French Cerdagne is the northern half of Cerdagne that became French at the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern half remained Spanish (part of Catalonia). People in Catalonia often refer to French Cerdagne as Alta Cerdanya (i.e. "High Cerdagne"), but this name is not recognized in France. French Cerdagne has no particular status inside France, being just an area inside the département of Pyrénées-Orientales, contrary to the Spanish part of Cerdagne which is officially a Catalan comarca called Baixa Cerdanya (i.e. "Lower Cerdagne"). In France, people refer to the French part of Cerdagne as either Cerdagne française (i.e. "French Cerdagne"), or just Cerdagne.

French Cerdagne has a land area of 539.67 km&sup2 (208.37 sq. miles). Population at the 1999 census was 12,035 inhabitants, which means a density of only 22 inh. per km² (58 inh. per sq. mile).

French Cerdagne is the sunniest place in France and for this reason was chosen as the place to build:

• the solar oven of Odeillo (official site), used for high-temperature scientific experiments;
• the Thémis experimental solar power plant (operated by EDF from 1983 to 1986); it is now decommissioned as a power plant, but is being used as a Cerenkov telescope for the detection of Gamma rays [1]

Communes

Population as of 1999 French census.

• Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes (Catalan: Angostrina) - pop. 549
• Bolquère (Catalan: Bolquera) - pop. 730 (779 at 2004 census)
• Bourg-Madame (Catalan: La Guingueta d’Ix) - pop. 1,166 (1,198 at 2004 census)
• Dorres - pop. 219
• Égat (Catalan Èguet) - pop. 494 (475 at 2004 census)
• Enveitg (Catalan Enveig) - pop. 621
• Err (Catalan Er) - pop. 551
• Estavar - pop. 409
• Eyne (Catalan Eina) - pop. 127 (161 at 2004 census)
• Font-Romeu -Odeillo-Via (Catalan Font-Romeu or Odelló i Vià) - pop. 2,003
• La Cabanasse (Catalan La Cabanassa) - pop. 622 (756 at 2004 census)
• Latour-de-Carol (Catalan La Tor de Querol) - pop. 367
• Llo - pop. 133
• Mont-louis (Catalan Montlluís) - pop. 270
• Nahuja (Catalan Naüja) - pop. 63
• Osséja (Catalan Osseja) - pop. 1,282
• Palau-de-Cerdagne (Catalan Palau de Cerdanya) - pop. 424 (496 at 2004 census)
• Planès (Catalan Planès) - pop. 27
• Porta - pop. 98
• Porté-Puymorens (Catalan Portè) - pop. 147
• Saillagouse (Catalan Sallagosa) - pop. 820
• Saint-Pierre-dels-Forcats (Catalan Sant Pere dels Forcats) - pop. 213
• Sainte-Léocadie (Catalan Santa Llocaia) - pop. 140
• Targassonne (Catalan Targasona) - pop. 203 (194 at 2004 census)
• Ur - pop. 308
• Valcebollère (Catalan: Vallsabollera) - pop. 49

See also

• Cerdagne
• Baixa Cerdanya