Pays de Buch
Encyclopedia
Pays de Buch is one of several areas that make up the Landes forest
in France
. It extends across seventeen towns around the Arcachon Bay
and the valley of the Eyre River
. The village of Porge is at the north end and La Teste de Buch at the south, with Belin-Béliet
to the east.
, Pays de Buch is bounded by Médoc
to the north, Bordeaux
to the east, the Atlantic Ocean
to the west into which the Arcachon Bay
opens, and Pays de Born to the south.
, which is natural. In the humid areas and near bodies of water like the shores of the Eyre River, the pines form a rich substrate for vegetation.
The lands near the ocean are marked by active dunes, fixed in part by people at the end of the nineteenth century. Further inland, old dunes are oriented in a north-south line and the forest is slowly recovering them, extending a dozen kilometers west-east. Across this dune corridor is the sandy plain of Landes.
The Arcachon Bay is, a large gap in the forested plain, offers a great variety of landscapes: salty marches at the bank of Arguin, the Dune of Pyla, and the Isle of Birds. The bay is the mouth of the Eyre River and receives the fresh water of the area.
and the Gascon language
brought about the term.
Landes forest
The Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It extends across seventeen towns around the Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitaine. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide...
and the valley of the Eyre River
Eyre River
The Eyre is a coastal river that flows through the Moors of Gascony, in Aquitaine, Southwest France.The river is generally presented as the confluence of:* the Grande Leyre , its principal course, upstream from Moustey,...
. The village of Porge is at the north end and La Teste de Buch at the south, with Belin-Béliet
Belin-Béliet
Belin-Béliet is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-See also:*Communes of the Gironde department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne-References:*...
to the east.
Geography
Located in the southwest of the department of GirondeGironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
, Pays de Buch is bounded by Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
to the north, Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to the east, the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the west into which the Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitaine. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide...
opens, and Pays de Born to the south.
Tourist destinations
- The Arcachon BayArcachon BayArcachon Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, situated between the Côte d'Argent and the Côte des Landes, in the region of Aquitaine. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide...
, where many tourists go each year for summer vacation. It is a notable destination for fishing and water sports. Throughout the year it supports oyster farmingOyster farmingOyster farming is an aquaculture practice in which oysters are raised for human consumption. Oyster farming most likely developed in tandem with pearl farming, a similar practice in which oysters are farmed for the purpose of developing pearls...
and receives a number of species of birds. - The delta of the Eyre RiverEyre RiverThe Eyre is a coastal river that flows through the Moors of Gascony, in Aquitaine, Southwest France.The river is generally presented as the confluence of:* the Grande Leyre , its principal course, upstream from Moustey,...
and the TeichLe TeichLe Teich is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-See also:*Communes of the Gironde department*Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne-References:*...
bird refuge. - Cap-Ferret
- The oyster farming port of Gujan-MestrasGujan-MestrasGujan-Mestras is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
- The Great Dune of PylaThe Great Dune of PylaThe Great Dune of Pyla is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km from Bordeaux....
- ArcachonArcachonArcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
- Andernos-les-BainsAndernos-les-BainsAndernos-les-Bains is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.Andernos-les-Bains is a located on the northeast shore of Arcachon Bay. To its northwest is the town of Arès....
- The Isle of Birds and its stilt houseStilt houseStilt houses or pile dwellings or palafitte are houses raised on piles over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding, but also serve to keep out vermin...
s. - Landes forestLandes forestThe Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
regional nature park
Landscape
The Pays de Buch is part of the Landes Forest and the landscape is composed principally of maritime pines. Most of these pine trees were planted ihn the nineteenth century, except for the working forest of La Teste-de-BuchLa Teste-de-Buch
La Teste-de-Buch is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located on the south shore of Arcachon Bay, lying in the southwestern part of Gironde....
, which is natural. In the humid areas and near bodies of water like the shores of the Eyre River, the pines form a rich substrate for vegetation.
The lands near the ocean are marked by active dunes, fixed in part by people at the end of the nineteenth century. Further inland, old dunes are oriented in a north-south line and the forest is slowly recovering them, extending a dozen kilometers west-east. Across this dune corridor is the sandy plain of Landes.
The Arcachon Bay is, a large gap in the forested plain, offers a great variety of landscapes: salty marches at the bank of Arguin, the Dune of Pyla, and the Isle of Birds. The bay is the mouth of the Eyre River and receives the fresh water of the area.
Etymology
"Buch" derives from the name of the people who inhabited the region in the eighth century BC, the Boïates. Corruptions of spoken LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and the Gascon language
Gascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
brought about the term.