Vaucluse
Vauclusa (Occitan) | |
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From top down, left to right: prefecture building and Palais des Papes in Avignon, Gordes (considered one of the most beautiful villages of France), Sénanque Abbey, Sorgue River and Nesque River | |
![]() Location of Vaucluse in France | |
Coordinates: 44°00′N 05°10′E / 44.000°N 5.167°E | |
Country | France |
Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
Prefecture | Avignon |
Subprefectures | Apt Carpentras |
Government | |
• President of the Departmental Council | Dominique Santoni (LR) |
Area | |
• Total | 3,520 km2 (1,360 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 564,566 |
• Rank | 47th |
• Density | 160/km2 (420/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Department number | 84 |
Arrondissements | 3 |
Cantons | 17 |
Communes | 151 |
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2 |
Vaucluse (French: [voklyz]; Provençal: Vauclusa (Classical norm) or Vau-Cluso (Mistralian norm)) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.[2] The department's prefecture is Avignon.
It is named after a spring, the Fontaine de Vaucluse, one of the largest karst springs in the world. The name Vaucluse itself derives from the Latin Vallis Clausa ("closed valley") as the valley ends in a cliff face from which the spring emanates.