United to Succeed
The Grand Bergeracois, which includes the town of Bergerac and the surrounding area, is situated in the south-west of the Dordogne bordering on the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne départements. The Dordogne is itself situated in the south-west of France, in the area known as Aquitaine. The Grand Bergeracois covers more than two thousand square kilometres and includes the 14 cantons which make up the arrondissement - the departmental administrative subdivision - of Bergerac.

With an eye to increasing efficiency and coherence both in regard to employment and social activity, elected representatives of the Bergeracois decided to organise themselves and their sector into a specific and defined region, into a ‘pays’.

The logic governing this decision is obvious: only an organisation grouping together all the key social, economic and voluntary players of the region can find the necessary energy and co-operation to establish a serious and coherent development project.

An Historical and Cultural Identity
The Grand Bergeracois is made up of more than 150 communes with approximately 100,00 inhabitants. Its historical and cultural identity has been shaped over the centuries to form a recognisable unity - shaped particularly around a factor of immense structural significance, the Dordogne River.

Agriculture and viticulture are activities of vital importance; tourism has greatly benefited from the area’s reputation as a wine producer, providing the region with an appellation in tourism! Industry is concentrated in the Grand Bergeracois, while the service sector is flourishing.

The energy of this coherent and dynamic region can be harnessed through a forward-looking collective project.

Projects
The aim of our association is to encourage all sectors - public, voluntary and socio-professional - to work in unison by creating a federal system of autonomous co-operation. There is, however, absolutely no obligation to participate - this is not a new level of collectivism - and partnership in the ‘pays’ is a matter of choice. The intention is to initiate projects and, through research and activities, get them off the ground. Placing itself at an intermediary level between the canton and the département, the idea behind the ‘Pays’ is the creation an identity, a sense of solidarity and a space for new encounters, it’s mission is to develop new projects and build on old.