"Drome" redirects here. Not to be confused withDrone. For the 1952 novel by John Martin Leahy, seeDrome (novel). For the locality in Western Australia, seeDrome, Western Australia.
The FrenchNational Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments ofFrance on March 4, 1790, during theFrench Revolution. The territory formed part of the formerFrench province ofDauphiné. The original Drôme department contained the exclave ofOrange, which was also part of the former province of Dauphiné. In 1792, following the annexation ofComtat Venaissin, Drôme acquired the newly created district of Carpentras while Orange was ceded toBouches du Rhône. In 1793, the district of Carpentras was ceded to the newly formed department ofVaucluse, giving the Drôme its modern-day borders.
The boundaries of the department have changed several times with the incorporation of theComtat Venaissin in 1792 and the creation of the Vaucluse department in 1793. Drôme surrounds an exclave of the Vaucluse department, theCanton of Valréas (Enclave des Papes).
The Drôme department is in a zone of transition between the oceanic climate ofLyon, thecontinental climate to the north and the Mediterranean climate ofProvence to the south. In theRhône valley, the meeting of the mild humid southern Mediterranean air masses with the colder northern air mass sometimes causes particularly violent thunderstorms and snowstorms.
In the northern hills nearTain-l'Hermitage (15 km north ofValence), the climate is a mixture of oceanic and semi-continental climates. Rainfall occurs throughout the year with the most falling in spring and autumn. The summers are moderated by storms and themistral does not blow hard. Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse has a moderate temperature of 3 °C in January and 21 °C in July due to the Lyonnic climate, where more precipitation falls in summer than winter.
The influence of the mountains is evident in the east. In theVercors Plateau, themountain climate is wet due to the oceanic influences from the north. The average annual temperature at Lus la Croix Haute at altitude 1061m is 7.3 °C and the annual rainfall is 1,051 mm (41.4 in). TheDiois (southern Vercors) and theBaronnies are dry regions due to the Mediterranean climate. The mistral is less influential here and this region has minimal rainfall. The lowest temperatures in January at Nyons is 0.3 °C but 1.4 °C at Pierrelatte.
The Valence plane is a transition zone between the Mediterranean influence and the northern cold climate. Summers are warmer than in the northern regions, and the increase in sunlight and heat is evident upon the appearance of Mediterranean vegetation in the region. The temperatures are moderate between Lyon and Montélimar. Valence's average temperature in January is 3.8 °C and 22 °C in July. Themistral here blows harder.
From Montélimar, the climate can be considered to be that of a Mediterranean climate. Near the highway, the change of vegetation is particularly visible near the stream atDonzère, particularly due to the change of thesoil profile. The most southern part of the department clearly exhibits a Méso-Mediterranean climate with the reinforcement of themistral and a hotter summer due to the rarity of storms. Most rainfall occurs in autumn and the winters are milder than the rest of the Drôme.Pierrelatte has an average temperature of 5 °C in January and 23 °C in July.
The most populous commune, home to about 1/8 of the department's population, isValence, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are six communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:[3]
Most of the economic activity of the Drôme department is located in the west of thedepartment, along theRhône valley. This area which contains most of the population of the department, also has accessible transportation, such as theA7 autoroute and the rail routesLGV Rhône-Alpes andLGV Méditerranée. Economic activity inValence was boosted by the creation of theValence TGV line in 2001.
The Drôme benefits from an excellent image in the view of tourists. Attendance has grown steadily (+4% between 2006 and 2007), faster than the neighbouring departments of Ardèche and the Vaucluse (+1%).
Number of overnight stays in 2022: 12.8 million[6]
in winter: skiing, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing
in summer: excursions, mountain biking in the mountainous area
The Drôme River is also a great place to practice canoëing and kayaking. In the spring the water flow allows for rafting. The Saoü Forest is known for its climbing paths.
