Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 (2006). Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census.
It is the prefecture (capital) of the Puy-de-Dôme department. Serge Godard is the current Mayor of the city.
Clermont-Ferrand sits on the plain of Limagne in the Massif Central and is surrounded by a major industrial area. The city is famous for the chain of volcanoes, the Chaîne des Puys surrounding it. The Puy-de-Dôme (13 km from the city) is one of the highest of these and well-known for the telecommunication antennas that sit on its top and are visible from far away.
Clermont-Ferrand is also famous for hosting the world's number one international short-film festival as well as Michelin 's corporate headquarters, the famous tire company created more than 100 years ago in the city.
Clermont-Ferrand's most famous public square is place de Jaude, on which stands a grand statue of Vercingetorix sitting imperiously on a horse and holding a glaive. The inscription reads: J'ai pris les armes pour la liberté de tous (English: I took up arms for the liberty of all). This statue was sculpted by Frédéric Bartholdi, who also created the Statue of Liberty.
Recently, Clermont-Ferrand, which was France's first city to get a new guided light transit system, thereby linking the city's north and south neighbourhoods. |
