Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/530

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516 HAUTE-GARONNE HAUTE-GAROflNE (Upper Garonne), a S. de- partment of France, formed from the ancient provinces of Laiiguedoc and Gascony, border- ing on Spain and the departments of Tarn-et- Garonne, Tarn, Aude, Ariege, Hautes-Pyre- nees, and Gers ; area, 2,429 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 479,362. The N". portion is nearly level, but the S. is covered with lofty mountains, mostly spurs from the Pyrenees, one of which, Mont Maladetta, rises to the height of 11,162 ft. The principal rivers are the Garonne, Neste, Salat, Ariege, Save, and Tarn. The climate of the lowlands is in general mild, but that of the mountainous districts is severe in win- ter. The soil of the valleys and plains is very fertile. The chief vegetable productions are wheat, maize, millet, rye, flax, hemp, potatoes, garlic, fruit, and timber, with which the de- clivities of the mountains are thickly covered. A large quantity of wine is made, generally of inferior quality. The department is rich in minerals ; iron, copper, lead, antimony, bis- muth, zinc, coal, rock crystals, slate, gypsum, marble, and granite are found in abundance. The staple manufactures are coarse woollens, canvas, calico, leather, tinware, earthenware, copperware, scythes, files, mathematical in- struments, glass, gunpowder, cannon, tobac- co, wine, and brandy. It is divided into the arrondissements of Toulouse, Muret, Ville- franche, and St. Gaudens. Capital, Toulouse. HAITE-LOIRE (Upper Loire), a S. E. depart- ment of France, in Languedoc, bordering on the departments of Puy-de-D6me, Loire, Ar- d&che, Lozere, and Cantal; area, 1,916 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 308,732. The surface is volca- nic, and in general mountainous, being almost everywhere traversed by offshoots of the Can- tal or Cevennes chains, the summits of which are covered with snow during a considerable portion of the year, and their declivities with dense forests, extensive pastures, or chestnut woods and vineyards. The loftiest of its peaks is Mont Mezin, 5,790 ft. high. The principal rivers are the Loire, Allier, and Lignon. The climate varies with the aspect and elevation of every district. The soil of the valleys and plains is fertile. The chief productions are wheat, rye, oats, barley, peas, beans, potatoes, fruit, timber, and wine of poor quality. The minerals are iron, copper, coal, lead, antimony, chalcedony, sapphires, amethysts, marble, gyp- sum, &c. The only important manufactures are silk, thread lace, and ribbons. It is divi- ded into the arrondissements of Le Puy, Bri- oude, and Yssingeaux. Capital, Le Puy. II l IK-ll VKNK (Upper Marne), a N. E. de- partment of France, formed chiefly from the ancient province of Champagne, bordering on the departments of Marne, Meuse, Vosges, Haute-Saone, C6te d'Or, and Aube ; area, 2,401 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 251,196. The surface is generally hilly, and occasionally mountainous. Some of the Langres summits attain an eleva- tion of 2,500 ft. The principal rivers are the Marne, Meuse, and Aube. The climate is mild HAUTE-SAVOIE and healthful in summer, but in winter often very severe in the highlands. The valleys and plains are fertile. The chief productions are wheat, oats, barley, peas, beans, potatoes, mus- tard, hemp, fruit, garden plants, and timber, with which more than one third of the depart- ment is covered. A large amount of wine ia made. There are more than 100 furnaces for the smelting and manufacture of iron, and cotton and woollen yarn, woollen stockings, leather, gloves, paper, beer, and brandy are manufactured. It is divided into the arron- dissements of Chaumont, Langres, and Vassy. Capital, Chaumont-en-Bassigny. HADTES-ALPES (Upper Alps), a S. E. depart- ment of France, in Dauphiny, bordering on Italy and the departments of Savoie, Isere, Dr6me, and Basses- Alpes ; area, 2,158 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 118,898. The loftiest mountains of France (not including Mont Blanc) lie within its limits, Mont Olan, the Pic d'Ar- sine, and Mont Pelvoux rising upward of 13,- 400 ft. above the sea. The entire surface is rugged and uneven, with vast forests. There is rich pasturage, and the department produces the cereals, wine, hemp, chestnuts, wool, &c. It is divided into the arrondissements of Gap, Embrun, and Briancon. Capital, Gap. HAUTE-SAONE (Upper Saone), an E. depart- ment of France, in Franche-Comte, bordering on the territory of Belfort and the departments of Vosges, Doubs, Jura, C6te d'Or, and Haute- Marne ; area, 2,062 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 303,- 088. The surface is in general mountainous, offshoots from the Vosges and Faucilles ranges covering it to a considerable extent. The high- est summits are the Ballon de Servance and the Ballon de Lure, which attain an elevation of nearly 4,000 ft. Its rivers are the Saone and its tributaries, the Coney, Lanterne, Oignon, and Amance. The climate is more equable than that of the surrounding departments, and the soil is on the whole fertile. The principal productions are wheat, rye, maslin (wheat and rye mixed), maize, barley, oats, potatoes, millet, beets, peas, beans, rape, fruit, and timber. The rivers abound with a variety of fish, including trout, carp, pike, barbel, eels, and crawfish. The minerals are iron, coal, porphyry, granite, and gypsum. The staple manufactures are hardware, glass, earthenware, leather, cotton stuffs, paper, brandy, and oil. It is divided into the arrondissements of Vesoul, Gray, and Lure. Capital, Vesoul. HAUTE-SAVOIE (Upper Savoy), an E. depart- ment of France, bordering on the lake of Geneva, Switzerland, and the departments of Savoie and Ain ; area, 1,667 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 273,027. With the department of Sa- voie and a part of Alpes-Maritimes it forms the territory ceded to France by Sardinia in 1860. The country is mountainous, and Mont Blanc is on the S. E. border. The area of arable land is limited, but the grain raised, with chestnuts, which are an important article of food for the laboring classes, is nearly suf-