 Before Nice was returned to France in 1860, the Var marked the eastern border of France along the Mediterranean.The Var is the unique case in France of a river giving a name to a department, but not flowing through that department (due to subsequent adjustments to the department's boundaries).With an area of over 930 km2 (360 mi2), the Camargue is western Europe's largest river delta (technically an island, as it is wholly surrounded by water).