“Why name a department after a river that doesn’t even flow through it?” you might ask. That’s the curious case of Le Var. Today we are going to explore the fascinating story behind this geographical anomaly. Le Var is a French department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Le Var owes its name to the river Var.
Originally, the river Var marked the department’s eastern boundary. This was before the County of Nice joined France. The arrondissement of Grasse was incorporated into the Alpes-Maritimes department. Since then, Le Var carries the name of a river. The river no longer flows within its borders. This makes Le Var a unique case in France.
Several name change proposals have surfaced over the years. One suggestion was to rename Le Var as the Argens department. The Argens is the main river that crosses the department. Another proposal suggested the name “Côtes-du-Sud”. Despite these ideas, Le Var has kept its original name. It is known far and wide by this name.
Le Var is a diverse landscape. It borders the Bouches-du-Rhône to the west. Vaucluse lies to the north. The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is also to the north. The Alpes-Maritimes are to the east. The Mediterranean Sea bathes its southern coast.
Le Var spans 6,032 square kilometers. Its coastline stretches 432 kilometers. This includes its islands. Forests cover 58.3% of Le Var. That’s 351,706 hectares. Agriculture uses 14% of the land. This equals 83,000 hectares.
The terrain in Le Var varies. The west of Le Var has a limestone area along the Toulon-Draguignan axis. To the east lies a crystalline area. Key mountain ranges include the Massif des Maures and the Esterel Massif. The Massif des Maures peaks at 776 meters. The Esterel Massif reaches 618 meters. Both have crystalline soil. The Sainte-Baume Massif is in the west. It rises to 1,148 meters. The Lachens Mountain is northeast. It is the highest point in the department at 1,712 meters.
Le Var has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers. In 2003 and 2005, heat waves caused devastating fires. La Garde-Freinet and Le Plan-de-la-Tour suffered greatly. Toulon is statistically the sunniest city in France. Autumn brings heavy rainfall. This often leads to devastating floods.
Created during the French Revolution in 1790, Le Var has seen many changes. Toulon was its first capital. It was moved to Grasse in 1793. This was to punish Toulon for surrendering to the British. Brignoles became the capital in 1795. Then, Draguignan took over in 1797. Toulon finally regained its status in 1974.
The people of Le Var are called Varois. In 2022, the population was 1,108,364. Toulon’s urban area is home to much of this population. Le Var has four cities with over 50,000 residents. Seven cities have more than 30,000 residents.
Le Var thrives on tourism. The department also has two economic hubs. One is around Toulon. Here, a competitive industry flourishes. The other is in Fréjus-Saint-Raphaël. It specializes in services and high technology.
So, while Le Var’s name might seem like a geographical riddle, it carries a rich history. It is a reminder of a time when borders shifted and landscapes transformed.