Bouches-du-Rhône
A department in southern France, centered on Marseille and extending from the Rhône delta to the Mediterranean coast.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department of southern France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Its administrative prefecture and largest city is Marseille, while Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Martigues, Aubagne, Salon-de-Provence, Istres and La Ciotat are among its other major urban centers. The department is identified by the number 13, which appears in its INSEE and postal coding systems. The department occupies approximately 5,087 square kilometres between the Mediterranean Sea, the Rhône and Durance rivers, and the neighboring departments of Gard, Vaucluse and Var. Its landscapes are unusually varied. The western and southwestern areas include the Rhône delta and the Camargue wetlands, while the coast contains the Calanques, the Côte Bleue, the Bay of La Ciotat and the Étang de Berre. Inland terrain includes the Alpilles, Garlaban, Montagne Sainte-Victoire and the Sainte-Baume massif. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers, generally mild winters, irregular rainfall and frequent strong mistral winds. Some areas, particularly around Lambesc, Peyrolles-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence, also have notable seismic exposure. Marseille gives the department an important maritime, commercial and industrial role. The city has been a major Mediterranean harbor since antiquity and is home to one of France’s largest container-port complexes. The Marseille-Fos port and associated industrial zones connect the department with European, North African and wider international trade. Marseille Provence Airport provides domestic and international links, while the department’s urban, rail and road systems support a large metropolitan population and extensive tourism economy. Bouches-du-Rhône had about 2.09 million inhabitants in 2023, making it the most populous department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and one of the largest in France by population. Its social and political character has been shaped by port activity, industrialization, coal mining in Provence, migration from Italy and other regions, colonial-era connections, and the growth of a large working class. Marseille historically supported socialist and communist movements, although deindustrialization and changing electoral coalitions later strengthened conservative and far-right forces in several municipalities. The department also has major cultural and tourism assets. Marseille and Aix-en-Provence combine urban heritage, museums and cultural institutions; Arles is known for Roman and Romanesque monuments; and the Camargue, Les Baux-de-Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Tarascon, Salon-de-Provence and the Calanques attract visitors. The area has been associated with artists including Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh, whose work drew heavily on local landscapes and towns. As a public territorial authority rather than a commercial consumer brand, Bouches-du-Rhône’s institutional identity is expressed through public services, territorial planning, cultural promotion, transport coordination and economic development.
History
The territory of Bouches-du-Rhône has a long history connected with Provence, the Mediterranean and the Rhône delta. Marseille was founded by Greek settlers from Phocaea around 600 BC and developed as a major harbor well before the Roman conquest of Gaul. Its maritime position made it a gateway for trade, migration and political influence. Roman rule left a substantial architectural and archaeological legacy throughout the department, particularly in and around Arles, where Roman monuments remain central to the area’s cultural identity. The modern department was created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790, as one of the original 83 departments of France. Its initial territory was assembled principally from the western part of the former province of Provence and included the principalities or territories associated with Orange, Martigues and Lambesc. In 1793, the creation of Vaucluse removed part of the department, including Orange and Apt, producing a territorial structure closer to the modern department. The revolutionary period had an especially strong impact locally. Bouches-du-Rhône contained many Jacobin clubs, and by 1794 their number was reported to be about 90. Religious politics were also significant: more than half of the department’s priests accepted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which placed the church under a new relationship with the state. These developments contributed to a durable political culture marked by intense conflict between republican, socialist, communist, conservative, Catholic and later nationalist currents. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Marseille’s port, regional coal mining, manufacturing and commercial networks helped create a sizeable and politically organized working class. Immigration, especially from Italy during the late nineteenth century and the years between the world wars, further shaped the social character of the department. In 1881, Clovis Hugues became France’s first socialist member of parliament, an event often cited as an early indication of the strength of the socialist movement in the area. The interwar era and Popular Front period reinforced the electoral influence of the left. The Second World War and Liberation disrupted the local political order. Elements of the Marseille right associated with collaboration and the German occupation were discredited, while the left gained influence. Marseille elected the Communist mayor Jean Cristofol in 1946. A year later, the SFIO formed an alliance with right and centrist parties against the Communists. Gaston Defferre subsequently became mayor of Marseille in 1953 and remained in office until his death in 1986, making him one of the defining political figures of postwar Bouches-du-Rhône. Later decades brought industrial restructuring, deindustrialization and significant changes in electoral behavior. Jean-Claude Gaudin’s conservative victory in Marseille in 1995 symbolized a broader shift, while former communist strongholds such as La Ciotat and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône also moved toward the right. The National Front, now the National Rally, gained municipal strength in places including Marignane and Vitrolles. At departmental level, Martine Vassal of The Republicans has led the departmental council since 2015, following the departure of former socialist president Jean-Noël Guérini. Today, Bouches-du-Rhône combines a large metropolitan population with port logistics, industry, agriculture, tourism, protected wetlands, coastal recreation and internationally recognized heritage. Marseille remains its economic and administrative center, while Arles, Aix-en-Provence, the Camargue, the Calanques and the Provençal interior give the department a broad cultural and geographic profile.
- 2023
Population recorded at 2,087,658
[1]The department remained the most populous in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the third most populous department in France.
- 2022
National Rally leads first presidential round
[1]Marine Le Pen won the first round in the department, while Emmanuel Macron won the second round.
- 2015
Martine Vassal becomes departmental council president
[1]Martine Vassal of The Republicans assumed leadership of the departmental council.
- 1995
Conservative victory in Marseille
[1]Jean-Claude Gaudin’s victory represented a major shift in the political balance of Marseille and the wider department.
- 1963
Rove Tunnel closes to waterway traffic
[1]The canal tunnel linking Marseille with the Étang de Berre ceased carrying waterway traffic.
- 1953
Gaston Defferre begins long Marseille mayoralty
[1]Gaston Defferre became mayor of Marseille, a position he held until 1986.
- 1946
Jean Cristofol elected mayor of Marseille
[1]Marseille elected Communist mayor Jean Cristofol during the postwar political realignment.
- 1881
Clovis Hugues elected as France’s first socialist deputy
[1]The election reflected the early development of a strong socialist tradition in the department.
- 1793
Territory reduced after creation of Vaucluse
[1]Orange and Apt, among other areas, were separated when the department of Vaucluse was created.
- 1790
Department created during the French Revolution
[1]Bouches-du-Rhône was established on 4 March 1790 as one of France’s original departments, using territory drawn primarily from Provence and adjoining principalities.
Products and positioning
A populous Mediterranean department combining metropolitan Marseille, a major port and industrial corridor, historic Provençal cities, rural interiors, wetlands and protected coastal landscapes.
Controversies
Political corruption allegations involving Jean-Noël Guérini
Former departmental council president Jean-Noël Guérini faced corruption-related charges and was subsequently removed from the leadership of the departmental council. The available reference does not provide sufficient detail to characterize the allegations or their legal outcome more precisely.
Sources2 sources
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