¹ French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers

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Franche-Comté (the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy) is a région and a traditional province of eastern France. It is formed by the modern départements of Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône and Territoire de Belfort and has a population (2005) of 1,143,000.

The principal cities are Besançon (the historical and modern capital of the région), Belfort, and Montbéliard (Aire Urbaine Belfort-Montbéliard-Héricourt-Delle). Other important cities are Dole (capital before the region was conquered by Louis XIV in the late 17th century), Vesoul (capital of Haute-Saône), Arbois (the "wine capital" of the Jura), and Lons-le-Saunier (capital of Jura).

[edit] History

Main article: County of Burgundy

The name Franche-Comté did not officially appear until 1366. It had been a territory of Burgundy from 888, the province becoming subject to the Holy Roman Empire in 1034, definitively separated from the neighbouring duchy of Burgundy upon the latter's incorporation into France in 1477. Transferred to Spain in 1556, the Franche-Comté was occupied by the French in 1668 but handed back at the subsequent peace, under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle; conquered a second time in 1674, it was finally ceded to France at the Treaty of Nijmegen, 1678.

The region's population fell by a fifth between the censuses of 1851 and 1946, reflecting low French natural growth and migration to more urbanised parts of the country. Most of the decline occurred in Haute-Saône and Jura, which remain among the country's more agriculture-dependent areas.

[edit] Culture

The regional language, Franc-Comtois is dialect of Langue d'Oïl spoken by a minority of people and is recognised as one of the Languages of France.

As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the southern ⅔ of Jura and southern ⅓ of Doubs spoke a dialect of the Franco-Provençal language. It continued to be spoken in rural areas into the 20th century. Franco-Provençal also is recognized as one of the official Languages of France.

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Franche-Comté

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Régions of France

Alsace • Aquitaine • Auvergne • Bourgogne • Bretagne • Centre • Champagne-Ardenne • Corsica • Franche-Comté • Île-de-France • Languedoc-Roussillon • Limousin • Lorraine • Midi-Pyrénées • Nord-Pas de Calais • Basse-Normandie • Haute-Normandie • Pays de la Loire • Picardie • Poitou-Charentes • Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur • Rhône-Alpes