View source for Isère

{{short description|Department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{About|the French department|the river|Isère (river)}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Isere|Iser (disambiguation){{!}}Iser}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
 | name                     = Isère
 | native_name              = {{native name|frp|Isera}}<br/>{{native name|oc|Isèra}}
 | native_name_lang         = <!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
 | type                     = [[Departments of France|Department]]
 | image_skyline            = {{Photomontage|position=center
  | photo2a = Grenoble - Prefecture.jpg
  | photo1a = 2 alpes pano pic sign.jpg
  | photo3a = Lac de Notre-Dame-de-Commiers 2016-06-04.jpg
  | size = 270
  | spacing = 2
  | color = #FFFFFF
  | border = 0
  | foot_montage = Top down: [[Les Deux Alpes]] ski resort, [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] building in [[Grenoble]], [[Notre-Dame-de-Commiers]] }}
 | image_alt                = 
 | image_caption            = 
 | image_flag               = Flag of Isère.svg
 | flag_alt                 = 
 | image_shield             = Blason département fr Isère.svg
 | shield_alt               = 
 | nickname                 = 
 | motto                    = 
 | image_map                = Isère-Position.svg
 | map_alt                  = 
 | map_caption              = Location of Isère in France
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 | coordinates              = {{coord|45|20|N|05|30|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd_scale:21000000|display=inline,title}}
 | coor_pinpoint            = 
 | coordinates_footnotes    = 
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = [[France]]
 | subdivision_type1        = [[Regions of France|Region]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
 | established_title        = 
 | established_date         = 
 | founder                  = 
 | seat_type                = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
 | seat                     = [[Grenoble]]
 | parts_type               = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
 | parts_style              = para
 | p1                       = [[La Tour-du-Pin]]<br />[[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]]
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | leader_party             = [[The Republicans (France)|LR]]
 | leader_title             = [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]]
 | leader_name              = Jean-Pierre Barbier<ref>{{cite web |title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux |url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba |website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises |date=4 May 2022 |language=fr}}</ref>
 | unit_pref                = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | area_footnotes           = {{ref|area|1}}
 | area_total_km2           = 7431
 | area_note                = 
 | elevation_footnotes      = 
 | elevation_m              = 846
 | elevation_min_m          = 134
 | elevation_max_m          = 4088
 | population_total         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
 | population_as_of         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
 | population_footnotes     = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
 | population_rank          = [[List of French departments by population|15th]]
 | population_density_km2   = auto
 | population_demonym       = 
 | population_note          = 
 | blank_name_sec1          = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
 | blank_info_sec1          = 38
 | blank_name_sec2          = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
 | blank_info_sec2          = [[arrondissements of the Isère department|3]]
 | blank1_name_sec2         = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
 | blank1_info_sec2         = [[Cantons of the Isère department|29]]
 | blank2_name_sec2         = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
 | blank2_info_sec2         = [[Communes of the Isère department|512]]
 | timezone1                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
 | utc_offset1              = +1
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 | utc_offset1_DST          = +2
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 | footnotes                = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km<sup>2</sup>
}}

'''Isère''' ({{IPAc-en|US|iː|ˈ|z|ɛər}} {{respell|ee|ZAIR}},<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Isère |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Isère |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|izɛʁ|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-Isère.wav}}; {{langx|frp|Isera}}; {{langx|oc|Isèra}}, {{IPA|oc|iˈsɛɾa}}) is a landlocked [[Departments of France|department]] in the southeastern French [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]. Named after the river [[Isère (river)|Isère]], it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep38.pdf Populations légales 2019: 38 Isère], INSEE</ref> Its [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] is [[Grenoble]]. It borders [[Rhône (department)|Rhône]] to the northwest, [[Ain]] to the north, [[Savoie]] to the east, [[Hautes-Alpes]] to the south, [[Drôme]] and [[Ardèche]] to the southwest and [[Loire (department)|Loire]] to the west.

== History ==

Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on 4 March 1790. It was established from the main part of the [[Provinces of France|former province]] of [[Dauphiné]].<ref name="BeachRines1912">{{cite book |author1=Frederick Converse Beach |author2=George Edwin Rines |title=The Americana: a universal reference library, comprising the arts and sciences, literature, history, biography, geography, commerce, etc., of the world |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pYJRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PT741 |year=1912 |publisher=Scientific American compiling department |page=741}}</ref> Its area was reduced twice, in 1852 and again in 1967, on both occasions losing territory to the department of [[Rhône (department)|Rhône]].

[[File:Château de Vizille détail face.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Château de Vizille]], which was the seat of the [[Assembly of Vizille]] that followed the 1788 [[Day of the Tiles]] in Grenoble, now houses the [[Musée de la Révolution française]].]]

In 1852 in response to rapid urban development around the edge of [[Lyon]], the (hitherto Isère) communes of [[Bron]], [[Vaulx-en-Velin]], [[Vénissieux]] and [[Villeurbanne]] were transferred to [[Rhône (department)|Rhône]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Revue du Lyonnais |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ej0WAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA197 |year=1865 |publisher=L. Boitel |language=fr |page=197}}</ref> In 1967 the redrawing of local government borders led to the creation of the [[Urban Community of Lyon]] (more recently known simply as Greater Lyon or Grand Lyon). At that time intercommunal groupings of this nature were not permitted to straddle departmental frontiers, and accordingly 23 more Isère communes (along with six communes from [[Ain]]) found themselves transferred to Rhône. The affected Isère communes were [[Chaponnay]], [[Chassieu]], [[Communay]], [[Corbas]], [[Décines-Charpieu]], [[Feyzin]], [[Genas]], [[Jonage]], [[Jons]], [[Marennes, Rhône|Marennes]], [[Meyzieu]], [[Mions]], [[Pusignan]], [[Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure]], [[Saint-Laurent-de-Mure]], [[Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu]], [[Saint-Priest, Rhône|Saint-Priest]], [[Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon]], [[Sérézin-du-Rhône]], [[Simandres]], [[Solaize]], [[Ternay, Rhône|Ternay]] and [[Toussieu]].<ref>[https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/jo/id/JORFTEXT000000880759 Loi n°67-1205 du 29 décembre 1967 modifiant les limites des départements de l'Ain, de l'Isère et du Rhône], ''[[Journal officiel de la République française]]'' n° 0303, 30 December 1967, p. 12980.</ref>

Most recently, on 1 April 1971, [[Colombier-Saugnieu]] was transferred to Rhône. Banners appeared in the commune's three little villages at the time proclaiming ''[[Dauphiné|Dauphinois]] toujours'' ("Always Dauphinois").

== Geography ==

Isère includes a part of the [[French Alps]]. The highest point in the department is the subpeak Pic Lory at {{convert|4,088|m|ft|abbr=off}}, subsidiary to the {{convert|4,102|m|ft|abbr=off}} [[Barre des Écrins]] in the adjoining [[Hautes-Alpes]] department. The summit of [[La Meije]] at {{convert|3,988|m|ft|abbr=off}} is also well known. The [[Vercors Plateau]] aesthetically dominates the western part of the department.

===Principal towns===

The most populous commune is [[Grenoble]], the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Grenoble]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 158,198
|-
| [[Saint-Martin-d'Hères]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 37,935
|-
| [[Échirolles]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 36,932
|-
| [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 29,993
|-
| [[Bourgoin-Jallieu]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 28,834
|-
| [[Fontaine, Isère|Fontaine]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 23,211
|-
| [[Voiron]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 20,372
|}

== Demographics ==
Inhabitants of the department are called ''Isérois'' (masculine) and ''Iséroises'' (feminine).

Population development since 1801:{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://splaf.free.fr/38his.html |title=Historique de l'Isère |website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-38 |title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016 |publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|15=1801|16=435,888|17=1806|18=471,660|19=1831|20=550,258|21=1841|22=588,660|23=1851|24=603,497|25=1861|26=577,748|27=1872|28=575,784|29=1881|30=580,271|31=1891|32=572,145|33=1901|34=568,693|35=1911|36=555,911|37=1921|38=525,522|39=1931|40=584,017|41=1936|42=572,742|43=1946|44=574,019|45=1954|46=626,116|47=1962|48=729,789|49=1968|50=768,490|51=1975|52=860,339|53=1982|54=936,771|55=1990|56=1,016,228|57=1999|58=1,094,006|59=2006|60=1,169,491|61=2011|62=1,215,212|63=2016|64=1,252,912}}

== Politics ==
=== Departmental politics ===
The President of the Departmental Council has been Jean-Pierre Barbier of [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (LR) since 2015.

Following the [[2021 French departmental elections|2021 departmental election]], the Departmental Council of Isère (58 seats) was composed as follows:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Group || Seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] and allies ||align="right"| 26
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
|[[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] and allies ||align="right"| 13
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union of Democrats and Independents}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Union of Democrats and Independents]] and allies ||align="right"| 5
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|French Communist Party}}" |
|[[French Communist Party]] and allies ||align="right"| 5
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Europe Ecology – The Greens}}" |
|[[Europe Ecology – The Greens]] and allies ||align="right"| 4
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Independent politician|Independents]] ||align="right"| 3
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|La République En Marche!}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[La République En Marche!]] ||align="right"| 2
|-
|}

=== Representation in Paris ===
==== National Assembly ====
In the [[2022 French legislative election|2022 legislative election]], Isère elected the following representatives to the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/ |title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français |first=Assemblée |last=Nationale |website=Assemblée nationale}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Renaissance (French political party)}}" |
| [[Isère's 1st constituency]]
| [[Olivier Véran]]
| [[Renaissance (French political party)|Renaissance]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Europe Ecology – The Greens}}" |
| [[Isère's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Cyrielle Chatelain]]
| [[Europe Ecology – The Greens|EELV]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|La France Insoumise}}" |
| [[Isère's 3rd constituency]]
| [[Élisa Martin]]
| [[La France Insoumise]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
| [[Isère's 4th constituency]]
| [[Marie-Noëlle Battistel]]
| [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Europe Ecology – The Greens}}" |
| [[Isère's 5th constituency]]
| [[Jérémie Iordanoff]]
| [[Europe Ecology – The Greens|EELV]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Isère's 6th constituency]]
| [[Alexis Jolly]]
| [[National Rally]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| [[Isère's 7th constituency]]
| [[Yannick Neuder]]
| [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Renaissance (French political party)}}" |
| [[Isère's 8th constituency]]
| [[Caroline Abadie]]
| [[Renaissance (French political party)|Renaissance]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Movement (France)}}" |
| [[Isère's 9th constituency]]
| [[Élodie Jacquier-Laforge]]
| [[Democratic Movement (France)|Democratic Movement]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Renaissance (French political party)}}" |
| [[Isère's 10th constituency]]
| [[Marjolaine Meynier-Millefert]]
| [[Renaissance (French political party)|Renaissance]]
|}

In [[2022 French legislative election|2024]], all the Renaissance and Democratic Movement candidates lost their seats: to La France Insoumise in the 1st and 9th constituencies, and to RN-coalition parties in the 8th and 10th. The other representatives were all reelected.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=France 3 |lang=fr|date=2024-07-07|last=Desmas |first=Margot |title=Résultats définitifs des législatives 2024 en Isère : Olivier Véran battu à Grenoble, découvrez le député élu dans votre circonscription |url= https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/isere/grenoble/carte-resultats-des-legislatives-2024-en-isere-decouvrez-tous-les-candidats-elus-circonscription-par-circonscription-2998031.html}}</ref>

==== Senate ====
In the [[2017 French Senate election|2017 Senate election]], Isère elected [[Didier Rambaud]] ([[La République En Marche!]]), [[Guillaume Gontard]] ([[miscellaneous left]]), [[Frédérique Puissat]] ([[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]), [[Michel Savin]] ([[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]) and [[André Vallini]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]) for the 2017–2023 term.

== Culture ==
[[File:La Grande Chartreuse.JPG|thumb|The [[Grande Chartreuse]]]]
The [[Grande Chartreuse]] is the mother abbey of the [[Carthusians|Carthusian]] order. It is located {{convert|22|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of Grenoble.

As early as the 13th century, residents of the north and central parts of Isère spoke a dialect of the [[Franco-Provençal language]] called [[Franco-Provençal language#Dialects|Dauphinois]], while those in the Southern parts spoke the [[Vivaro-Alpine dialect|Vivaro-Alpine]] dialect of [[Occitan language|Occitan]]. Both continued to be spoken in rural areas of Isère into the 20th century.

== Tourism ==
Isère features many [[ski resort]]s, including the [[Alpe d'Huez]], [[Les Deux Alpes]], the [[1968 Winter Olympics]] resorts of [[Chamrousse]], [[Villard de Lans]], [[Autrans]]. Other popular resorts include [[Les 7 Laux]], [[Méaudre]], [[Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse]], [[Alpe du Grand Serre]] and [[Gresse-en-Vercors]]. At the department level, Isère is the third-largest ski and winter destination in France, after [[Savoie]] and [[Haute-Savoie]]. It also hosts [[Coupe Icare]], an annual festival of free flight, such as [[paragliding]] and [[hang-gliding]], held at the world-renowned paragliding site at [[Lumbin]].

Grenoble has a dozen museums, including its most famous, established in 1798, the [[Museum of Grenoble]]. The [[European Synchrotron Radiation Facility]] (ESRF), an international research facility in Grenoble, is also open to visitors.

<gallery class="center">
File:Fontaine trois ordres - Grenoble.JPG|[[Grenoble]]
File:Les Oeufs d'Huez.jpg|Ski lift at [[Alpe d'Huez]]
File:Vercors 001.jpg|The [[Grand Veymont]]
File:Dent de Crolles.jpg|The [[Dent de Crolles]]
File:Lac du Curtillard et montagne de l'Arpette (août 2020).JPG|[[Le Haut-Bréda]]
File:Tour Du Queyras 03.jpg|[[Queyras]] Valley
File:Lac de Monteynard 3.jpg|[[Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet]]
File:La Ruchère en Chartreuse.JPG|[[Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers]]
File:Dinnertime, rue Fernand-Point + Stela!.jpg|Roman stela nicknamed "the pyramid", [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]]
File:Marguerite et le temple.jpg|[[Temple of Augustus and Livia]], Vienne
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Cantons of the Isère department]]
* [[Charmant Som]]
* [[Communes of the Isère department]]
* [[Arrondissements of the Isère department]]
* [[Chartreuse Mountains]]
* [[Grande Sure]]
* [[Isère departmental council]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* [https://www.isere.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://www.isere.fr/ Departmental Council website] {{in lang|fr}}
*{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Isère (department) |volume=14 |last=Coolidge |first=William Augustus Brevoort |author-link=W. A. B. Coolidge |page=867 |short=1}}

{{Departments of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isere}}
[[Category:Isère| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
[[Category:Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]