Belfort, Territoire de

Département in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France; area 610 sq km/236 sq mi; population (1999 est) 147,400. It is bordered to the west by Haute-Saône, to the southwest by Doubs, to the north and northeast by Haut-Rhin, and to the southeast by Switzerland. Situated in the narrow area of lowland between the Vosges and Jura mountains, it is the smallest such administrative area in France, outside the suburban départements around Paris. The capital, and only major town, is Belfort. Commercial and industrial enterprises include electronics, telephony, textiles, and metallurgy.