Pays du Buëch

Pays du Buëch is a natural region in France located to the south of the Alps. It encompasses all or parts of the western cantons of the Hautes-Alpes department. The region roughly corresponds to the basin of the Petit Buëch and Grand Buëch rivers, which converge near the town of Serres. The upper part of the Grand Buëch valley is specifically referred to as the Bochaine.

Pays du Buëch
Buëch river in Sisteron
Pays du Buëch Show map of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Pays du Buëch Show map of France
Coordinates: 44°18′29″N 5°49′25″E
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Hautes-Alpes
Area
• Total	998 km2 (385 sq mi)

Geography

It is a mid-altitude mountainous area dominated by several prominent peaks, such as Aujour (1,834 m) and Céüse (2,016 m), with Chabre (1,393 m) forming a barrier to the south.^[1] The upper valley of the Buëch culminates at the Rocher Rond (2,453 m). The terrain is mainly composed of marl and alluvial deposits, resulting in poor soils.

Traditionally, the Buëch region serves as a passageway between the Durance valley and Grenoble via the Col de la Croix Haute (N75)^[2] and between the Rhône Valley and Italy via the route between Lapalud and Briançon (formerly N94).^[3] These two routes intersect at Serres, located south of the Bochaine.

Population

The Buëch region encompasses the cantons of Aspres-sur-Buëch, Veynes, Serres, Laragne-Montéglin, and Rosans.^[2] Although the canton of Rosans, located to the west, is part of the modern definition of the Buëch region, it is more oriented towards the Baronnies.

These five cantons cover an area of 998 km² and had a combined population of 14,676 in 1999, resulting in a very low population density of 14.7 inhabitants per km².

References

1. Reclus, Onésime (1909). Atlas pittoresque de la France: recueil de vues géographiques et pittoresques de tous les départements, accompagnées de notices géographiques et de légendes explicatives (in French). Attinger Frères. p. 101.
2. Meyzenq, Claude (1984-01-01). Hautes-Alpes, Ubaye, Haut-Drac, Préalpes drômoises: Pays de transition entre Alpes du Nord et Alpes du Sud (in French). FeniXX. p. 61. ISBN 978-2-307-62682-4.
3. Perrin, E.; Perrin (1887). Marche d'Annibal des Pyrénées au pō: et description des vallées qui se rendent de la vallée du Rhone en Italie (in French). E. Du Bois. p. 75.