a department of the south-east of France, formed in part of the ancient province of Nismes, and of Uzes and Alais, formerly portions of Languedoc. It is bounded on the north by the departments of Lozère and Ardèche, on the east by Vaucluse, on the south-east by the Mouths of the Rhone, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, on the south-west by Hérault, and on the west by Aveyron. It extends over 2314 square miles, containing, according to the royal almanack, 599,728 hectares. It is divided into four arrondissements, thirty-eight cantons, 365 communes, and contains 357,383 individuals, of whom about one third profess the Protestant religion. There is great variety in the face of the country. The southern part, which extends to the sea, and was probably once covered by it, is a level plain, with many morasses, lakes, and dykes. The northern parts are higher, and some of them mountainous. The range of the Cévennes Hills passes through these portions, and from them issue the rivers Allier towards the north, the Lot and the Tarn towards the west, the Hérault and the Bedoule towards the south, and the Ardèche and the Gardon towards the east, abundantly watering the valleys on both sides. The soil is generally either calcareous or schistose, resting on a bed of granite, and better adapted for the growth of olives, grapes, and other fruits, than for corn. The climate, especially to the south, is mild; snow rarely falls, and quickly disappears; but, on the other hand, the summers are excessively hot, and the air arid.

Although some good wheat is grown near Nismes, yet it is insufficient for the few who eat it, and the greater part of the inhabitants are fed with rye, oats, and buck-wheat, and during a great part of the year with chestnuts. This latter, amongst the peasantry, furnishes a meal three times a day, either boiled or fried in olive oil; and when a bad year for them happens, the sufferings of the poor are excessive.

The chief products of the department are wine, brandy, and oil; but large quantities of silk are made in some districts. The yearly production at present is calculated to be 150,000 pounds of raw silk; before the Revolution it was 350,000 pounds. The horses and cows have no distinguishing properties, but the sheep are an excellent race, producing good wool, milk that is made into cheese, and very savoury meat. The manufacturing industry is not considerable, consisting of the fabrication of cloth, silks, hats, glass, earthenware, and perfumery.

The trade of the department is confined to the export of wine, brandy, raisins, chestnuts, capers, liquorice, coal, salt, and wool.