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| Département de la Somme | |
|---|---|
| Name | Somme |
| Type | Département |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Seat | Amiens |
| Established | 4 March 1790 |
| Area km2 | 6174 |
| Population | 571879 |
| Population as of | 2019 |
| Density km2 | 92.6 |
| Cantons | 23 |
| Communes | 772 |
Département de la Somme is a département in Hauts-de-France in northern France surrounding the estuary of the Somme (river), with administrative capital at Amiens. Created during the French Revolution, it has been the stage for major events including the Battle of the Somme in World War I and features landscapes such as the Baie de Somme, marshes near Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, and the chalk plateau of the Picardy region. The département combines rural agriculture, urban centers, and heritage tourism tied to sites like the Amiens Cathedral and the Thiepval Memorial.
The département lies within historical Picardy and the modern region of Hauts-de-France, bordering Pas-de-Calais, Oise, Aisne, and the English Channel near the Baie de Somme. Its terrain includes the Somme estuary, the chalk uplands of the Artois anticline, the River Somme (river) valley, and coastal marshes around Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. Major communes include Amiens, Abbeville, Montdidier, Péronne, and Doullens, while protected areas encompass the Parc naturel régional Baie de Somme - Picardie and numerous Natura 2000 sites. Climate is temperate oceanic influenced by the English Channel with agricultural soils on alluvial plains and chalky plateaus exploited for cereals and sugar beet.
The area was occupied in antiquity by the Ambiani and later integrated into Gallia Belgica under the Roman Empire, with Roman roads linking settlements such as Amiens (known as Samarobriva). Medieval history features the Counties of Ponthieu and conflicts involving the Normans and the Capetian dynasty. In the Hundred Years' War the region saw action by the Black Prince and the Battle of Crécy had repercussions for Picardy. During the Franco-Prussian War units of the French Army maneuvered around Somme towns; in World War I the Western Front crossed the département, culminating in the 1916 Battle of the Somme and later engagements at Péronne and Bapaume; memorials such as the Thiepval Memorial and Lochnagar Crater mark those battles. In World War II the département experienced the Battle of France and Occupation, with liberation linked to operations by Allied forces and the Free French Forces.
Administratively divided into the arrondissements of Amiens, Abbeville, Péronne and Montdidier, the département contains cantons and communes including the city of Amiens where the Prefecture of the Somme is located. Local politics feature representation in the National Assembly and the Senate through deputies and senators elected from Somme constituencies; national parties active include Les Républicains, La République En Marche!, Parti Socialiste, and the National Rally. Intercommunal structures such as communautés de communes coordinate services among communes like Abbeville and Rue.
The economy is anchored in agriculture on the plains and plateaus with crops like wheat, sugar beet, and potatoes supplied to agri-food industries centered near Amiens and Abbeville, alongside sugar processing by firms that have operated in the region since the 19th century. Industrial activity includes light manufacturing in towns such as Amiens and Péronne, logistics and distribution tied to transport corridors toward Calais and Paris, and tourism based on sites like the Amiens Cathedral, the Jules Verne House, and the Baie de Somme which attract visitors and operators from groups including regional tourism offices. Economic development programs have involved regional bodies such as the Hauts-de-France Regional Council and chambers like the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Amiens-Picardie.
Population centers are concentrated in and around Amiens with other significant towns including Abbeville, Péronne, Montdidier, and Doullens, while large rural areas persist in the departments of Somme's cantons. Demographic trends reflect aging populations in rural communes, youth migration toward urban centers such as Amiens or outmigration to Paris and Lille metropolitan areas, and immigrant communities settled in industrial and service sectors. Cultural institutions in urban centers include the University of Picardie Jules Verne in Amiens and museums such as the Musée de Picardie.
Heritage includes the UNESCO-listed Amiens Cathedral, the medieval quarter of Amiens, and the Gothic and Romanesque churches across communes like Abbeville and Saint-Riquier. Literary and artistic ties feature Jules Verne (resident of Amiens), sculptors represented in museums like the Musée de Picardie, and musical festivals staged in venues across Amiens and the Baie de Somme. First World War remembrance is maintained at sites such as the Thiepval Memorial, the Péronne Museum of the Great War (Historial de la Grande Guerre), and Commonwealth cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and national associations like the Imperial War Museum and veterans' groups.
Transport infrastructure includes rail links on routes served by SNCF connecting Amiens to Paris-Nord, Calais-Fréthun, and regional lines reaching Abbeville and Doullens, road networks such as the A16 motorway and national routes toward Rouen and Lille, and regional airports including the nearby Beauvais–Tillé Airport and links to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Airport. River and coastal access via the Somme (river) estuary supports tourism and small-scale navigation, while public transit within communes is provided by urban networks in Amiens and bus services linking rural cantons coordinated by departmental mobility plans and regional transport authorities like the Hauts-de-France Regional Council.