Istres: Information from Answers.com

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Coordinates: 43°30′54″N 4°59′22″E / 43.51510°N 04.98950°E / 43.51510; 04.98950

Administration
Commune of Istres
Location
Istres
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Bouches-du-Rhône
Arrondissement	Istres
Canton	Istres Nord and Istres Sud
Intercommunality	Ouest Provence
Mayor	François Bernardini (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–120 m (0–390 ft) (avg. 20 m/66 ft)
Land area¹	113.73 km² (43.91 sq mi)
Population²	42,090 (2006)
- Density	370 /km² (960 /sq mi)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	13047/ 13800
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Istres (French pronunciation: [istʁ]) (Provençal Occitan : Istre ) is a commune in southern France, some 60 km (38 mi) north-west of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a sous-préfecture. The population of Istres is 42,090 ^[1]. Its inhabitants are called Istréens.

1 Geography and climate
- 1.1 Location
2 Notes
3 External links

Geography and climate

Satellite view with Wikimapia

Location

Istres is adjacent to the étang de Berre lagoon (the largest in Europe) and the étang de l'Olivier lagoon. It is located some 60 km (38 mi) north-west of Marseille, 20 km (13 mi) south-west of Salon-de-Provence, 10 km (6 mi) north of Martigues and 45 km (28 mi) south-east of Arles. Istres is also adjacent to the plaine de la Crau and the Camargue national park.

Istres has a Mediterranean climate characterised by mild, humid winters and hot, dry summers. January and February are the coldest months, averaging temperatures of around 7 °C. July and August are the hottest months. The mean summer temperature is around 24 °C (75 °F) with an average maximum temperature around 32°C. The amount of precipitation is around 566 mm (22 inches) per year. The Mistral, a cold and often violent wind, blows through the city mostly in winter and spring.