The
French department of 'Calvados' forms part of the
region of
Basse-Normandie in
Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the coast.
History
Calvados is one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution on
March 4,
1790. It was created from a part of the
former province of
Normandy. The name “Orne inférieure" was originally proposed for the department but it was ultimately decided to call the area Calvados after a group of rocks off its coast.
One popular legend ascribes its etymology to the ''Salvador'', a ship from the
Spanish Armada that sank by the rocks near
Arromanches-les-bains in 1588. It is more likely, however, that the name ''Calvados'' was derived from ''calva dorsa'', meaning ''bare backs'', in reference to two sparsely vegetated rocks off its shore.
[1]
During
World War II,
Allied forces landed on the beaches of the Bay of the Seine (Baie de Seine) in what became known as the
Battle of Normandy, on
June 6,
1944.
Geography
Calvados belongs to the region of
Basse Normandie and is surrounded by the departments of
Seine-Maritime,
Eure,
Orne, and
Manche. On the north is
la Baie de Seine, part of the
English Channel. On the east, the
Seine River forms the boundary with Seine-Maritime. Calvados includes the
Bessin area, the
Pays d'Auge, and the area known as the "Suisse normande" ("Norman Switzerland").
Calvados' most notable places include:
Deauville and the formerly elegant 19th-century
casino resorts of the coast.
Economy
Agriculture dominates the economy of Calvados. The area is known for producing
butter,
cheese,
cider, and the
apple-based
spirit that shares its name (see
Calvados (spirit)).
Demography
The inhabitants of Calvados are called "Calvadosiens" (male) and "Calvadosiennes" (female). In 1999, Calvados counted 648 299 inhabitants; making it the 30th most populated French department.
Age distribution in Calvados :
More than 75 years old : 7.2 %
60 - 74 years old : 13.16 %
40 - 59 years old : 25.52 %
20 - 39 years old : 28.53 %
0 - 19 years old : 25.6 %
Culture
The
Bayeux Tapestry is on display in
Bayeux and makes the city one of the most-visited tourist destinations in Normandy.
Juno Beach Centre at
Courseulles-sur-Mer, Calvados, commemorates the
D-Day landing of the
Canadian liberation forces at
Juno Beach during
World War II in 1944.
The
cult of Saint
Thérèse de Lisieux brings large numbers of people on
pilgrimage to
Lisieux, where she lived in a Carmelite convent.
Each year, Deauville hosts the Festival of the American Movie, and the beach resort of Cabourg hosts the Festival of the Romantic Movie (September).
Also yearly, the city of Caen celebrates the festival of the electronical cultures called "Nordik Impakt".
The local dialect of
Norman language is known as
Augeron.
Tourism
The department of Calvados has several areas that are visited by tourists:
The Bessin, the Plaine of Caen, the Bocage Virois, the Côte de Nacre, the Côte Fleurie and the Pays d'Auge.
Calvados, thanks to the port of Ouistreham, is an interesting entrance to the continent for the Britains citizens.
There are two airports : Caen-Carpiquet and Deauville Saint Gatien.
Several beaches of Calvados are popular for water sports, including Cabourg and Merville Franceville.
Sport
★ Aquatic sports are often played on the coasts and beaches, for example, kite surfing and beach volleyball
★ For the season 2007/2008, the soccer team of Caen will play in the Ligue 1 French championship (Elite)
See also
★
Cantons of the Calvados department
★
Communes of the Calvados department
★
Arrondissements of the Calvados department
Notes
1. Calvados, qui es-tu, d'où viens-tu ou le nom énigmatique d'un département Français : Critique d'une tradition, hypothèses diverses, proposition d'interprétation, , René, Lepelley, C. Corlet, ,
External links
★
General Council website
★
Prefecture website
★
Calvados Tourism Guide
★ http://www.fleurysien.com/
★
Encylopædia Britannica's guide to D-Day
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