Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (French: [alp(ə)maʁitim]; Occitan: Aups Maritims; Italian: Alpi Marittime; lit. 'Maritime Alps') is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it encompasses the French Riviera alongside neighbouring Var. Alpes-Maritimes had a population of 1,094,283 in 2019. Its prefecture (and largest city) is Nice, with Grasse as the sole subprefecture.
Alpes-Maritimes
Aups Maritims (Occitan) | |
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Clockwise from top: a view on the Mediterranean from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin; Lérins Abbey on Île Saint-Honorat; Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage; prefecture building in Nice; and Mercantour National Park | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Alpes-Maritimes in France | |
| Coordinates: 43°50′N 7°10′E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Prefecture | Nice |
| Subprefecture | Grasse |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Charles Ange Ginésy (LR) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,299 km2 (1,660 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | |
| • Total | 1,103,941 |
| • Rank | 20th |
| • Density | 260/km2 (670/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Department number | 06 |
| Arrondissements | 2 |
| Cantons | 27 |
| Communes | 163 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Alpes-Maritimes has become one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations in recent decades, featuring renowned cities and towns such as Nice, Grasse, Cannes, Antibes, Menton, Èze, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Sainte-Agnès, as well as numerous alpine ski resorts. It also entirely surrounds the Principality of Monaco. The department's inhabitants are called Maralpins (masculine) or Maralpines (feminine); its flag and arms are those of the City of Nice. In terms of politics, Alpes-Maritimes is one of France's most right-wing departments, as the majority led by The Republicans in the departmental council holds all but two of the 54 seats following the 2021 election.