is known for its special Grenache-based Banyuls wine and was where artist Aristide Maillol was born. Céret is one of the places where the art style cubism began, and it has several museums, including the Musée d'Art Moderne. Collioure is famous for its connection to fauvism. There are also old castles like Força Réal, Prats de Mollo, and Salses near the border with Spain.

The area has two well-known sports teams: USA Perpignan (rugby union) and Catalans Dragons (rugby league). Some other notable spots include Château Royal de Collioure, Fort de Salses, Saint-Martin-du-Canigou abbey, Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa abbey, and the "organ" of Ille-sur-Têt.