Calvados

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Calvados

The French département of Calvados forms part of the région of Basse-Normandie in Normandy. It takes its name from a cluster of rocks off the coast.

History

Calvados was one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Normandie.

D-Day landings took place on the beaches of Baie de Seine on June 6, 1944.

Geography

Calvados is surrounded by the départements of Seine-Maritime, Eure, Orne, and Manche. On the north is the Baie de la Seine, part of the English Channel, and on the east the Seine River forms the boundary with Seine-Maritime.

It includes the Bessin area, the Pays d'Auge, and the area known as the Suisse normande ("Norman Switzerland") from the cragginess of its landscape.

Other towns include: Deauville and the formerly elegant 19th-century casino resorts of the coast.

Economy

Agriculture dominates the economy of Calvados. Products include butter, cheese, cider, and the apple-based spirit which shares its name (see Calvados (spirit)).

Demographics

The inhabitants of the département are called Calvadosiens.

Culture

The Bayeux Tapestry stems from Bayeux and makes the city one of the most-visited tourist destinations in Normandy.

Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer, Calvados, commemorates the D-Day landing of the Canadian liberation forces at Juno Beach during World War II in 1944.

The cult of Thérèse de Lisieux brings large numbers of people on pilgrimage to Lisieux.

External links

Conseil Général website
Prefecture website
Calvados Charles de Granville
http://www.fleurysien.com/
http://www.dday-overlord.com/PhNplageng.htm
http://search.eb.com/normandy/week2/invasion.html
http://www.junobeach.org/