Maine-et-Loire
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Maine-et-Loire | |
|---|---|
 Prefecture gardens in Angers | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Maine-et-Loire in France | |
| Coordinates: 47°27′N 0°36′W / 47.450°N 0.600°WCoordinates: 47°27′N 0°36′W / 47.450°N 0.600°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Prefecture | Angers |
| Subprefectures | Cholet Saumur Segré-en-Anjou Bleu |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Christian Gillet (DVD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7,107 km2 (2,744 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 810,934 |
| • Rank | 27th |
| • Density | 110/km2 (300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Department number | 49 |
| Arrondissements | 4 |
| Cantons | 21 |
| Communes | 177 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Maine-et-Loire (French pronunciation: [mɛn e lwaʁ] (
listen)) is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. Its prefecture is Angers; its subprefectures are Cholet, Saumur and Segré-en-Anjou Bleu. Maine-et-Loire had a population of 810,934 in 2016.[1]
History[]
Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790, mostly out of the southern portion of the former province of Anjou.[2] Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791. Its present name is drawn from the Maine and Loire Rivers, which meet within the department.
Geography[]
Maine-et-Loire is part of the current region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine (Short border), Mayenne, Sarthe, Indre-et-Loire, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, and Loire-Atlantique. The principal city is Angers, the seat of a bishopric and of a court of appeal.[2]
It has a varied landscape, with forested ranges of hills in the south and north separated by the valley of the Loire. The highest point is Colline des Gardes at 210 m (690 ft).
The area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire, Sarthe, Mayenne, Loir, and .
Demographics[]
The inhabitants of Maine-et-Loire have no official qualifier. They are sometimes known as Angevins, from the former province of Anjou, or Mainéligériens, from the name of the département.[3]
Population development since 1801:
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 375,544 | — |
| 1806 | 404,134 | +1.48% |
| 1821 | 442,859 | +0.61% |
| 1831 | 467,871 | +0.55% |
| 1841 | 488,472 | +0.43% |
| 1851 | 515,452 | +0.54% |
| 1861 | 526,012 | +0.20% |
| 1872 | 518,471 | −0.13% |
| 1881 | 523,491 | +0.11% |
| 1891 | 518,589 | −0.09% |
| 1901 | 514,658 | −0.08% |
| 1911 | 508,149 | −0.13% |
| 1921 | 474,786 | −0.68% |
| 1931 | 475,991 | +0.03% |
| 1936 | 477,690 | +0.07% |
| 1946 | 496,068 | +0.38% |
| 1954 | 518,241 | +0.55% |
| 1962 | 556,272 | +0.89% |
| 1968 | 584,704 | +0.83% |
| 1975 | 629,849 | +1.07% |
| 1982 | 675,321 | +1.00% |
| 1990 | 705,882 | +0.55% |
| 1999 | 733,813 | +0.43% |
| 2006 | 766,659 | +0.63% |
| 2011 | 790,343 | +0.61% |
| 2016 | 810,934 | +0.52% |
| source:[4] | ||
Politics[]
Current National Assembly Representatives[]
Tourism[]
- Château de Montsoreau.[6][7]
- Royal Abbey of Fontevraud.
- Château de Brissac.
- Château de Saumur.
- Château d'Angers.
- Château de Brézé.
Anjou traditions
- The largest vineyard of the Loire Valley.
- The boule de fort, the traditional boules game in Anjou
Angers and around:
- The Angers castle and the Apocalypse Tapestry, the largest tapestry in the world.
- The Cointreau museum, in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou
- The Château de Brissac, the tallest castle of the Loire Valley.
- The crooked spires in Baugé region.
Saumur and around:
- The Cadre Noir, one of the most famous horsemanship school in the world.
- Montsoreau Flea Market is the largest Flea Market in the Loire Valley taking place every second Sunday of the month.[8][9][10]
- Château de Montsoreau-Museum of contemporary art, featuring the Philippe Méaille Collection, largest collection of works by the British conceptual artists, Art & Language.[11][12][13]
- The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud and the graves of the House of Plantagenet, including Richard I of England.
- The Tank museum of Saumur, which display the largest tank collection in France.
- Around Saumur, the largest concentration of troglodyte house in Europe.
Cholet and around:
- The textile museum of Cholet, and the creation of the famous red and white handkerchief.
- The Château de Touvois
- The Parc Oriental de Maulévrier, the largest Japanese garden of France
Segré and around:
- The fortified city of Pouancé and its medieval castle.
- The Blue Mine, a slate mine, with a funicular which goes 130 meters under the surface.
- The National stud of Le Lion-d'Angers, which host every year Le Mondial du Lion
- The Château de Challain-la-Potherie
See also[]
- Cantons of the Maine-et-Loire department
- Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department
- Arrondissements of the Maine-et-Loire department
- Anjou wine
References[]
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 441.
- ^ "Vous voulez vous appeler Angevin ou Mainoligérien ? Dernier jour pour voter !". ouest-france.fr. Ouest France. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France
- ^ http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/
- ^ "Château de Montsoreau-Contemporary Art Museum - Les Châteaux de la Loire". Les Châteaux de la Loire. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ "Visit Chateau de Montsoreau-Museum of contemporary art on your trip to Montsoreau". www.inspirock.com. Retrieved 2018-10-06.
- ^ "Practical Information". Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art. Archived from the original on 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2018-09-15.
- ^ "Snapshots of the Loire The Montsoreau flea market". TVMONDE. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ "Discover the World's 500 Best Flea Markets". Fleamapket. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
- ^ "Largest Art & Language Collection Finds Home - artnet News". artnet News. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ "MACBA banks on History". Artinamericamagazine.com. 2011.
- ^ "Art & Language Uncompleted". macba.cat. 2014.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maine-et-Loire. |
- (in French) Prefecture website
- (in French) General council website
- (in English) Anjou Tourism Board website
- . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
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- Maine-et-Loire
- 1790 establishments in France
- Departments of Pays de la Loire
- States and territories established in 1790