Aude

Aude, a maritime department in the south of France. It comprises some old 'counties' which formerly constituted a portion of the province of Languedoc. Area, 2438 sq. m.; pop. (1891) 317,372. The southern part is occupied by spurs of the Pyrenees, attaining 4037 feet in the Pay de Bugarach; but the greater portion belongs to the valley of the lower Aude, and is bounded to the north by offsets of the Cevennes (4018 feet). The coast is flat, with no bays or roadsteads, but several lagoons. The climate is warm, but variable. The mountains are composed of granite, while the soil of the plains is chiefly calcareous, and about the coast—where salt and soda are procured—is extremely fertile, producing cereals, olives, fruits, and wines. Aude is rich in iron and mineral springs, but the coal-mines have been generally abandoned. Wild animals are found, and game of all sorts is plentiful, while the coast abounds in fish. The woollen and silk manufactures are of considerable value. There is likewise a considerable export of cereals and of honey. The chief town is Carcassonne (q.v.).