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Burgundy[bUr´gundE] Pronunciation Key, Fr. Bourgogne[boorgO´nyu] Pronunciation Key, historic region, E France. The name once applied to a large area embracing several kingdoms, a free county (see Franche-ComtE), and a duchy. The present region is identical with the province of Burgundy of the 17th and 18th cent. It is now administratively divided into the departments of Yonne, COte-d'Or, SaOne-et-Loire, Ain, and NiEvre. Dijon is the historic capital; other cities are Autun, Auxerre, Beaune, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chalon-sur-SaOne, and MAcon.
Burgundy west of the SaOne River is generally hilly; the southeast includes the southern spurs of the Jura Mts.; the center is a lowland, extending south almost to the junction of the SaOne and RhOne rivers (see Bresse). A rich agricultural country, Burgundy is especially famous for the wine produced in the Chablis region, the mountains of the COte d'Or, and the SaOne and RhOne valleys. There are coal mines, some heavy industry, and mechanical equipment manufacturing.
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