Grand Est

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Grand Est
Grossa Oschta (Alemannic German)
Grouss Osten (Luxembourgish)
Region
The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg north of Colmar
The Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg north of Colmar
Official logo of Grand Est
Brandmark
Country France
PrefectureStrasbourg
Departments
10
Government
 • BodyRegional Council of Grand Est
 • President of the Regional CouncilFranck Leroy (DVD)
Area
 • Total57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi)
 • Rank5th
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total5,561,287
 • Density97/km2 (250/sq mi)
GDP
[2]
 • Total€166.919 billion
 • Per capita€30,100
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeFR-GES
NUTS RegionFRF
Official languagesFrench,
Recognised languagesAlemannic German and Moselle Franconian
Websitewww.grandest.fr

Grand Est[3] (French: [ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst] ⓘ;[4] English: "Great East") is an administrative region in northeastern France. It superseded three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (pronounced [alzas ʃɑ̃paɲ aʁdɛn lɔʁɛn]; ACAL or, less commonly, ALCALIA),[5] as a result of territorial reform which had been passed by the French Parliament in 2014.[6][7][a]

The region sits astride three water basins (Seine, Meuse and Rhine), spanning an area of 57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi), the fifth largest in France; it includes two mountain ranges (Vosges and Ardennes). It shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. As of 2021, it had a population of 5,561,287 inhabitants. The prefecture and largest city is Strasbourg.

The East of France has a rich and diverse culture, being situated at a crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds. This history is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there (Alsatian, Champenois, Lorrain and Lorraine Franconian). Most of today's Grand Est region was considered "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it constituted the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia. The city of Reims (in Champagne), where Frankish king Clovis I had been baptized in 496 AD, would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The Champagne fairs played a significant role in the economy of medieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and subject to competing claims by France and Germany over the centuries.

The region has distinctive traditions such as the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine. Alsace-Moselle are furthermore subject to local law for historical reasons. With a long industrial history and strong agriculture and tourism (arts, gastronomy, sightseeing), the East of France is one of the top economic producing regions in the country.

Toponymy[edit]

Provisional name[edit]

The provisional name of the region was Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine, formed by combining the names of the three former regions—Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine—in alphabetical order with hyphens. The formula for the provisional name of the region was established by the territorial reform law and applied to all but one of the provisional names for new regions.[7] The ACAL regional council, which was elected in December 2015, was given the task of choosing a name for the region and submitting it to the Conseil d'État—France's highest authority for administrative law—by 1 July 2016 for approval.[7][9] The provisional name of the region was retired on 30 September 2016, when the new name of the region, Grand Est, took effect.[8]

In Alsace and in Lorraine, the new region has frequently been called ALCA, for Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne-Ardennes, on the internet.[10]

Like the name Région Hauts-de-France (and, until 2015, the name Région Centre), the name Région Grand Est contains no reference whatsoever to the area's history or identity, but merely describes its geographical location within metropolitan France.

Permanent name[edit]

Official logo

In a poll conducted in November 2014 by France 3 in Champagne-Ardenne, Grand Est (29.16%) and Austrasie (22.65%) were the top two names among 25 candidates and 4,701 votes.[11] Grand Est also topped a poll the following month conducted by L'Est Républicain, receiving 42% of 3,324 votes.[12]

The names which received a moderate amount of discussion were:

Geography[edit]

Grand Est covers 57,433 square kilometres (22,175 sq mi) of land and is the sixth-largest of the regions of France. Grand Est borders four countries—Belgium (Wallonia region) and Luxembourg (Cantons of Esch-sur-Alzette and Remich) on the north, Germany on the east and northeast,[15] and Switzerland[16] on the southeast. It is the only French region to border more than two countries, or more countries than French regions. Its neighbors within France are Bourgogne-Franche-Comté on the south, Île-de-France on the west, and Hauts-de-France on the northwest.

Map of the new region with its ten départements, colored according to the historical provinces as they existed until 1790.
  Champagne
  Lorraine
  Alsace
  Barrois
  Three Bishoprics
  County of Saarwerden
  Principality of Salm-Salm
  Free County of Burgundy
  Prince-Bishopric of Liège
  Duchy of Luxemburg
  small principalities

Departments[edit]

Grand Est contains ten departments: Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Marne, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges.

Topography[edit]

The main ranges in the region include the Vosges to the east and the Ardennes to the north.

Hydrology[edit]

The region is bordered on the east by the Rhine, which forms about half of the border with Germany. Other major rivers which flow through the region include the Meuse, Moselle, Marne, and Saône.

Lakes in the region include lac de Gérardmer, lac de Longemer, lac de Retournemer, lac des Corbeaux, Lac de Bouzey, lac de Madine, étang du Stock and lac de Pierre-Percée.

Climate[edit]

Grand Est climate depends on the proximity of the sea. In Champagne and Western Lorraine, the climate is oceanic (Köppen : Cfb), with cool to mild winters and warm summers. But Ardennes, Moselle and Alsace climates are borderline humid continental (Köppen : Dfb) - oceanic (Köppen : Cfb), characterized by cold winters with frequent days below the freezing point, and hot summers, with many days with temperatures up to 32 °C.

History[edit]

See also: Alsace, Lorraine, and Champagne-Ardenne

Formation[edit]

Protesters of the Alsace independence movement holding a banner saying "No to merger" (Non a la fusion), 2014 in Strasbourg.

Grand Est is the result of territorial reform legislation passed in 2014 by the French Parliament to reduce the number of regions in Metropolitan France—the part of France in continental Europe—from 22 to 13.[17] Grand Est is the merger of three regions: Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine.

Opposition[edit]

See also: Alsace independence movement

The merger has been, and still is, strongly opposed by some groups in Alsace, and a large majority of Alsatians.[18][19] The territorial reform law allows new regions to choose the seat of the regional councils, but specifically made Strasbourg the seat of the Grand Est regional council—a move to appease the region's politicians.[20]

The creation of the new region was unpopular among Alsatians. In response, the Government created the European Collectivity of Alsace merging the departments of Bas Rhin and Haut Rhin, to take effect in 2021.

Demographics[edit]

The region has an official population of 5,562,651 (municipal population on 1 January 2021).[21]

Cities with over 20,000 inhabitants Former region 2021
Strasbourg Alsace 291,313
Reims Champagne-Ardenne 179,380
Metz Lorraine 120,874
Mulhouse Alsace 106,341
Nancy Lorraine 104,260
Colmar Alsace 67,730
Troyes Champagne-Ardenne 62,782
Charleville-Mézières Champagne-Ardenne 46,398
Châlons-en-Champagne Champagne-Ardenne 43,877
Thionville Lorraine 42,163
Haguenau Alsace 35,715
Schiltigheim Alsace 34,129
Épinal Lorraine 31,832
Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Lorraine 29,537
Illkirch-Graffenstaden Alsace 27,118
Saint-Dizier Champagne-Ardenne 23,068
Saint-Louis Alsace 22,698
Épernay Champagne-Ardenne 22,001
Montigny-lès-Metz Lorraine 21,854
Chaumont Champagne-Ardenne 21,699
Forbach Lorraine 21,130
Sarreguemines Lorraine 20,624
Lingolsheim Alsace 20,266
2021 Rank Department Legal Population in 2021 Area (km²) Aroen (Pop./km²) INSEE Dept. No.
1 Bas-Rhin 1,152,662 4,755 242.5 67
2 Moselle 1,049,942 6,216 169 57
3 Haut-Rhin 767,083 3,525 218 68
4 Meurthe-et-Moselle 732,486 5,246 140 54
5 Marne 565,292 8,162 69.5 51
6 Vosges 360,673 5,874 61.5 88
7 Aube 311,329 6,004 52 10
8 Ardennes 268,859 5,229 51.5 08
9 Meuse 181,919 6,211 29.5 55
10 Haute-Marne 171,042 6,211 27.5 52

Government[edit]

Regional council[edit]

Inaugural session of the new Regional council on 4 January 2016
The current headquarters of the Alsace Regional Council, which serves as the headquarters of Grand Est's regional council
Further information: Regional council (France)

The regional council has limited administrative authority, mostly concerning the promotion of the region's economy and financing educational and cultural activities. The regional council has no legislative authority. The seat of the regional council will be Strasbourg. The regional council, elected in December 2015, is controlled by The Republicans.[22] The elected inaugural president of the Grand Est Regional Council is Philippe Richert, who was previously the President of the Alsace Regional Council.[22] The current president is Jean Rottner.

Economy[edit]

The gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 159.9 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 6.7% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,400 euros or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 101% of the EU average.[23]

Transport and infrastructure[edit]

Rail transport[edit]

The region has five tram networks:

Airports[edit]

The region has four airports:

Motorways[edit]

The region has eighteen motorways:

  • A4 Paris to Strasbourg
  • A5 Paris to Langres
  • A26 Calais to Troyes
  • A30 Uckange to Longwy in N52
  • A31 Beaune to Luxembourg in A3 motorway (Luxembourg)
  • A33 Nancy to Phalsbourg in N4
  • A34 Reims to Sedan
  • A35 Strasbourg to Basel
  • A36 Beaune to Mulhouse
  • A304 project in city of Charleville-Mézières
  • A313 in city of Pont-à-Mousson
  • A314 and A315 in city of Metz
  • A320 in city of Forbach
  • A330 in city of Nancy
  • A340 Brumath to Haguenau in D1340
  • A344 in city of Reims
  • A351 in city of Strasbourg
  • A352 Molsheim to Schirmeck in D1420

The region has twelve cities that have ring roads:

  • Strasbourg
  • Reims
  • Metz
  • Nancy
  • Mulhouse
  • Troyes
  • Châlons-en-Champagne
  • Épinal
  • Colmar
  • Thionville
  • Longwy

Heritage[edit]

West portal of St Theobald's Church of Thann, a masterpiece of late 14th-century sculpture and architecture.

Grand Est is rich with architectural monuments from the Roman Empire to the early 21st century.

Gothic architecture is particularly conspicuous, with many famous cathedrals, basilicas and churches, such as Reims Cathedral, Strasbourg Cathedral, Metz Cathedral, Troyes Cathedral, Châlons Cathedral, Toul Cathedral, the Basilica of L'Épine, the Basilica of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, the Basilica of Notre-Dame, Avioth [fr], the Basilica of St. Urbain in Troyes, Thann Church, Niederhaslach Church, Notre-Dame-en-Vaux, St. George's Church, Sélestat and St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Wissembourg.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The name Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine was created by hyphenating the merged regions' names in alphabetical order; the regional council had to approve a new name for the region by 1 July 2016.[7] France's Conseil d'État approved Grand Est as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, effective 30 September 2016.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  3. ^ ""Grand Est": les élus valident le nom de région". Le Figaro (in French). 29 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. ^ Alsatian: Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/Luxembourgish: Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: Groß Oschte; German: Großer Osten [ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈʔɔstn̩];
  5. ^ Dupuis-Remond, Dupuis-Remond (18 December 2014). "Débat d'orientation budgétaire : la Grande Région ALCA dans tous les esprits – France 3 Lorraine". France 3 (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  6. ^ "La carte à 13 régions définitivement adoptée". Le Monde (in French). Agence France-Presse. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d Loi n° 2015–29 du 16 janvier 2015 relative à la délimitation des régions, aux élections régionales et départementales et modifiant le calendrier électoral, article 2(I) (in French)
  8. ^ a b Décret n° 2016-1262 du 28 septembre 2016 portant fixation du nom de la région Grand Est (in French)
  9. ^ Quel nom pour la nouvelle région ? Vous avez choisi..., Sud-Ouest, 4 December 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015
  10. ^ "Cette région que l'Alsace ne veut pas baptiser". Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French). 7 December 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  11. ^ a b c "Votez pour le nom de la future grande région Champagne-Ardenne – Lorraine – Alsace". France 3 Champagne-Ardenne (in French). France Télévisions. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Choisissez un nom pour la Grande Région". L'Est Républicain (in French). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. ^ Bach, Christian (21 June 2015). "Région Alsace-Lorraine-Champagne-Ardenne : le nom de la chose..." Derniers nouvelles d'Alsace (in French). Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  14. ^ Baldit, Etienne (21 July 2015). "Philippot refuse le nom 'Grand Est Europe' pour sa région : "Et pourquoi pas 'Roumanie' ?"". Europe 1 (in French). Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  15. ^ Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland
  16. ^ Cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Jura and Solothurn
  17. ^ "La carte à 13 régions définitivement adoptée". Le Monde (in French). 17 December 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Le malaise Alsacien ne décroit pas". L'Alsace (in French). 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Grand Est: Philippe Richert, le "fossoyeur" de l'Alsace, démissionne". L'Express (in French). 30 September 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Strasbourg sera la capitale de la future région Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine". Le Monde (in French). 20 November 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2015. [Members of the National Assembly] decided Thursday, 20 November to designate in advance Strasbourg as the capital of the future region Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in a gesture to appease the Alsatian politicians. (From French: Les députés ont décidé jeudi 20 novembre de désigner par avance Strasbourg comme capitale de la future grande région Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine dans un geste d'apaisement vis-à-vis des élus alsaciens.)
  21. ^ "POPULATIONS LÉGALES 2021 Grand Est" (PDF). insee.fr. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Alsace – Champagne-Ardenne – Lorraine: Nouveau Conseil Régional". Élections régionales et des assemblées de Corse, Guyane et Martinique 2015. Ministre de l’Intérieur. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  23. ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.

External links[edit]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Grand-Est.

48°45′16″N 5°51′06″E / 48.7544°N 5.8517°E / 48.7544; 5.8517

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