(the ancient Burdigala), an important commercial city and seaport town of France, capital of an arrondissement of the same name, and also of the department of Gironde. It is situated in the centre of an extensive plain on the left bank of the Garonne, 60 miles from its mouth, in Lat. 44° 50' N. Long. 0° 35' W. Large vessels come up to the town by means of the river, which at its narrowest part here has a breadth of upwards of 2000 feet, with a depth of 16 feet at low, and of 30 at high water. A magnificent bridge of 17 arches, 1534 feet in length, crosses the river. In the old part of the city the streets are narrow and crooked, and the houses ill built; but in the new part the streets are well laid out and handsome, containing many elegant buildings. Among the public edifices of Bordeaux are the theatre, one of the finest in Europe, and seated to hold 4000 persons; the cathedral, a fine Gothic structure, with two elegant spires 150 feet high; the remains of the Palais Galienus, supposed to have been built in the time of the emperor Gallienus; the churches of Ste Croix, St Michael, &c. Bordeaux is the seat of an archbishop, of a national court and court of assize, tribunals of primary instance and commerce, and has a museum, a public library of about 110,000 volumes, picture gallery, botanic garden, exchange bank, public baths, &c. It has also several hospitals and other charitable institutions; several literary societies; a university academy; academy of arts, sciences, and belles-lettres; a royal college, school of medicine, normal school, and a school of navigation. The river here describes a semicircle, and is lined by quays for about three miles. The trade of Bordeaux is very extensive, particularly in wines, brandy, plums, almonds, and other fruits. It is greatly promoted by the Languedoc canal, which communicates with the Mediterranean. The wine trade, though still large, has been greatly reduced by the prohibitive system of commercial policy pursued in France. Previous to 1790 the department of the Gironde exported annually above 100,000 tons of wine to the north of Europe; the export at present is not above 25,000 tons. In 1842, 497 foreign vessels of 103,461 tons, and 3293 French vessels of 226,694 tons, entered the port; and 491 foreign vessels of 101,719 tons, and 3038 French vessels of 204,611 tons, departed. There are numerous docks and building yards for vessels of every size, even ships of the line. Its manufactures are numerous, especially tobacco and snuff, brandy, sugar, vinegar, iron and steel goods, chemicals, leather, liqueurs, cottons, woollens, kid gloves, &c. Pop. (1851) 123,935; of arrondissement, 296,632.

The origin of this city dates prior to the conquest of Gaul by the Romans, at which time it was the capital of the Biturges Vivisci, a powerful Gallic tribe. It is first mentioned by Strabo, who describes it as being a celebrated commercial city. Hadrian made it the metropolis of Aquitania Secunda. In 415 it was taken by the Visigoths, and retaken by Clovis in 509. In 729 it was pillaged by the Saracens, and afterwards suffered much from the ravages of the Normans about the time of the fall of the Carolingian empire. It was rebuilt by the dukes of Guyenne about the beginning of the tenth century. By the marriage of Eleanor,—daughter of William X., last Duke of Guyenne,—to Henry, Duke of Normandy, afterwards king of England, it came into the hands of the English; in whose possession it remained till 1452, when it was again united to the French dominions.