Bordeaux, << bawr DOH >> (pop. 252,040; met. area pop. 1,232,550), is a commercial city in southwestern France. It stands on the banks of the Garonne River.
Bordeaux lies in the Aquitaine basin, a region covered with vineyards. The city produces many famous wines and is France’s leading center of wine shipping. It has a large natural harbor on the Garonne River. The river links the city with the Bay of Biscay —an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to winemaking and shipping, Bordeaux’s economic activities include chemical production, fishing, oil refining, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of aeronautical and electrical equipment and wood products. Bordeaux is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the Gironde department (administrative district). The city’s landmarks include the Tower of St. Michel, which dates from the 1400’s; the University of Bordeaux, founded in 1441; and the Grand Theater, built in the 1700’s.
Bordeaux was an important city in the Roman Empire. England occupied the city from 1154 to 1453. In 1940, during World War II, Bordeaux served as the last seat of the Third Republic, the government then in existence in France.
