Seminar Triglav Poussignol, 7-9 July 2017

NOTE 1: Department of Nièvre: population, territory and administrative organization

Population

Total population on 1/1/2017: 221,048 (88th out of 102 départements, and the whole of France has 66.9 million inhabitants). In the 19th century, until the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the population of the Nièvre grew faster than that of the whole of France: in 1831, the Nièvre had 282,500 inhabitants (France, 33.5 million) And in 1866, 342,700 inhabitants, representing an increase of 0.61% per year. Then, in the 20th century as at the beginning of the 21st century, the decline was continuous, unlike the rest of France, with a brief interruption between 1954 and 1968. Between the last two censuses, those of 2009 and 2014, Population of the Nièvre decreased by 3.1%. That of France increased by 2.4%.

In 2015, the Nièvre recorded 1,777 births and 2,965 deaths.

The population of the Nièvre is old. In 2013, 22.2% of the male population (103,608 people) was 65 years of age and older, and 28.9% of the female population (11,613) were in this age group. Also in 2013, 38% of households in the Nièvre were single-person households.

In 2013, pensioners constituted 44.8% of households (45.908 households for a total of 102.448 households). Farmers represented only 2364 households, or 2.39%.

The composition of families also reflects the aging of the Nivernais population. In 2013, couples without children: 53.3%; Single women with child (ren): 10.3%; Single men with child (ren): 2.3%; Couples with children: 34.1%.

Density: 32 hab./km2 (France: 116 inhabitants / km2, Burgundy-Franche-Comte region: 58 inhabitants / km2)

Territory

The Nièvre is a rural department and a very wooded department.

Area: 687,284 hectares, of which:

237,055 hectares of forest

394,377 hectares of Useful Agricultural Area (SAU), of which: arable land, 177,377 ha; Areas still grass (STH), 209,700 ha; Vines, 1,700 ha.

58,852 hectares classified Other territories.

Administrative organisation

France, which is a unitary state, nevertheless has a certain degree of decentralization, notably territorial, with the regions. These, created in 1956, were 27 (22 in metropolitan France) until in January 2016 they were grouped in 18, or 12 in metropolitan France. Burgundy, which included the departments of Côte d’Or, Yonne, Saône et Loire and Nièvre, is now joined to the Franche Comte, which includes the departments of Doubs, Haute Saône, Jura, and the Territory of Belfort. Each region has a Regional Prefect, a Regional Council and a Regional Economic, Social and Environmental Council.

In the Burgundy Franche-Comte region, Nièvre is a department which, like all the 102 départements of France and Overseas, is under the authority of a prefect, representing the State. The Prefect, residing in Nevers, was assisted by three sub-prefects residing in the arrondissements of Cosne, Clamecy and Chateau-Chinon. With Nevers, the Nièvre counts four districts.

The next  subdivision is that of the cantons, which are 17 in the Nièvre. In the cantons the county councilors are elected, who, since the law of 17 May 2013, must present themselves in pairs, a man and a woman, and who constitute the county council. This council, which sits in Nevers, has 34 members, elected for 6 years, who choose a President.

At the next level are the communes, which in the Nievre are 312. The inhabitants of the communes elect a municipal council, which in turn elects a mayor. Only two communes of the Nièvre, Nevers 37,000 and Cosne 10,500. Have more than 10,000 inhabitants.

Since the end of the 19th century, the communes had the possibility of regrouping in unions of communes to carry out tasks requiring cooperation, for example water supply. These unions still exist, but since 1992 a law has been added to it, the Communities of Municipalities, public establishments of inter-municipal co-operation having their own fiscal resources. Spatial planning and economic development were originally functions of the communities of communes. The most recent law governing the functioning of these communities is the law of 7 August 2015 “on the new territorial organization of the Republic”. The Nièvre has an urban community, Nevers-Agglomeration, and, today includes eight communities of communes.

Moreover, by means of a law of 4 February 1995, called “orientation and spatial planning”, another form of inter-municipal co-operation was created, the Pays. The “pays” is a territory that more or less corresponds to the living space of its inhabitants and offers a framework where local, public and private actors can define and implement development projects  centered on the notion of sustainable development. There are about 350 countries in France. Most pays are now called Territorial and Rural Balance Poles (PETR). Today Nièvre has three PETRs and one pays.

Poussignol is in:

– The municipality of Blismes; 181 inhabitants

– The canton of Château-Chinon: 13 124 inhabitants

– The arrondissement of Château-Chinon: 26 533 inhabitants

– The Community of Communes Morvan Summits and Great Lakes: 34 communes; 13,000 inhabitants: principal city and seat, Château-Chinon, and two other “poles”, Lormes and Les  Settons; President, Mr Halliez, Mayor of Brassy, 12 Vice-Presidents.

– The Pole of Territorial and Rural Balance (PETR), or Country, Nivernais Morvan: groups three communities of communes, a population of 40 257 people; Headquarters in Corbigny.

This Nivernais-Morvan pays covers the whole of the Morvan massif included in the department of Nièvre. Other parts of this massif are in the departments of the Yonne and, above all, of the Saône and Loire.