Mérignac, Gironde

Mérignac (French pronunciation: [meʁiɲak]; Occitan: Merinhac) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The 20th-century historian Robert Étienne (1921–2009) was born in Mérignac.

Mérignac
Commune
Castle of Bourran
Coat of arms
Location of Mérignac
Mérignac Mérignac
Coordinates: 44°50′19″N 0°38′37″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Gironde
Arrondissement	Bordeaux
Canton	Mérignac-1 and 2
Intercommunality	Bordeaux Métropole
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Alain Anziani (PS)
Area 1	48.17 km2 (18.60 sq mi)
Population  (2021)	75,729
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC 02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	33281 /33700
Elevation	12–53 m (39–174 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It is the largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux and adjoins it to the west. It is a member of the Bordeaux Métropole.

Mérignac is the site of Bordeaux International Airport.

Etymology

The name Mérignac derives from the Gallo-Roman word Matriniacus, name of a villa rustica (countryside villa) that was the origin of today's town.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,511 —     1800 2,427 −0.48% 1806 3,039 3.82% 1821 2,764 −0.63% 1831 3,097 1.14% 1836 3,034 −0.41% 1841 3,276 1.55% 1846 3,264 −0.07% 1851 3,648 2.25% 1856 3,910 1.40% 1861 4,284 1.84% 1866 4,450 0.76% 1872 4,265 −0.71% 1876 4,967 3.88% 1881 5,162 0.77% 1886 5,735 2.13% 1891 6,159 1.44% 1896 6,713 1.74%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 7,052 0.99% 1906 7,421 1.03% 1911 7,863 0.46% 1921 9,515 2.28% 1926 11,939 4.64% 1931 15,363 5.17% 1936 17,034 2.09% 1946 21,417 2.32% 1954 23,050 0.92% 1962 32,355 4.33% 1968 45,951 6.02% 1975 50,652 1.40% 1982 51,306 0.18% 1990 57,273 1.38% 1999 61,992 0.88% 2007 66,002 0.79% 2012 66,660 0.20% 2017 70,105 1.01%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Sights

• Tour de Veyrines : Veyrines Dungeon.
• Château Bourran : Bourran Castle
• Château Le Burck : Le Burck Castle
• Château or Maison Noble du Parc or d'Espagne : Parc Castle or Spain Castle
• Fontaine d'Arlac : Arlac Fountain
• Immeuble Gillet : Gillet Building
• La glacière : the icehouse
• La vieille église : the old Roman church
• Maison carrée d'Arlac : Peychotte's folly (Square House) in Arlac

Parks and gardens

• Parc de Bourran :
• Bois du Burck : Burck wood
• Parc de Mérignac :
• Parc Saint-Exupéry :
• Parc du Vivier : the wood around the city hall

Education

The commune has about 5,000 students in the primary and secondary schools in its city. Schools include:

• 15 public and private preschools
• 15 public and private elementary schools
• Four junior high schools: Collège de Bourran, Collège de Capeyron, Collège Jules-Ferry, Collège des Eyquems
• Two senior high schools: Lycée Fernand Daguin and Lycée professionnel Marcel Dassault

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Mérignac is twinned with:

• Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada
• Kaolack, Senegal
• Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain

See also

• Aéroport de Bordeaux Mérignac
• Communes of the Gironde department

Notable inhabitants

• Albert Dupouy (1901 - 1973): player of rugby to death in Mérignac
• Jean Samazeuilh (1891 - 1965): French tennis player dead in Mérignac
• Nicolas Canteloup, born on November 4, 1963, in Mérignac in the Gironde, is a comedian, French imitator.
• Émile Rummelhardt former professional player and French football coach.

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Official website (in French) (Archive)