a southern department of France, forming part of the old province of Languedoc, bounded on the E. by the Mediterranean, N. by the departments of Hérault and Tarn, N.W. by Upper Garonne, W. by Ariège, and S. by that of Eastern Pyrenees. It lies between Lat. 42° 40' and 43° 30', N.; is 80 miles in length from E. to W., and 60 miles in breadth from N. to S. Area, 2341 square miles.

The department of Aude is traversed on its western boundary from south to north by a mountain range of medium height, which unites the Pyrenees with the Southern Cévennes; and its northern frontier is occupied by the Black Mountains, the most western part of the Cévennes chain. The Corbières, a branch of the Pyrenees, runs in a S.W. and N.E. direction along the southern district. The Aude, its principal river, has its entire course in this department, except a small part towards its source in the Eastern Pyrenees. Flowing first northwards, at Carcassonne it turns abruptly to the E., and continues in that direction till it reaches the sea on the confines of the department of Hérault. Its principal affluents on the left are the Rebentii, Cougain, Lou, Rougeane, Orbiet, Argent-Double, and Ceyse; on the right, the Guette, Salse, and Orbieu. The canal of Languedoc, which unites the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, traverses the department from E. to W. The lowness of the coast causes a series of large lagunes; the chief of which are those of Bages, Liljean, Narbonne, Palme, and Leucate. Various kinds of wild animals, the chamois, bear, wild boar, wolf, fox, and badger, inhabit the mountains and forests; game of all kinds is plentiful; and the coast and lagunes abound in fish. It has mines of iron, copper, lead, manganese, cobalt, and antimony. Besides the beautiful marbles of Cascastel and Caunes, there are quarries of lithographic stones, gypsum, limestone, and slate. At Tuchan and Durban are two coal mines of excellent quality, but the veins are not thick. The mountains contain many mineral springs, both cold and thermal.

The agriculture of this department is in a very flourishing condition, more than four-ninths of the soil being under grain, and about one-twelfth in vineyards. About a ninth part is occupied by woods and forests; more than two-sevenths are waste land; and the meadows are extensive and well watered. The grain produce considerably exceeds the consumption, but the vine constitutes the principal agricultural wealth. Olives are also extensively cultivated, and the honey of Aude is much esteemed. Besides important manufactures of cloths, combs, jet ornaments, and casks, there are paper-mills, distilleries, tanneries, and extensive iron and salt works.

This department contains 4 arrondissements, 31 cantons, 433 communes. The population in 1851 was as follows:

| Canton | Pop. | |--------|------| | Carcassonne | 94,970 | | Limoux | 75,229 | | Narbonne | 64,400 | | Castelnau-d'Aude | 55,148 |

31 | 289,747