Côte-d'Or is one of the original 83 departments created during theFrench Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was formed from part of the formerprovince ofBurgundy. It is arguably unique among the departments in having a name which is poetic, rather than geographic. Given by the representative of Dijon (fr:Charles-André-Rémy Arnoult), it is said to refer to the autumn gold of the flanks of the hills in the wine-growing area.[4][5]
A chain of hills called the Plateau de Langres runs from north-east to south-west through the department to the north of Dijon and continues south-westwards as theCôte d'Or escarpment, from which the department takes its name. It is the south-east facing slope of thisescarpment which is the site of the celebratedBurgundyvineyards. To the west of the Plateau de Langres, towardsChampagne, lies the densely wooded district of Châtillonais. To the south-east of the plateau and escarpment, the department lies in the broad, flat-bottomed valley of the middle course of theSaône.[6]
Vineyards on rolling hills in the Burgundy region of eastern France
This is a premierwine-growing region of France. It produces what are arguably the world's finest, and definitely most expensivePinot noir andChardonnay wines from some of the most rigorously and painstakingly (thanks to the region's many monasteries) classified vineyards in the world. Wine from the Côte-d'Or was a favorite of the emperor Charlemagne. Other crops include cereal grains and potatoes. Sheep and cattle are also raised in the department. The region is famous forDijon mustard.
There are coal mines andheavy industry, including steel, machinery, and earthenware.The industries most developed in Côte-d'Or are
agriculture and food (14% of employees)
metallurgy and metal manufacture (12% of employees)
chemicals, rubber and plastics (12% of employees)
pharmacy
electrical and electronic components and equipment
wood and paper industries.
The big works are generally in the conurbation of Dijon although the biggest (CEA Valduc) is atSalives in the Plateau de Langres. There is also the SEB metal works at Selongey below the plateau on the margin of the Saône plain and the Valourec metalworking group atMontbard in the west of the department on the River Brenne near its confluence with the Armançon. ThePharmaceutical industry has shown the greatest growth in recent years. However, since the Dijon employment statistics zone includes the urban and administrative centre of theBurgundy region, theservice sector is proportionately bigger there in relation to the industrial, than in the other three zones of Côte-d'Or.
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