Clairfontaine
Clairfontaine | |
|---|---|
The town hall of Clairfontaine | |
Location of Clairfontaine | |
Clairfontaine Clairfontaine | |
| Coordinates: 49°58′50″N 3°59′10″E / 49.9806°N 3.9861°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Hauts-de-France |
| Department | Aisne |
| Arrondissement | Vervins |
| Canton | Vervins |
| Intercommunality | Thiérache du Centre |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Régis Tricoteaux[1] |
Area 1 | 14.31 km2 (5.53 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 509 |
| • Density | 35.6/km2 (92.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 02197 /02260 |
| Elevation | 152–239 m (499–784 ft) (avg. 238 m or 781 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Clairfontaine (French pronunciation: [klɛʁfɔ̃tɛn]) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Location
Clairfontaine is situated in the region of Thierache (northeast of the Aisne department).
The commune is characterised by its wooded countryside, which is found on the border of Fourmies, in the north of the department.
Climate
Several studies have been undertaken to characterise the climatic types which the area experiences. The zonings obtained differ depending on the method used, the number and type of parameters taken into account, the territorial network of data and the reference period. In 2010, the climate of the commune was classified as mountainous, according to the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), based on a method combining climate data and environmental factors (topography, land-use, etc.) and data covering the period of 1971–2000.[3] In 2020, the predominant climate during 1988–2017 was classed as "Cfb" according to the Koppen classification system, namely a temperate climate with cool summers and without a dry season.[4] In 2020, Météo-France published a new typology of the climates in metropolitan France in which the commune is exposed to an altered oceanic climate[5] and is in the climatic region of the Northeastern Parisian basin, characterised by limited sunshine, average rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year, and a cold winter.[6] It is located in zone H1a under the 2020 environmental regulations of new constructions, which serve to calculate energy efficiency based on climate.[7][8] Between 1971 and 2000, the average annual temperature was 9.4°C, with an annual temperature range of 4.1°C. The average annual rainfall was 956 mm, with 13.7 days of precipitation and 9.9 in July.[3] For 1991–2020, the average annual temperature observed at the nearest Météo-France weather station, in the commune of Fontaine-lès-Vervins (15 km away[9]), is 10.5°C and the average annual rainfall is 826.3 mm.[10][11] The maximum temperature recorded by the station is 39.5°C, recorded on 25 July 2019; the minimum temperature is -16°C, reached on 7 January 2009.
Urban planning
Classification
As of the 1st of January 2025, Clairfontaine is classed as a rural commune with dispersed housing, according to the 7-level municipal population density grid established by INSEE in 2022.[12] It is not located in an urban area and is outside the influence of any cities.[13]
Toponymy
The settlement is known to have been referred to by the Latin "Clarus fons" in 1136, as it was established near a spring, the clarity of which gave the settlement its name. The French word "fontaine" was not demonstrated until the 12th century and is derived from the Latin "fons" (via "fontana" & "fontanus").[14]
The English translation of Clairfontaine is "clear fountain".
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 597 | — |
| 1975 | 519 | −1.98% |
| 1982 | 556 | +0.99% |
| 1990 | 514 | −0.98% |
| 1999 | 497 | −0.37% |
| 2007 | 570 | +1.73% |
| 2012 | 553 | −0.60% |
| 2017 | 552 | −0.04% |
| 2023 | 509 | −1.34% |
| Source: INSEE[15] | ||
See also
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b Joly, Daniel; Brossard, Thierry; Cardot, Hervé; Cavailhes, Jean; Hilal, Mohamed; Wavresky, Pierre. "Les types de climats en France, une construction spatiale" [Climate types in France, a spatial composition]. Open Edition Journals (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ Dubreuil, Vincent (1 February 2022). "Le changement climatique en France illustré par la classification de Köppen" [Climate change in France illustrated by the Köppen classification]. La Météorologie (in French) (116).
- ^ "Le climat en France hexagonale et Corse" [The climate of France & Corsica]. Météo-France (in French). 1 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Zonages climatiques en France métropolitaine" [Climate zones in metropolitan France]. Meteo France (in French). Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Réglementation environnementale RE2020" [Environmental Regulation RE 202]. ecologie.gouv.fr. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ "Répartition des départements par zone climatique" [Distribution of departements by climatic zone] (PDF). ecologie.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Distance Clairfontaine, Aisne > Fontaine-lès-Vervins, Aisne". Calculateur de distance (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Météo-France station "Fontaine-les-Vervins", in the municipality of Fontaine-lès-Vervins - climatological record - period of 1991-2020" (PDF). object.files.data.gouv.fr/meteofrance/ (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Station Météo-France « Fontaine-les-Vervins », sur la commune de Fontaine-lès-Vervins - fiche de métadonnées" [Météo-France station “Fontaine-les-Vervins”, in the commune of Fontaine-lès-Vervins - metadata sheet.] (PDF). donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "La grille de densité 2025" [2025 population density grid]. www.insee.fr (in French). 22 July 2025 [2025-01-01]. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "Commune de Clairfontaine" [Municipality of Clairfontaine]. www.insee.fr (in French). 1 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ "FONTAINE : Etymologie de FONTAINE" [Etymology of fontaine]. Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales (CNRTL) (in French). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ^ Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE