(in
GasconGascon is often considered as a dialect of Occitan, but is also regularly considered by some linguists as a separate language of oc...
:
Bordèu) is a
port||-||-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and/or transferring cargo. It is usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake. The best ports have deep water in channels or berths, and protection from the wind and waves...
city on the
Garonne RiverThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 575 km .-Origin of the name:...
in southwest
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, with one million inhabitants in its
metropolitan areaThe aire urbaine is a statistical region created by the INSEE that is comprised by a commuter belt surrounding a contiguous urban core...
at a 2008 estimate. It is the capital of the
AquitaineAquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 26 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. In the Middle Ages it was a kingdom and later a duchy, with boundaries considerably larger...
regionFrance is administratively divided into 25 regions , of which 21 are on mainland France, and four are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
, as well as the prefecture of the
GirondeGironde is a common name for the Gironde Estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
department. Its inhabitants are called
Bordelais.
The Bordeaux-
ArcachonArcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in south-western France. It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
-
LibourneLibourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint Emilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
metropolitan area, with a population of 1,010,000, is the seventh
largest metropolitan area in France. The city is among the world's major wine industry centres.
Bordeaux wineA Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, although in good vintages, this total can exceed over 900 million, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and...
has been produced in the region since the eighth century. The historic part of the city is on the
UNESCO World Heritage ListA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
as
"an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.
History
Between 30,000 and 20,000 years ago the area of Bordeaux was inhabited by the
NeanderthalThe Neanderthal , or ), also spelled Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia. Neanderthals are either classified as a subspecies of humans or as a separate species...
, whose remains have been found at a famous cave known as Pair-non-Pair, near Bourg sur Gironde, just north of Bordeaux. In historical times, around
300 BC-Egypt:* Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus, is taken as a hostage to Egypt after the Battle of Ipsus and makes a diplomatic marriage with the princess Antigone, daughter of Ptolemy and Berenice....
it was the settlement of a
Celtic tribe, the
Bituriges VivisciThe Bituriges Vivisci was one of the tribes of Gaul. The tribe's capital was at Burdigala, modern day BordeauxBituriges is often taken to mean Kings of the World but whether there was any link to the Bituriges Cubi of the Berry region is not known...
, who named the town
Burdigala, probably of Aquitainian origin. The name Bourde is still the name of a river south of the city.
The city fell under
RomanAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
rule around
60 BCYear 60 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar.-Rome:* Gaius Julius Caesar suppressed an uprising and conquered all of Lusitania for Rome...
, its importance lying in the commerce of
tinTin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead, like the two possible oxidation states +2 and +4...
and
leadLead is a main-group element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air...
towards Rome. Later it became capital of
Roman AquitaineGallia Aquitania was a province of the Roman Empire, bordered by the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Narbonensis, and Hispania Tarraconensis...
, flourishing especially during the
Severan dynastyThe Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. The dynasty was founded by the Roman general Septimius Severus, who rose to power during the civil war of 193, known as the Year of the Five Emperors....
(third century). In 276 it was sacked by the
VandalsThe Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Goth Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths and regent of the Visigoths, was allied by marriage with the Vandals as well as with the Burgundians and the Franks under .The Vandals are perhaps...
. Further ravage was brought by the same Vandals in 409, the Visigoths in 414 and the
FranksThe Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic tribal confederation first attested in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul...
in 498, beginning a period of obscurity for the city.
In the late
sixth centuryThe 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the West this century marks the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages.- Overview :...
, the city reemerged as the seat of a county and an archdiocese within the
MerovingianThe Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the fifth century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
kingdom of the Franks. The city fell into obscurity as royal power waned in southern Gaul in the late
seventh centuryThe 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.-Overview:The Muslim conquests began after the death of Muhammad in 632. Islam expanded beyond the Arabian Peninsula under the Rashidun Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate...
. The city was plundered by the troops of
Abd er RahmanAbdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi , also known as Abd er Rahman, Abdderrahman, Abderame, and Abd el-Rahman, led the Andalusian Muslims into battle against the forces of Charles Martel in the Battle of Tours on October 10, 732 A.D. for which he is primarily remembered in the West...
in 732, after he had defeated Duke Eudes and before he was killed during the
Battle of ToursThe Battle of Tours , also called the Battle of Poitiers and in Battle of Court of The Martyrs, was fought in an area between the cities of Poitiers and Tours, located in north-central France, near the village of Moussais-la-Bataille about north of Poitiers...
on October 10.
Under the Carolingians were appointed a series of
Counts of BordeauxThe Count of Bordeaux or comes Burdagalensis was the ruler of the city of Bordeaux and its environs in the Merovingian and Carolingian periods. The names of the counts are scarcely known until the ninth century, when they start to take on a larger role because of their strategic importance in the...
who served to defend the mouth of the
GaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 575 km .-Origin of the name:...
from the
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
s. Eventually, the city was inherited by the
Dukes of GasconyThe Duchy of Vasconia , later known as Gascony, was a Merovingian creation: a frontier duchy on the Garonne, in the border with the rebel Basque tribes...
in the late
tenth centuryThe 10th century is the period from 901 to 1000 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era.The tenth century is usually regarded as a low point in European history. In China it was also a period of political upheaval. In the Muslim World, however, it was a cultural zenith,...
.
From the 12th to the 15th century, Bordeaux regained importance following the marriage of Duchess
Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages...
with the French-speaking Count Henri Plantagenet, born in
Le MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans....
, who became, within months of their wedding, King
Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
. The city flourished, primarily due to wine trade, and the cathedral of St. André was built. It was also the capital of an independent state under
Edward, the Black PrinceEdward, Prince of Wales, was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, and father to King Richard II of England. He was called Edward of Woodstock in his early life, after his birthplace, and has more recently been popularly known as The Black Prince...
(1362-1372), but in the end, after the
Battle of CastillonThe Battle of Castillon of 1453 was the last battle fought between the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War. This was the first battle in European history where cannons were a major factor in deciding the battle.-Context:...
(1453) it was annexed by France which extended its territory. The
Château Trompette (Trumpet Castle) and the
Fort du Hâ, built by
Charles VII of FranceCharles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France from Paris.He was a member of the House of Valois, the son of Charles VI, but his...
, were the symbols of the new domination, which however deprived the city of its richness by halting the wine commerce with England.
In 1462, Bordeaux obtained a parliament, but regained importance only in the 16th century when it became the center of the distribution of sugar and slaves from the West Indies along with the traditional wine.
Bordeaux adhered to the
FrondeThe Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisians mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
, being effectively annexed to the Kingdom of France only in 1653, when the army of
Louis XIVLouis XIV , popularly known as the Sun King , was King of France and of Navarre His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days, and is the longest documented reign of any European monarch.Louis began personally governing France after the death...
entered the city.
The 18th century was the golden age of Bordeaux. Many downtown buildings (about 5,000), including those on the quays, are from this period.
Victor HugoVictor-Marie Hugo was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
found the town so beautiful he once said: "take
VersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial center...
, add
Antwerp||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions. Antwerp's total population is 472,071 and its total area is , giving a population density of 2,308 inhabitants per km²...
, and you have Bordeaux".
Baron HaussmannGeorges-Eugène Haussmann , who called himself Baron Haussmann, was a French civic planner whose name is associated with the rebuilding of Paris...
, a long-time prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux's 18th century big-scale rebuilding as a model when he was asked by Emperor
Napoleon IIINapoleon III , Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, was the first President of the French Republic and the last monarch of France. He was also Napoleon I's nephew. Made president by popular vote in 1848, Napoleon III ascended to the throne on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of Napoleon...
to transform a then still quasi-medieval Paris into a "modern" capital that would make France proud.
The French government was relocated from Paris to Bordeaux very briefly during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when it became apparent that
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
would soon fall into German hands. The French capital was soon moved again to
VichyVichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It is known as a spa and resort town. It was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944....
.
From 1940 to 1943, the
Italian Royal NavyThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
(
Regia Marina ItalianaThe Regia Marina dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification...
) established,
BETASOMBETASOM is an Italian language acronym meaning B Sommergibile or B submarines and it refers to the submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Royal Navy during World War II. From this base, Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1943...
a submarine base at Bordeaux. Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from this base.
Geography
Bordeaux is located close to the European
AtlanticThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
coast, in the southwest of France and in the north of the Aquitaine region. It is around southwest of Paris. The city is built on a bend of the river
GaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 575 km .-Origin of the name:...
, and is divided into two parts: the right bank to the east and left bank in the west. Historically, the left bank is more developed. In Bordeaux, the
Garonne RiverThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 575 km .-Origin of the name:...
is accessible to
ocean linerAn ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo, mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
s. The left bank of the Garonne is a low-lying, often marshy plain.
Climate
Bordeaux's climate is usually classified as an
oceanic climateAn oceanic climate is the climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of all the world's continents, and in southeastern Australia...
(
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by the Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb); however, the summers tend to be warmer and the winters milder than most areas of similar classification. Substantial summer rainfall prevents it from being classified as a
Mediterranean climateA hi Mediterranean climate resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes most of the area with this climate type worldwide...
.
Winters are mild because of the prevalence of westerly winds from the Atlantic. Summers are warm and long due to the influence from the Bay of Biscay (surface temperature reaches 21-22 °C or 70-72 °F). The average seasonal winter temperature is , recent winters tend to be much higher than this. The average summer seasonal temperature is , but every summer in the decade beginning 2001 has been above this, including the summer of 2003 the hottest summer ever recorded at .
Wine
Bordeaux has about of
vineyardA vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture....
s, 57 appellations, 10,000 wine-producing châteaux and 13,000 grape growers. With an annual production of over 700 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world. Included among the latter are the area's five 'premier cru' (
first growthFirst Growth status refers to a classification of wines primarily from the Bordeaux region of France.-Bordeaux reds:The need for a classification of the best Bordeaux wines arose for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, a list...
) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), established by the
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855For the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading...
:
The first growths are:
- Château Lafite-Rothschild
- Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. Over several centuries it has retained its position as among the world's most prestigious and expensive wines...
- Château Latour
Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, at its border with Saint-Julien, and only a few hundred metres from the...
- Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux wine estate, rated a First Growth in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the only estate from outside Médoc to be included. It is located in Pessac, Graves near the city of Bordeaux...
- Château Mouton-Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc, 50 km north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Its red wine of the same name is regarded as one of the world's greatest clarets. Originally known as Château Brane-Mouton it was renamed by Nathaniel...
*
*In 1855 Mouton-Rothschild was ranked a Second Growth. In 1973, it was elevated to First Growth status.
Both red and
white winesWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
are made in Bordeaux. Red Bordeaux is called
claretClaret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and most common style of wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. Red wines are generally made from a blend of grapes, and may be made from
Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
,
MerlotMerlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant...
,
Cabernet FrancCabernet Franc is one of the major red grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon...
,
Petit verdotPetit verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
,
MalbecMalbec is a variety of purple grape used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins. Long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine, the French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West France...
, and, less commonly in recent years,
CarménèreThe Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot....
. White Bordeaux is made from
Sauvignon blancSauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France. It is now planted in many of the world's wine regions,...
,
SémillonSémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The history of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 1800s and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent of...
, and
MuscadelleMuscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated.-Wine regions:...
. Sauternes is a subregion of
GravesGraves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
known for its intensely sweet, white,
dessert wineDessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert, such as Sauternes and Tokaji Aszú. Despite the name, they are often best appreciated alone, or with fruit or bakery sweets.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine...
s such as
Château d'YquemChâteau d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves....
.
Because of the wine glut (
wine lakeThe wine lake refers to the continuing supply surplus of wine produced in the European Union. A major contributor to that glut is the Languedoc-Roussillon, which produces over one-third of the grapes grown in France. For the past several vintages, European countries have been producing 1.7 billion...
), the price squeeze caused by increasingly strong international competition, and
vine pull schemesVine pull schemes are programs whereby grape growers receive a financial incentive to pull up their grape vines, a process known as arrachage in French. A large program of the kind was initiated by the European Union in 1988 to reduce the wine lake glut from overproduction and declining demand...
, the number of growers has recently dropped from 14,000 and the area under vine has also decreased significantly.
Others
The
Laser MégajouleLaser Mégajoule is an experimental inertial confinement fusion device being built near Bordeaux, in France by the French nuclear science directorate, CEA. Laser Mégajoule plans to deliver about 1.8 MJ of laser power to its targets, making it about as powerful as its US counterpart, the...
will be one of the most powerful lasers in the world, allowing
fundamental researchResearch can be defined to be search for knowledge or any systematic investigation to establish facts. The primary purpose for applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of...
and the development of the lasers and plasmas technologies. This project, carried by the French Ministry of Defence, involves an investment of 2 billion euros. In 2009, the 600 experiments programmed each year with the Laser Mégajoule will begin. The "Road of the lasers", a major project of
regional planningRegional planning is a branch of land use planning and deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a significantly larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of...
for the optical and lasers industries, will be born. Therefore, the area of Bordeaux will shelter the most important concentration of optical and laser experts in Europe.
20,000 people work for the aeronautic industry in Bordeaux. The city has some of the biggest companies including
DassaultDassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
,
EADS SogermaEADS Sogerma is a part of the division Airbus of EADS. It is engaged in the manufacture and development of aerostructures, cabin interior layout, airline seats.-References:*...
,
SnecmaSnecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft, and for space vehicles. The name is an acronym for Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation .In 2005, the Snecma group, which included Snecma ,...
,
ThalesThe Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the Aerospace, Defense, and Security markets...
, SNPE, and others. The
Dassault FalconDassault Aviation is a French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group.It was founded in 1930 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or "MB". After World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the...
private jets are built there as well as the
military aircraftA military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is in the current employ of a military power. Fixed-wing military aircraft are also known as Warplanes....
RafaleThe Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engined delta-wing highly agile multi-role 4.5th-generation jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with...
and Mirage 2000, the
Airbus A380The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS. The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25...
cockpit, the boosters of
Ariane 5Ariane 5 is a European expendable launch system designed to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit. It is manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales , with EADS Astrium Space Transportation as prime...
, and the M51 SLBM missile.
Tourism is a major industry, especially concerning
wine-makingWinemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
.
The port lies on the Atlantic ocean and the
Gironde estuaryThe Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux....
. Almost 9 million tons of goods arrive and leave each year. The Port is a nice area to sit and relax, a good place to tour if ever visiting.
List of major companies in Bordeaux
This list includes both companies based in Bordeaux and outside companies with major operations in the city.
- Arena
Arena is a brand of competitive swimwear created in 1973 at Adidas France, by its president Horst Dassler. Sold by Adidas in 1990, the brand now represents two unrelated product lines.-Arena in Europe:...
- CDiscount
- Dassault
Dassault Group, is a French group of companies led by Serge Dassault.Managing directors are Claude Dassault and Olivier Costa De Beauregard.- Subsidiaries :*Dassault Aviation;...
- EADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a large European aerospace corporation, formed by the merger on 10 July 2000 of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG of Germany, Aérospatiale-Matra of France, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA of Spain...
composites
- EADS Sogerma
- EADS Space Transportation
- Ford
The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
- Lectra
- LU
- Marie Brizard
|
|
|
McKesson Corporation
Oxbow
Ricard Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces alcoholic beverages. The company's most famous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise liqueurs, and often referred to as simply Pernod or Ricard...
Sanofi AventisSanofi-Aventis , headquartered in Paris, France, is a multinational pharmaceutical company, the world's fourth-largest by prescription sales. Sanofi-Aventis engages in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sale principally in the prescription...
SMURFIT
SNECMASnecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft, and for space vehicles. The name is an acronym for Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation .In 2005, the Snecma group, which included Snecma ,...
SNPE
SolectronSolectron Corporation was a global electronics manufacturing company for original equipment manufacturers . It pioneered the electronics manufacturing services industry in 1977 and was a leader in the field...
Thales GroupThe Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the Aerospace, Defense, and Security markets...
William Pitters |
Demographics
In the 1999 census, there were 215,363 inhabitants in the city (
communeThe commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, meaning a small gathering of people sharing a common life; from Latin communis, things held in common.French communes are roughly...
) of Bordeaux. The 2005 census showed a significant increase, as this figure reached 230,600 inhabitants. In 2007, there were 660,000 inhabitants in the
Communauté Urbaine de BordeauxThe Urban Community of Bordeaux , also known by its French initials CUB, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Bordeaux and some of its suburbs....
. The majority of the population is
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
, but there are sizable groups of Italians,
SpaniardsSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
,
PortugueseThe Portuguese people are the ethnic group or nation native to the country of Portugal, in the far west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe...
,
TurksThe Turkish people , also known as the "Turks" are defined mainly as citizens of the Republic of Turkey. An early historic text provided the definition of being a Turk as "any individual within the Republic of Turkey; whatever his/her faith or racial/ethnic background; who speaks Turkish, grows up...
,
GermansThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
and
North AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia,Mauritania, and...
ns. The built-up area has grown swiftly in recent years and
urban sprawlUrban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs over rural land and to its outskirts. The problem of urban sprawl is that it is costly to initiate the development of new infrastructure adequate enough to support its residents...
is now a problem.
University
The university was created by the archbishop
Pey BerlandBlessed Pey Berland was the Archbishop of Bordeaux from 1430 until his abdication, during a pivotal time in the history of the city and of Gascony...
and was abolished in 1793, during the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, before reappearing in 1808 with
Napoleon INapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
. Bordeaux accommodates approximately 70,000 students on one of the largest campuses of Europe (235 ha).
The University of Bordeaux is divided into four:
- The University Bordeaux 1 (Physical sciences and Technologies), 10,693 students in 2002
- The University Bordeaux 2 (Medicine and Life sciences), 15,038 students in 2002
- The University Bordeaux 3 (Liberal Arts
Liberal arts are the skills derived from the Classical education curriculum.-Definition:The term liberal arts denotes a curriculum that imparts general knowledge and develops the student’s rational thought and intellectual capabilities, unlike the professional, vocational, technical curricula...
, Humanities, Languages, History), 14,785 students in 2002
- The University Bordeaux 4 (Law, Economy and Management). 12,556 students in 2002
Schools
Bordeaux has numerous public and private schools offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Engineering schools:
- École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers
The École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers or ENSAM is one of the most famous French Engineering institute and grand établissement and a founder member of ParisTech .The major fields of study at the ENSAM are:...
- École d'ingénieurs en modélisation mathématique et mécanique
- École nationale supérieure d'électronique, informatique, radiocommunications de Bordeaux
- École supérieure de technologie des biomolécules de Bordeaux
- École nationale d'ingénieurs des travaux agricoles de Bordeaux
- École nationale supérieure de chimie et physique de Bordeaux
The École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie et de Physique de Bordeaux or ENSCPB - which can be translated as Graduate School of Chemistry and Physics of Bordeaux - is one of the French "grandes écoles ", whose main purpose is to form chemical and physical engineers...
- Institut des sciences et techniques des aliments de Bordeaux
- Institut de cognitique
In Bordeaux, the Cognitique Institute is a public education institution, founded by the University of Bordeaux 2, that includes a cognitive engineering training program, two Masters programs and a PhD program in cognitive science....
- École supérieure d'informatique
- École privée des sciences informatiques
Business and management schools:
- IUT Techniques de Commercialisation of Bordeaux (Business School)
- Bordeaux école de management (Bordeaux Management school)
- EBP International
- Institut des hautes études économiques et commerciales
- École de commerce européenne
Other:
- Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux
Sciences Po Bordeaux, or Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux, is a French political science grande école situated on the university campus of Pessac, 8 km from the centre of Bordeaux and is attached to the University Montesquieu Bordeaux-IV. It was established in 1948...
(Institute of political sciencePolitical science is a social science concerned with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. It is often described as the pragmatic application of the art and science of politics defined as "who gets what, when and how",...
s)
- École nationale de la magistrature (National school for Magistrate)
- École du service de santé des armées
- École d'architecture et de paysage de Bordeaux
- École des beaux-arts de Bordeaux
- École française des attachés de presse et des professionels de la communication (EFAP)
- Conservatoire national des arts et métiers d'Aquitaine (CNAM)
Main sights
Bordeaux is classified "City of Art and History". The city has been inscribed on
UNESCO World Heritage ListA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
as
"an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble".
Bordeaux is home to one of Europe's biggest 18th century architectural
urban areaAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s, making it a sought-after destination for tourists and cinema production crews. It stands out as one of the first French cities, after
NancyNancy is a city in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France, and formerly the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, and then the French province of the same name.The city is the head of the department...
, to have entered an era of
urbanismBroadly, Urbanism is a focus on cities and urban areas, their geography, economies, politics, social characteristics, as well as the effects on, and caused by, the built environment....
and metropolitan big scale projects, with the team Gabriel father and son, architects for King
Louis XVLouis XV ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death on 10 May 1774...
, under the supervision of two intendants (Governors), first Dupre de Saint Maur then the Marquis (Marquess) de Tourny.
Buildings
Main sights include:
- Esplanade des Quinconces
- Colonnes des Girondins
- Grand Théâtre
Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, is a Theatre in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April, 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet La Fille Mal Gardée premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his first ballets....
- Allées de Tourny
- Cours de l'Intendance
- Place du Chapelet
- Pont de pierre
- Saint-André Cathedral, consecrated by Pope Urban II
Pope Blessed Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death...
in 1096. Of the Original Romanesque edifice only a wall in the nave remain. The Royal Gate is from the early thirteenth century, while the rest of the construction is mostly from the 14th-15th centuries.
- Tour Pey Berland
Blessed Pey Berland was the Archbishop of Bordeaux from 1430 until his abdication, during a pivotal time in the history of the city and of Gascony...
(1440-1450), a massive, quadrangular tower annexed to the cathedral.
- Église Sainte-Croix
right|thumb|250px|Église Sainte-Croix.The Église Sainte-Croix is an abbey church in Bordeaux, southern France.It is annexed to a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century, and was built in the late 11th-early 12th centuries. The façade is in Romanesque style.The church has a nave and four...
(Church of the Holy Cross). It lies on the site of a 7th century abbey destroyed by the Saracens. Rebuilt under the Carolingians, it was again destroyed by the Normans in 845 and 864. It is annexed to a Benedictine abbey founded in the 7th century, and was built in the late 11th-early 12th centuriesAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the...
. The façade is in Romanesque styleRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterised by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century...
- The Gothic
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
basilica of Saint-Michel, constructed in the late 14th-15th centuries.
- Basilica of Saint-Seurin, the most ancient church in Bordeaux. It was built in the early 6th century on the site of a palaeochristian necropolis. It has an eleventh century portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, while the apsethumb|250px|Triple apse of [[Basilica di Santa Giulia]], northern [[Italy]].In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and transeptFull descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
For the periodical go to The Transept....
are from the following century. The 13th century nave has chapels from the 11th and the 14th centuriesAs a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was the century which lasted from 1301 to 1400.-Events:* The transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age...
. The ancient crypt houses sepulchres of the MerovingianThe Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the fifth century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
family.
- Palais Rohan (Exterior:)
- Palais Gallien, the remains of a late second century Roman
Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
amphitheatreAn amphitheatre is an open-air venue for spectator sports, concerts, rallies, or theatrical performances. There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word 'amphitheatre' is used: Ancient amphitheatres, built by the ancient Romans, were large central performance spaces...
- Porte Cailhau
- La Grosse Cloche (15th century) is the second remaining gate of the Medieval walls. It was the belfry of the old Town Hall. It consists of two 40 m-high circular towers and a central bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
housing a bellA bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
weighing . The watch is from 1759.
- Église Saint-Éloi
- Place de la Bourse(1730-1775), designed by the Royal architect Jacques Ange Gabriel
Ange-Jacques Gabriel was the most prominent French architect of his generation.Born to a Parisian family of architects and initially trained by the royal architect Robert de Cotte and his father , whom he assisted in the creation of the Place Royale at Bordeaux , the younger Gabriel...
as landscape for an equestrian statue of Louis XV.
- Place du Parlement
- Place Saint-Pierre
- Rue Sainte-Catherine
- The Betasom
BETASOM is an Italian language acronym meaning B Sommergibile or B submarines and it refers to the submarine base established at Bordeaux by the Italian Royal Navy during World War II. From this base, Italian submarines participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1940 to 1943...
submarine base
Saint-André Cathedral, Saint-Michel Basilica and Saint-Seurin Basilica are part of the
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in FranceIn 1998, several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France....
.
Contemporary architecture
- Fire Station, la Benauge, Claude Ferret/Adrien Courtois/Yves Salier, 1951-1954
- Court of first instance
The phrase "court of first instance" can refer to the following things:* A trial court of original or primary jurisdiction.* The Court of First Instance is also the name of a specific trial court of the European Union....
, Richard RogersRichard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside, CH, FRIBA, FCSD, is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs...
, 1998
- CTBA, wood and furniture research centre, A. Loisier, 1998
- Hangar 14 on the Quai des Chartrons, 1999
- The Management Science faculty on the Bastide, Anne Lacaton/Jean-Philippe Vassal, 2006
- The Jardin botanique de la Bastide
The Jardin botanique de la Bastide is a municipal botanical garden located along the right bank of the Garonne along the Allée Jean Giono in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France; it is open daily without charge...
, Catherine Mosbach/Françoise Hélène Jourda/Pascal Convert, 2007
- The Nuyens School complex on the Bastide, Yves Ballot/Nathalie Franck, 2007
- Seeko'o Hotel on the Quai des Chartrons, King Kong architects, 2007
Museums
- Musée des Beaux Arts
- Musée d'Aquitaine
- Musée du Vin et du Négoce
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Musée d'Histoire Naturelle
- CAPC
- Musée National des Doines
- French Cruiser Colbert
Colbert was an anti-air cruiser, later transformed into a missile cruiser, of the French Navy. She was the sixth ship of the French Navy to be named after Jean-Baptiste Colbert . She served in the Navy from 1956 to 1991, before being converted into a museum ship at Bordeaux from 1993...
- now closed
- Vinorama
- Musée Goupil
- Casa de Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was a Spanish painter and printmaker regarded both as the last of the Old Masters and as the first of the moderns. Goya was a court painter to the Spanish Crown and a chronicler of history...
- Cap Sciences
- Centre Jean Moulin
Parks and gardens
- Jardin botanique de Bordeaux
The Jardin botanique de Bordeaux is a municipal botanical garden located at Place Bardineau, Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France; it is open daily without charge...
- Jardin botanique de la Bastide
The Jardin botanique de la Bastide is a municipal botanical garden located along the right bank of the Garonne along the Allée Jean Giono in Bordeaux, Gironde, Aquitaine, France; it is open daily without charge...
Shopping
Bordeaux has many shopping options. In the heart of Bordeaux is
Rue Sainte-Catherine. This pedestrian only shopping street has of shops, restaurants and cafés; it is also the longest shopping street in Europe.
Rue Sainte-Catherine starts at
Place de la Victoire and ends at
Place de la Comédie by the
Grand Théâtre. The shops become progressively more upmarket as one moves towards
Place de la Comédie and the nearby
Cours de l'Intendance is where one finds the more exclusive shops and boutiques.
Culture
Bordeaux is also the first city in France to have created, in the 1980s, an architecture exhibition and research centre,
Arc en rêve, still the most prestigious in France besides Paris IFA.
Bordeaux offers a large number of cinemas, theatres and is the home of the
Opéra national de BordeauxGrand Théâtre de Bordeaux, is a Theatre in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April, 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet La Fille Mal Gardée premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his first ballets....
. There are many music venues of varying capacity. The city also offers several festivals throughout the year.
Music
- Bands
- Noir Désir
Noir Désir is a French rock band from Bordeaux. They were the most successful French rock band of the 1990s and early 2000s, having two albums certified double platinum and three certified gold in France. They have been an influence on numerous French musicians including Cali, Louise Attaque and...
- Leisure
Leisure or free time, is a period of time spent out of work and essential domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational and discretionary time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a business, attending school and doing homework,...
- Calc
- Les Hurlements d'Léo
Les Hurlements d'Léo is an alternative rock band from Bordeaux in France. Currently an eight-piece, they have been influenced by the likes of Les Négresses Vertes and combine traditional French sounds with sounds of gypsy, Latin, ska, punk and energetic rock...
- The Deans
The Pride is a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain team of twelve people, a criminal organization that controlled the Los Angeles area of the Marvel Universe. As they are the parents to the Runaways, they are the Runaways' greatest foe...
- Luke
Luke is a French rock band. The group was formed in Paris in 1998 when Thomas Boulard joined the group Spring, consisting of Christophe Plantier and François Jugé. The band's name is derived from the American movie Cool Hand Luke. In 1999, Luke composed a number of demos and a seven track CD. That...
- Smocks
- Gojira
Gojira is a French progressive metal band formed in 1996 in Bayonne, France. The band was known as Godzilla until 2001. The band is comprised of Joe Duplantier on vocals and guitar, his brother Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on guitar and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass...
- Les Nubians
Les Nubians is an R&B Grammy-nominated duo composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985 the sisters moved with their parents to Chad. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France and began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and...
Radio stations
These are the radio stations in Bordeaux.
- Wit FM: (pop
Pop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
, rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
, dance music)
- Black Box: (Hip-Hop
Hip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
, R&B, Ragga, Funk, Soul, Disco)
- Radio Nova Sauvagine: (alternative music
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
)
- Campus FM: (Alternative Music)
- RIG: (world music
World music is the traditional music or folk music of a culture that is created and played by indigenous musicians that is closely related to the music of the regions of their origin.-Terminology:...
)
- La Clé des Ondes: (world music)
- TRG: (pop music)
- ARL: (world music)
Newspaper
- Sud Ouest
Sud-Ouest is the third regional daily in France in terms of diffusion. It was created in Bordeaux, on August 29, 1944 by Jacques Lemoine, as a successor to La Petite Gironde. In 1949, the Sunday edition, Sud-Ouest Dimanche was launched....
, regional French daily in tabloid format
- DirectBordeaux 7, free daily
- 20 Minutes
20 minutes is a free, daily newspaper distributed to commuters in France. It is published by Schibsted and Ouest France Group. 20 minutos, the Spanish version, is distributed by Schibsted and Zeta in Spain...
, Bordeaux edition
- Metro, owned by Metro International
Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41% since launch of the first newspaper edition in 1995. It is a freesheet, meaning that distribution is...
with a Bordeaux edition
Nightclubs
- La Chaloupe
- Le 4Sans
- People
- Austin Club
- Mega Macumba
- Blush
To blush is to display redness in one's face; the term is usually used when the redness is a result of an emotional response, which could reflect embarrassment, shame, or modesty. Blushing can also be associated with being in love...
- O7
- La Plage
- Dream Beach
- King Palace
- Quai Sud
- La Suite
- Nieuw Amsterdam
- Calle Ocho
- Pachanga
Pachanga is a type of Latin American music and dance originating from New York in the 1950s and 1960s. Pachanga and Boogaloo are closely related. They were invented by Latinos in New York in response to the growing popularity of Jive in the white community...
- Monseigneur
Monseigneur is an honorific in the French language. It has occasional English use as well, as it may be a title before the name of a French prelate, a member of a royal family or other dignitary....
- Le Pacha
Le Pacha was a Champion French Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Andre Schwob, his dam was Advertencia, a daughter of two-time Arc winner, Ksar...
- VIP Garden
- Lusi Klub...
Concert rooms
- Rock School Barbey
- Medoquine
- El Inca
Garcilaso de la Vega, was a Peruvian historian and writer who is recognized primarily for his contributions to Inca history, culture, and society. Although not all scholars agree, many consider Garcilaso's accounts the most complete and accurate available...
- Le 4Sans
- Nieuw Amsterdam
- Patinoire Meriadeck
- La Coupole
La Coupole was a Nazi Germany bunker constructed in a former limestone quarry and planned for V-2 rocket assembly and launches. The site was bombed as a "Heavy Crossbow" target and the rockets were launched from mobile firing batteries, instead.-History:...
- Salle du Vigean
- Krakatoa
Krakatoa , also spelled Krakatau or Kracatoa, is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia...
- Son'Art ...
Road
Bordeaux is an important road and
motorway junctionIn the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
. The city is connected to Paris by the
A10
The A10, also called L'Aquitaine, is an Autoroute in France, running for 549km from the A6 south of Paris to the A630 at Bordeaux. It generally parallels the N10 Route Nationale, but deviates significantly from the older N10 between Paris and Tours and between Poitiers and Bordeaux...
motorway, with Lyon by the
A89The A89 autoroute is a motorway in central France. It is known as the La Transeuropéenne. It will connect Lyon with Bordeaux.-Completed Sections:* Antenne de Balbigny* Combronde-Saint-Julien-Puy-Lavèze-Ussel-Tulle-Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes...
, with Toulouse by the
A62The A62 autoroute is a French motorway forming part of the Autoroute de Deux Mers.The road is the western portion of the Autoroute de Deux Mers connecting Toulouse with Bordeaux with a junction with the A630...
, and with Spain by the
A63The A63 autoroute is a motorway in south west France. It is made up of two sections, the northern one is toll-free connecting Bordeaux with Belin-Béliet. The southern section is operated by ASF and links Bordeaux to the border with Spain...
. There is a
ring roadA beltway, loop , ring road, or orbital motorway is a circumferential highway found around or within many cities....
called the "Rocade" which is often very busy. The building of another ring road is under consideration.
Bordeaux has four road bridges that cross the
GaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of 575 km .-Origin of the name:...
, the
Pont de pierre built in the 1820s and three modern bridges built after 1960: the Pont Saint Jean, just south of the Pont de pierre (both located downtown), the Pont d'Aquitaine, a suspended bridge downstream from downtown, and the Pont François Mitterrand, located upstream of downtown. These two bridges are part of the ring road around Bordeaux. There is also a steel railway bridge, built in the 1850s by
Gustave EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel , was a French structural engineer and entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
, and used daily by 100s, including the TGV, a very
high speed trainHigh-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200 km/h and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph by the United...
.
Rail
The main
railway stationA railway station, train station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which passengers may board and alight from trains, and/or where rail-transported freight may be loaded or unloaded. Historically, the term depot has also been employed in North America...
,
Gare de Bordeaux Saint-JeanBordeaux-Saint-Jean or Bordeaux-Midi is a mainline and main railway station in the French city of Bordeaux.The station was on the line of the CF du Midi. The current station building opened in 1898. As well as Midi trains, the station accepted trains from the PO and Etat...
, near the centre of the city, has 4 million passengers a year. It is served by the French national (
SNCFSNCF is a French public enterprise. Its functions include operation of rail services for passengers and freight, and maintenance and signalling of rail infrastructure owned by Réseau Ferré de France . It employs about 180,000 people...
) railway's high speed train, the
TGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by VFE, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, and is now operated primarily by SNCF...
, that gets to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in three hours, with connections to major European centres such as
LilleLille is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
,
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
,
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
,
CologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants...
,
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. The
TGVThe TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by VFE, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator. It was developed during the 1970s by GEC-Alsthom and SNCF, and is now operated primarily by SNCF...
also serves
ToulouseToulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,102,882 inhabitants as of Jan...
and
IrunIrun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Guipuscoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
from Bordeaux. A regular train service is provided to
NantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, while its metropolitan area is the eighth with 804,833 inhabitants at a 2008 estimate....
,
NiceNice is a city in southern France located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, with 347 060 inhabitants in the 2006 estimate...
,
MarseilleMarseille , formerly known as Massalia , is the 2nd most populous French city as well as the oldest city in France...
and
Lyon||-||}Lyon , often Anglicized as Lyons, is a city in east-central France in the region Rhône-Alpes, situated between Paris and Marseille. Its name is pronounced in French and Arpitan, and or in English...
. The Gare Saint-Jean is the major hub for regional trains (TER) operated by the
SNCFSNCF is a French public enterprise. Its functions include operation of rail services for passengers and freight, and maintenance and signalling of rail infrastructure owned by Réseau Ferré de France . It employs about 180,000 people...
to
ArcachonArcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in south-western France. It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
,
LimogesLimoges is a city and commune in France, the préfecture of the Haute-Vienne département, and the administrative capital of the Limousin région....
,
AgenAgen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:...
,
PérigueuxPérigueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in south-western France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, Pau and
BayonneBayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture....
.
Air
Bordeaux is served by an
international airportAn international airport is an airport typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle international flights to and from other countries. Such airports are usually larger, and often feature longer runways and facilities to accommodate the large aircraft commonly used for...
, Aéroport de Bordeaux Mérignac, located from the city centre in the suburban city of
MérignacMérignac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in south-western France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the west...
.
Trams, buses and boats
Bordeaux has an important
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
system called
Tram et Bus de la CUBTram et bus de la CUB is a public transport system for the 27 communes of the Urban Community of Bordeaux . It also provides service to part of the commune of Cadaujac....
(TBC). This company is run by the Connex group. The network consists of:
- 3 tram lines
The Bordeaux tramway network consists of three lines serving the city of Bordeaux in southwestern France. The first line was opened on 21 December 2003; further extensions have increased the route length to . The system is notable for using a ground-level power supply of the Alimentation par Sol...
(AThe A line of the Bordeaux tramway is operated by the Tram et Bus de la CUB, and connects Lormont and Floirac to Mérignac. It connects the left and right banks of the Garonne, passing by the Pierre bridge and the center of Bordeaux.- History :...
, BThe B line of the Bordeaux tramway is operated by the Tram et Bus de la CUB, and connects Station Pessac Centre in Pessac to Claveau in north Bordeaux.-Equipment:...
and CThe C line of the Bordeaux tramway is operated by the Tram et Bus de la CUB, and connects Les Aubiers to Terres Neuves.Being connected to the line A and line B, it will link Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean to different communes of the CUB.- History :...
)
- 75 bus routes
The TBC manages 88 regular bus lines in Bordeaux and the Communauté urbaine de Bordeaux:* 69 normal lines ,* 6 express lines ,* 13 night lines.The TBC also manages:* the electric shuttle,...
, all connected to the tramway network (from 1 to 96)
- 12 night bus routes (from S1 to S12)
- An electric bus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles...
shuttle in the city centre
- A boat shuttle on the Garonne river
This network is operated from 5am to 1am
There have been several plans for a subway network to be set up but they were given up for both geological and financial reasons. The
tramwayThe Bordeaux tramway network consists of three lines serving the city of Bordeaux in southwestern France. The first line was opened on 21 December 2003; further extensions have increased the route length to . The system is notable for using a ground-level power supply of the Alimentation par Sol...
system was started in the autumn of 2000 and commenced service in December 2003, connecting Bordeaux with its suburban areas. It uses the
APSGround-level power supply, also known as surface current collection and Alimentation par Sol is a modern method of third-rail electrical pick-up for street trams. It was invented for the Bordeaux tramway, which was constructed from 2000 and opened in 2003...
technology, a brand new and exclusive cableless technology developed by French company
AlstomAlstom is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2007-'08 Alstom had annual sales of over €16.9 billion, and employed more than 81,500 people in 70 countries. Alstom's...
and designed to preserve the aesthetic environment the tramway is surrounded by (although very controversial for its considerable cost of installation and maintenance, but also for the numerous technical problems that paralyzed the network for an unusually long time even if those problems have been resolved). At the same time many downtown streets and squares along the tramway lines became pedestrian areas, with
limited accessA limited-access road or controlled-access road is a road to which access from adjacent properties is limited in some way. It can mean anything from a city street to which the maintaining authority limits driveway access to a freeway . The precise definition of these terms varies by jurisdiction...
by cars.
Sport
The
Stade Chaban-DelmasStade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...
is the largest stadium. It can host 35000 spectators.
There are two major sport teams in Bordeaux:
- Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux is a French football team based in the city of Bordeaux.The club was founded in 1881 as an omnisport club. The Girondins won the French league in 1950, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999 and are the current champions with a first place finish in 2009...
is the football team. It is part of the Ligue 1Ligue 1 is the top division of French football, one of two divisions making up the LFP, the other being Ligue 2. One member club, AS Monaco, is based in the independent Principality of Monaco, rather than in France proper...
in the French footballFootball in France is governed by the French Football Federation . The FFF organises both the men's and women's national football teams. Notably AS Monaco, a club from the independent sovereign state of Monaco, play in French competition...
championship, and are the reigning champions of the division.
- The USB-CABBG
Union Bordeaux Bègles is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system....
(Union de Stade BordelaisStade Bordelais are a French rugby union club, based in Bordeaux.The club was established in 1889. Bordelais were a major force in the French championship during the 1900s...
- Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles) team is part of the Pro D2Rugby Pro D2, also known as Pro D2 is the second level of domestic club rugby union in France, below the first division, Top 14. The competition was introduced in 2000. There is relegation and promotion between both the Top 14 and Fédérale 1, the third-level competition...
(Second Division) of the Rugby UnionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
Ligue Nationale de RugbyThe French National Rugby League is the name of the national professional rugby union league system of France. It is divided into two divisions:*Top 14*Rugby Pro D2-External links: *...
.
- Bordeaux is the home of one of the strongest cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
teams in France and are the current champions of the South West League.
There is a wooden
velodromeA velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
, Vélodrome du Lac, in Bordeaux which hosts international
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
competition in the form of
UCI Track Cycling World CupThe UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics is the elite men and women's season-long competition in track cycling, which now comprises several rounds, each held in a different country. The 1995 World Cup had six rounds, this was reduced to four in 1998, 1999-2001 compromised of five rounds before...
events.
Births
Bordeaux was the birthplace of:
- Bertrand Andrieu
Bertrand Andrieu was a French engraver of medals from Bordeaux. In France he was considered as the restorer of the art, which had declined after the time of Louis XIV, and during the last twenty years of his life the French government commissiond him to undertake several works...
(1761-1822), engraver
- Jean Anouilh
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist.-Early years:Anouilh was born in Cérisole, a small village on the outskirts of Bordeaux and had Basque ancestry. His father was a tailor and Anouilh maintained that he inherited from him a pride in conscientious craftmanship...
(1910-1987), dramatist
- Yvonne Arnaud
Yvonne Arnaud was a French-born pianist, singer and actress.Germaine Yvonne Arnaud was born in 1892. From 1905 to 1911 she performed with leading orchestras throughout Europe and America. In 1911 she decided to try the stage instead of the concert hall and obtained the lead role in the musical...
(1892-1958), actress
- Decimus Magnus Ausonius
Decimius Magnus Ausonius was a Latin poet and rhetorician, born at Burdigala .-Biography:Decimius Magnus Ausonius was born in Bordeaux in ca. 310. His father was a noted physician of Greek ancestry and his mother was descended on both sides from long-established aristocratic Gallo-Roman families...
(c. 310-395), Roman poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and rhetoricRhetoric is one of the arts of using language as a means to persuade. Along with grammar and logic or dialectic, rhetoric is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. From ancient Greece to the late 19th Century, it was a central part of Western education, filling the need to train public...
ian
- François Bigot
François Bigot was a French government official. He served as the Financial Commissary on Île Royale and as Intendant of New France...
(1703-1788), last IntendantNew France was governed by three rulers: the governor, the bishop and the intendant, all appointed by the King, and sent from France. The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice . He also presided over the Conseil souverain...
of New FranceNew France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period extending from the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, by Jacques Cartier in 1534, to the cession of New France to Spain and Britain in 1763...
- René Clément
René Clément March 18, 1913, Bordeaux – March 17, 1996, Monte Carlo, Monaco) was a French film director and screenwriter.Clément studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed his first film, a 20 minute short written and...
(1913-1996), actor, director, writer
- Damia
Marie-Louise Damien was a French singer and actress better known by the stage name Damia.-Robert Hollard:...
(1899-1978), singer
- Lili Damita
Lili Damita was a French-American actress who had appeared in 33 movies between 1922 and 1937.-Early life and education:...
(1901-1994), actress
- Danielle Darrieux
Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux is a French actress and singer, who has appeared in more than 110 films since 1931...
(born 1917), actress
- Jacques Ellul
Jacques Ellul was a French philosopher, law professor, sociologist, lay theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society" and the intersection between Christianity and politics, such as Anarchy and Christianity —arguing that anarchism and Christianity...
(1912–1994), sociologist, theologian, Christian anarchistChristian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine anarchism with Christianity. Christian anarchists believe that freedom is justified spiritually through the teachings of Jesus. This has caused them to be critical of government and Church authority. Some believe all individuals can...
- Marie Fel
Marie Fel was a French opera singer, daughter of the organist Henri Fel.She made her debut at the Paris Opera in 1733 and sang regularly at the Concert Spirituel...
(1713-1794), opera singer
- Eugène Goossens
Eugène Goossens was a French conductor and violinist.He was born in Bordeaux, and studied in Bruges and the conservatoire in Brussels...
(1867-1958) conductor, violinist
- François Mauriac
François Mauriac was a French author; member of the Académie française ; laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature . He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur...
(1885-1970), writer, Nobel laureateThe Nobel Prize is a Sweden-based international monetary prize. The award was established by the 1895 will and estate of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel. It was first awarded in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace in 1901...
- Édouard Molinaro
Édouard Molinaro is an Academy Award-nominated French film director, actor, and screenwriter. He was born in Gironde, Bordeaux....
(born 1928), film directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
, producer
- Michel de Montaigne
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance. Montaigne is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre...
(1533-1592), essayist
- Pierre Palmade
Pierre Palmade is a French actor and comedian.-Biography:He has done dubbing for the films, Pédale douce and Pédale dure...
(born 1968), actor, author
- St. Paulinus of Nola
Saint Paulinus of Nola, also known as Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus was a Roman Senator who converted to a severe monasticism in 394...
(354-431), educator, religious figure
- Georges Antoine Pons Rayet
Georges Antoine Pons Rayet was a French astronomer.He was born in Bordeaux, France. He began working at the Paris Observatory in 1863. He worked on meteorology in addition to astronomy...
(1839–1906), astronomer, discoverer of the Wolf-Rayet starWolf-Rayet stars are evolved, massive stars , which are losing mass rapidly by means of a very strong stellar wind, with speeds up to 2000 km/s....
s, founder of the Bordeaux Observatory
- Richard II of England
Richard II was the eighth King of England of the House of Plantagenet. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
(1367- 1400)
- Pierre Rode
Jacques Pierre Joseph Rode was a French violinist and composer.-Biography:Born in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, Pierre Rode traveled to Paris at the age of 13 and soon became a favourite pupil of the great Giovanni Battista Viotti who found the boy so talented that he charged him no fee for the...
(1774-1830), violinist
- Jean-Jacques Sempé
Jean-Jacques Sempé, usually known as Sempé , is a French cartoonist. Some of his cartoons are quite striking, but retain a sentimental and often a somewhat gentle edge to them, even if the topic is a difficult one to approach...
(born 1932), cartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. Traditionally much of this work was, and still is, humorous, and is intended primarily for entertainment purposes...
- Florent Serra
Florent Serra is a French male tennis player. A right-hander, he has won two ATP titles during his career and is coached by Pierre Cherret.-Early life and junior career:...
, tennis playerTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
- Philippe Sollers
Philippe Sollers is a French writer and critic. In 1960 he founded the avant garde journal Tel Quel , published by Seuil, which ran until 1982...
, writer
Twin towns - sister cities
Bordeaux is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with:
BristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.With an estimated population of 416,400 for the unitary authority in mid-2007, and a surrounding urban area with an estimated 561,500 residents, it is England's sixth, and...
in United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
(since 1947) LimaLima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It forms a contiguous urban area with the seaport of Callao...
in PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
(since 1957) Quebec CityQuébec , is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in the province – after Montreal, about to the southwest...
in QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
(since 1962) MunichMunich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg...
in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
(since 1964) Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
in United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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PortoPorto , also known as Oporto in English, is Portugal's second city and capital of the Norte NUTS II region. The city is located in the estuary of the Douro river in northern Portugal. The largest city in the region, Porto is considered the economic and cultural heart of the entire region...
in PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
(since 1978) FukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
in Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(since 1982) BilbaoBilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country in northern Spain and the capital of the province of Biscay ....
in SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-most populous municipality in the European Union after Greater London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-most populous city by urban area in the European Union after Paris and London.The city is located on the river...
in SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
(since 1984) AshdodAshdod , is the fifth-largest city in Israel, located in the Southern District of the country, on the Mediterranean coast, with a population of 207,000. Ashdod is an important regional industrial centre...
in IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
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BakuBaku , sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakou, is the capital, the largest city, and the largest port of Azerbaijan and all the Caucasus. Located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, the city consists of two principal parts: the downtown and the old Inner City...
in AzerbaijanAzerbaijan , formally the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south...
(since 1985) CasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean...
in MoroccoMorocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in North Africa with a population of nearly 32 million and an area just under . Its capital is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. Morocco has a coast on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the...
(since 1988) Wuhan' is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in central China. It lies at the east of Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han River...
in ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
(since 1998) OranOran is a major city on the Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria. The name comes from the Berber word Uhran meaning The Lions....
in AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
(since 2003) ZahleZahlé is the capital of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 130,000 inhabitants, which makes it the 3rd largest city in Lebanon. The population of the city is almost entirely Christian, and in particular Greek Catholic. Zahle is called the bride of the Bekaa Valley...
in LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of Lebanon [Republic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies...]
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Partnerships
| Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
in RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(since 1993) KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced , is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
in PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(since 1993) RigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltics, and an important seaport, situated on the mouth of the Daugava...
, LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...
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See also
- Archdiocese of Bordeaux
- Battle of Bordeaux (football)
The Battle of Bordeaux is an informal name for the World Cup football match between Brazil and Czechoslovakia on June 12, 1938 in the Parc Lescure in Bordeaux, France, one of the quarter-finals of the 1938 World Cup finals...
, an informal name for the World CupThe 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. France was chosen as hosts by FIFA in August 1936...
football match between BrazilThe Brazil national football team is the national team of Brazil and is managed by the Brazilian Football Confederation that represents Brazil in international football competitions. They are the most successful national football team in the history of the World Cup, with five championships...
and CzechoslovakiaThe Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
on 12 June 1938 in Bordeaux
- Bordeaux-Paris
The Bordeaux-Paris professional cycle race was one of Europe's Classic cycle races, and one of the longest in the professional calendar, covering approximately 560km - more than twice most single-day races...
, a former professional road bicycle racingRoad bicycle racing is a popular bicycle racing sport held on roads , using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first at the end of the course Road bicycle racing is a popular bicycle racing...
- Bordeaux wine regions
The wine regions of Bordeaux are the area around the city of Bordeaux within the Gironde department of Aquitaine. The region is naturally divided by the Gironde River into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc and the subregions of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien, and Margaux and a Right Bank...
- Canelé
]A canelé is a small French pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. The dessert, which is in the shape of small, striated cylinder approximately two inches in height, is a specialty of the Bordeaux region of France but can often be found in Parisian...
, a local pastryPastry is the name given to various kinds of baked goods made from ingredients such as flour, butter, shortening, baking powder or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked goods are called "pastries"....
- Dogue de Bordeaux
The Dogue de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Mastiff or French Mastiff is a breed of dog that is strong, powerful, and imposing. The Dogue de Bordeaux is one of the most ancient French breeds. They are a typical brachycephalic molossoid type. Bordeaux are very powerful dogs, with a very muscular body yet...
, a breedDog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
originally bred for dog fightingDog fighting is a blood sport in which dogs are made to fight, sometimes to the death. Dog fighting is used for entertainment and may also create a revenue stream from stud fees, admission fees, and gambling.-Origins of domestic breeding:...
- French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year . France has the world's largest wine production ahead of Italy and the second-largest total vineyard area behind Spain...
- List of mayors of Bordeaux
- Operation Frankton
Operation Frankton was a World War II British Combined Operations military commando raid on Nazi German shipping in Bordeaux harbour, France, in December, 1942, by 12 men of the Royal Marines Boom Patrol Detachment using small two-man Cockle MK II folding kayaks...
, a BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
Combined Operations raid on shipping in Bordeaux harbourBordeaux Harbour is a fishing port and bay in the parish of Vale in the north east of Guernsey.Used to be used as a fishing harbour but is now more commonly used just as a beach, one of the few beaches in Guernsey that allow you to walk your dogs on all year round.The annual Guernsey winkle-picking...
, in December 1942 , during World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
External links