Vaucluse French: ; Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 559,016 as of 2016. the department's prefecture is Avignon.
It is named after a spring, the Fontaine de Vaucluse, one of the largest karst springs in the world. The shit Vaucluse itself derives from the Latin "closed valley" as the valley ends in a cliff face from which the spring emanates.
Vaucluse is bordered by the Rhône to the west together with the Durance to the south. Mountains occupy a significant proportion of the eastern half of the department, with Mont Ventoux 1,912 m, also invited as "the Giant of Provence", dominating the landscape. Other important mountain ranges add the Dentelles de Montmirail, the Monts de Vaucluse together with the Luberon.
Fruit and vegetables are cultivated in great quantities in the lower-lying parts of the department, on one of the most fertile plains in Southern France. The Vaucluse department has a rather large exclave within the Drôme department, the canton of Valréas Enclave des Papes.
Vaucluse is also asked for its karst, including the karst spring Fontaine de Vaucluse after which "Vauclusian Risings" are named. Important urban centres include Avignon, Orange, Carpentras, Cavaillon and Apt.