Jura (département)
Jura is a
département in the east of
France named after the
Jura mountains (not be confused with the
Swiss canton of
Jura).
Historically, Jura belonged to the
Free County of Burgundy, known in French as the
Franche-Comté.
Dole was the capital of the until the region was conquered by
Louis XIV and it was moved to
Besançon. It is now a
sous-préfecture of Jura.
As early as the
13th century, inhabitants of the southern 2/3 of Jura spoke a dialect of the
Franco-Provençal language. It continued to be spoken in rural areas into the
20th century.
Jura was one of the original 83
départements created during the
French Revolution on
March 4,
1790. It was created from part of the
former province of
Franche-Comté. The
départements of Jura,
Doubs, and
Haute-Saône form the modern
Franche-Comté région of
France. The
préfecture (capital) is
Lons-le-Saunier.
Jura is one of three
départements of the
Franche-Comté région and is surrounded by the French
départements of
Doubs,
Haute-Saône,
Côte-d'Or,
Saône-et-Loire, and
Ain, as well as the Swiss canton of
Vaud on the east.
The Jura mountains are wooded and rolling, not craggy and rocky like the
Alps.
The climate of the Jura varies greatly by elevation. The lower
valleys are temperate and pleasant, but the high mountain valleys have bitterly cold winters.
Jura is a
wine-growing region. The
Jura wines are very distinctive and unusual wines, such as
vin jaune, which is made by a similar process to
sherry, developing under a
flor of
yeast. This is made from the local
Savagnin grape variety. Other grape varieties include
Poulsard,
Trousseau, and
Chardonnay.
The Jura mountains provide ample opportunities for hiking, skiing, and other winter sports.
*
Cantons of the Jura département*
Communes of the Jura département*
Arrondissements of the Jura département*
French language*
Franco-Provençal language*
Prefecture website (in French)
*
Conseil Général website (in French)
*http://www.jura-france.net/
