Doubs (/duː/, doo; French: [du] ^ⓘ; Arpitan: Dubs) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019.^[3] Its prefecture is Besançon and subprefectures are Montbéliard and Pontarlier.

As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the northern two-thirds of Doubs spoke Franc-Comtois, a dialect of the langues d'oïl. Residents of the southern third of Doubs spoke a dialect of the Arpitan language. Both languages co-existed with French, the official language of law and commerce, and continued to be spoken frequently in rural areas into the 20th century. They are both still spoken today but not on a daily basis.

Doubs was important as a portal to Switzerland through the pass at Cluse de Pontarlier. Many famous people, including Mirabeau, Toussaint Louverture and Heinrich von Kleist, were imprisoned in the Château de Joux.

Doubs is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Franche-Comté. The prefecture (capital) is Besançon.

In 1793, the republic of Mandeure was annexed by France and incorporated into the department. This district was passed between various territories and departments in the ensuing administrative reorganisations and wars, but was restored to Doubs in 1816 when the former principality of Montbéliard was also added to the department.

However, the commune of Le Cerneux-Péquignot was annexed by the Canton of Neuchâtel under the terms of the 1814 Treaty of Paris, and since remained Swiss territory.

Between the defeat of France at the Battle of Waterloo and November 1818, Doubs was included in the area occupied by Austrian troops.

Victor Hugo, Gustave Courbet, Armand Peugeot, Auguste and Louis Lumière and Frank Darabont are among the famous people born in Doubs.

Doubs is part of the current region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and is surrounded by the French departments of Jura, Haute-Saône, and Territoire de Belfort, and the Swiss cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Jura.

The department is dominated by the Jura mountains, which rise east of Besançon.

The inhabitants of the department are called Doubiens.

Population development since 1791:

More information Year, Pop. ...

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1791 219,642 —     1801 216,226 −0.16% 1806 226,040 +0.89% 1821 242,663 +0.47% 1831 265,535 +0.90% 1841 286,236 +0.75% 1851 296,679 +0.36% 1861 296,280 −0.01% 1872 291,251 −0.16% 1881 310,827 +0.73% 1891 303,081 −0.25% 1901 298,864 −0.14% 1911 299,935 +0.04% 1921 285,022 −0.51%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1931 305,500 +0.70% 1936 304,812 −0.05% 1946 298,255 −0.22% 1954 327,187 +1.16% 1962 384,881 +2.05% 1968 426,363 +1.72% 1975 471,082 +1.44% 1982 477,163 +0.18% 1990 484,770 +0.20% 1999 499,062 +0.32% 2006 516,823 +0.50% 2011 529,103 +0.47% 2016 538,549 +0.35%
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The President of the Departmental Council is Christine Bouquin (DVD).

The Doubs department is at the same time the greenest and the most industrialized in France.^{[citation needed]}

It is the birthplace of the automotive manufacturer Peugeot.

The castle of Joux and Besançon are important tourist destinations.

• Paul-Claude Racamier (1924–1996), psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
• Arnaud Courlet de Vregille (1958-), French painter

• The citadel and the old town of Besançon in a meander of the Doubs
• Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans
• Montbéliard
• Fort de Joux
• Lods, one of the most beautiful villages of France

• Arrondissements of the Doubs department
• Cantons of the Doubs department
• Communes of the Doubs department

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Doubs (department)".

• Hoffmann, Michael, Die französischen Konservativen in der katholischen Provinz Parteigenese und politische Kultur im Doubs (1900–1930) (Frankfurt am Main u.a., Peter Lang, 2008) (Moderne Geschichte und Politik, 22).