View source for Ascou

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{short description|Commune in Occitanie, France}}
{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Ascou
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = Col de Paihères- étang de Goulours.JPG
|caption            = The Étang de Goulours
|arrondissement     = Foix
|canton             = Haute-Ariège
|INSEE              = 09023
|postal code        = 09110
|mayor              = Sabine Carrière<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=2 December 2020|language=fr|access-date=3 May 2024|archive-date=28 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628030259/https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|url-status=live}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   = [[Communauté de communes de la Haute-Ariège|CC Haute-Ariège]]
|coordinates        = {{coord|42.7222|1.8625|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 1005
|elevation min m    = 879
|elevation max m    = 2360
|area km2           = 35.59
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Ascou''' ({{IPA|fr|asku}}; {{langx|oc|Ascon}}) is a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the [[Ariège (department)|Ariège]] [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] region of south-western [[France]].
==Geography==
Ascou is an alpine commune located some 40&nbsp;km south-east of [[Foix]] and immediately east of [[Ax-les-Thermes]]. The northern border of the commune is the border between the [[Departments of France|department]]s of [[Ariège (department)|Ariège]] and [[Aude]]. Access to the commune is by the D 25 road which branches off the D 613 east of Ax-les-Thermes and continues through the village and the length of the commune to [[Mijanès]] over the mountains to the east. The D 258 road branches off the D 25 in the commune and goes north-east changing to the D 107 at the border and continuing to [[La Fajolle]]. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Goulours, Lavail, and Pujal. The commune is entirely alpine in nature with no farmland.<ref name=Google>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ascou/@42.7086773,1.9475573,14063m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x12af9b6e68c85089:0x406f69c2f436240?hl=en Google Maps]</ref>
The Ruisseau de l'Adorre rises in the east of the commune and flows west gathering tributaries and changing to the Lauze river before passing the village and continuing west to join the [[Ariège (river)|Ariège]] at [[Ax-les-Thermes]]. The Ruisseau de l'Eycherque rise in the north-east of the commune and flows south-west to join the Lauze at the D 25 road. The Riu Caud  flows from the north to join the Lauze at the Étang de Goulours<ref name=Google/>
===Neighbouring communes and villages===
{{Geographic location
|width=auto
|Centre    = Ascou
|North     = [[Camurac]]
|Northeast = [[Espezel]]
|East      = [[Mijanès]]
|Southeast = [[Fontrabiouse]]
|South     = [[Orlu, Ariège|Orlu]]
|Southwest = [[Mérens-les-Vals]]
|West      = [[Ax-les-Thermes]]
|Northwest = [[Sorgeat]]
}}
<ref name=Google/>
==Administration==
{{incomplete list|date=April 2021}}
'''List of Successive Mayors'''<ref>[http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/chercher.php List of Mayors of France] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620170929/http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/chercher.php |date=20 June 2023 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! From !! To !! Name !! Party
|-
| 2001 || 2020 || Claude Carrière || [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
|-
| 2020 || 2026 || Sabine Carrière ||
|}
==Demography==
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Ascounais'' in French.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/ariege-09 Le nom des habitants du 09 - Ariège] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208133402/https://www.habitants.fr/ariege-09 |date=8 December 2023 }}, habitants.fr</ref>
[[File:Station Ascou-Pailhères 09.JPG|thumb|Pailhères ski station in summer]]
[[File:Col de Pailheres, met Camperkamp 5 dagen voor de Tour 2013 SAM 0764 - copia.JPG|thumb|The Col de Pailhères on the D25]]
{{Historical populations
| align = none
| cols = 2
| percentages = pagr
| source = EHESS<ref name=ehess>{{Cassini-Ehess|1476|Ascou}}</ref> and INSEE<ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-09023#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924141229/https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-09023#ancre-POP_T1 |date=24 September 2022 }}, INSEE</ref>
|1793 |776
|1800 |613
|1806 |851
|1821 |914
|1831 |925
|1836 |1001
|1841 |837
|1846 |842
|1851 |805
|1856 |686
|1861 |710
|1866 |695
|1872 |664
|1876 |641
|1881 |565
|1886 |620
|1891 |521
|1896 |521
|1901 |469
|1906 |456
|1911 |453
|1921 |363
|1926 |310
|1931 |266
|1936 |250
|1946 |274
|1954 |158
|1962 |136
|1968 |114
|1975 |120
|1982 |81
|1990 |96
|1999 |102
|2007 |127
|2012 |153
|2017 |121
}}
==Sites and monuments==
[[File:Kerkje in Ascou SAM 0738 - copia.JPG|thumbnail|The Parish church in Ascou. Next to the church is a small memorial for those who fell in the [[First World War]]]]
The '''Parish Church''' contains a '''Statue of the Virgin and child'''[[File:Logo monument historique - noir sans texte.svg|18px]] which is registered as a historical object.<ref>Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM09000035|PM09000035 Statue: Virgin and Child}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
==Notable people linked to the commune==
*'''Michel Naudy''', journalist and politician.
==See also==
*[[Communes of the Ariège department]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080630235036/http://www.ign.fr/affiche_rubrique.asp?rbr_id=1087&CommuneId=14112 Ascou on the IGN website] {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=1.8625,42.7222&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Ascou on Géoportail], [[Institut géographique national|National Geographic Institute]] (IGN) website {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://rumsey.geogarage.com/maps/cassinige.html?lat=42.7222&lon=1.8625&zoom=13 ''Ascou'' on the 1750 Cassini Map]
{{Commons category|Ascou}}
{{Ariège communes}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Communes of Ariège (department)]]