Rhône

Rhône, a department of France, part of the former Lyonnais, has an area of 1077 sq. m. and a pop. (1891) of 806,737 (741,470 in 1881). It lies almost wholly in the basin of the Rhone and the Saône, its eastern boundary being formed by these rivers. The surface is almost entirely hilly, being broken up in all directions by low spurs of the Cévennes. Corn, potatoes, wine, and fruits are the principal products. Nearly one-half the area is cultivated, one-eighth is vineyards, one-ninth under forest, and nearly one-sixth meadows. Some 13 million gallons of wine are made annually. The department is industrially one of the most important in France; all the branches are carried on at Lyons (q.v.), the capital of the department. Arrondissements, Lyons and Villefranche. See also BOUCHES-DU-RHÔNE.