Département des Bouches-du-Rhône

About Département des Bouches-du-Rhône

Welcome to the page of the Department of Bouches-du-Rhône. A bit of history… The department is an institution whose creation dates back to the revolution. The territorial boundaries were defined as being a day's horse ride from the chief town. The majority of its responsibilities result from the decentralization laws of 1982 and 1983, recently supplemented by the NOTRe law of August 7, 2015, relating to the new territorial organization. The Department is an essential local level for residents, thanks to its actions on the territory and its essential responsibilities in everyone's daily life. These responsibilities cover: social action, health, solidarity, integration, middle schools, environmental protection, support for municipal investments, territorial development, digital infrastructure development, heritage preservation with the management of archives, departmental libraries and museums... Some figures… The budget of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône is 2.6 billion euros, of which 50% is dedicated to solidarity and 500 million to investments. The department of Bouches-du-Rhône is bordered to the north and west by the Durance river, and to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and its more than 400 kilometers of coastline. Its area of 5,248 km² includes 119 communes and 29 cantons, 12 of which are in Marseille. It is the largest department in the region with nearly 2 million inhabitants and the 3rd most populated department in France. It benefits from a natural heritage of exceptional variety and richness, ranked first nationally for natural areas. With 5,000 farms and more than 18,000 employees, agriculture in Bouches-du-Rhône remains the leader in France in the production of tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, rice, and olives. Each year, the department of Bouches-du-Rhône welcomes nearly 8 million tourists, placing it 4th nationally. The Department is a community serving the territory of Bouches-du-Rhône and its inhabitants. Its action is reflected daily in all the major areas concerning development, infrastructure, and quality of life.