ALPS, LOWER, Department of, in France. This department is bounded on the north by the department of the Upper Alps, on the east by Piedmont and the department of the Maritime Alps, on the south by the department of the Var and the north-east extremity of that of the Mouths of the Rhone, and on the west by the departments of Vaucluse and the Drome. Its superficies is about 1,459,699 square acres, and its population about 149,500. It is divided into five communal districts. The chief town is Digne.