LANDES, a department in the south-west of France, formed in 1790 of portions of the ancient provinces of Guyenne (Landes, Condomois, Chalosse), Gascony and Bearn, and bounded N. by Gironde, E. by Lot-et-Garonne and Gers, S. by Basses Pyrenees, and W. (for 68 m.) by the Bay of Biscay. Pop. (1931) 257,186. The Landes, occupying three-fourths of the surface of the depart ment, are sandy, pine-covered stretches north of the Adour sep arated from the coast by dunes which have so interfered with drainage as to enclose behind them a chain of lakes. The depart ment stretches across the Adour southeastwards to include the more hilly Chalosse, drained by the left bank tributaries of the Adour, which receives the Midouze on the right. The Adour formerly reached the sea some miles farther north than now, at Capbreton, from which the discoverers of the Canadian island of that name set out; this is the only harbour in the department.
Only La Chalosse is fertile. The chief cereal is maize; next in importance are rye, wheat, millet and oats. Of vegetables, the bean is most cultivated. The vine and some tobacco are grown in the Chalosse, sheep are numerous, and the "Landes" breed of horses is well known. The resin of the maritime pine furnishes turpentine and resin to make varnish, tapers, sealing-wax and lubricants. Tar
and charcoal for smelting purposes, are also obtained from the pine-wood. The cultivation of the cork tree is also important. The department has several mineral springs, the most important being those of Dax, famous in the time of the Romans, and of Eugenie-les-Bains and Prechacq. There are salt-workings and stone quarries. There are several iron-works in the department, notably those at Le Boucau. There are also saw-mills, distilleries, flour-mills, brick and tile works and potteries. Exports include resinous products, pine-timber, metal, brandy. Landes includes two arrondissements (Mont-de-Marsan and Dax), 28 cantons and 334 communes.
Mont-de-Marsan is the capital of the department, which comes within the circumscription of the appeal court of Pau, the acad emie (educational division) of Bordeaux and the archbishopric of Auch, and forms part of the region of the 18th army corps (Bor deaux). It is served by the Southern railway; there is some navi gation on the Adour. Mont-de-Marsan, Dax, St. Sever and Aire sur-l'Adour, the seat of a bishop, are the most noteworthy towns.