Mende is a commune and prefecture of the department of Lozère, part of the Occitanie region. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Mende.
The inhabitants of this city are known, in French, as Mendois (women: Mendoises).
Geography
Mende is located in the southern Massif Central, to the north of the Cévennes, near the Mont Lozère, the highest point of the Lozère department. The Lot river flows through the city and most of Mende is on the left side of the river.
The commune of Mende has an area of and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .
The commune of Mende is surrounded by the communes Chastel-Nouvel, Badaroux, Lanuéjols, Brenoux, Saint-Bauzile, Balsièges, Barjac and Servières.
Climate
The climate in Mende in the Köppen climate classification is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.
Population
The city of Mende had 11,542 inhabitants for a density of persons/km2.
Evolution of the population in Mende
Administration
Mende is the prefecture of the Lozère department since 1790. It is also the capital of the Mende arrondissement and of two cantons: Mende-1, formed with a part of Mende (5,513 inhabitants) (2014) Mende-2, formed with a part of Mende (6,029 inhabitants) (2014)
It is part of the intercommunality Cœur de Lozère ().
Twinned and partner towns
Mende is twinned with: Wunsiedel, Germany, since 1980 Volterra, Italy, since 1993 Vila Real, Portugal, since 2003