AUVERGNE
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GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY
Auvergne covers some 26 000 km2 in the heart of the Massif Central, it is a mountainous region and its access is not easy except from the north. The population is centred on the plains and the Allier river Valley. 70% of the population is situated in urban areas.Clermont-Ferrand is the regional capital, and it has 258 541 inhabitants.In the region there are also three fair-sized towns: Montlucon, Vichy and Moulins. The region population is about 1.200.000 inhabitants and the population density (50.4 inhabitants per km2) is less than half the French national average.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
Due to its montainous territory the Region is not easily accessible. However, Auvergne has 3% of the French highways and railways connecting the region with the rest of the country. The traffic at the airport of Clermont-Ferrand increased significantly over the last years and the airport is 16th in France.
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ECONOMY
The region GDP is 31.631 euros, around 1.7% of the national one, with a per capita GDP of 23.699 euros. The agricolture covers 5.2% of the regional GDP, the industrial activities 35%, while the rest is covered by the service sector. The industrial and service activities are concentrated in the main cities. Clermont-Ferrand on the Allier River is the home of the Michelin rubber company and the center of the French rubber industry.
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LABOUR MARKET
The acitive population reaches 509.903 person (2.2% of the national one), with 285.965 men and 223.938 women; the unemployment rate is 1.8% of the national one, the unemployees in the region are 67.314 (28.335 men, and 38.979 women).
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
With 6500 researchers, the region uses 2,43% of its GDP for Research and Development. |
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DATA RELATED TO REGIONAL STRUCTURAL FUNDS MECHANISMS
Auvergne is competitivness objective 2007-2013. |
