Maine-et-Loire
Department of France in Pays de la Loire From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maine-et-Loire (French pronunciation: [mɛn e lwaʁ] ) 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. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-et-Loire to the east, Vienne and Deux-Sèvres to the south, Vendée to the south-west, and Ille-et-Vilaine to the north-west. It also borders Ille-et-Vilaine in the north for just 20 yards (19 m), France's shortest department boundary. Its prefecture is Angers; its subprefectures are Cholet, Saumur and Segré-en-Anjou Bleu. Maine-et-Loire had a population of 818,273 in 2019.[3]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2014) |
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 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Prefecture | Angers |
| Subprefectures | Cholet Saumur Segré-en-Anjou Bleu |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Florence Dabin[1] (DVD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 7,107 km2 (2,744 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 824,743 |
| • Rank | 28th |
| • Density | 120/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 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.[4] 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 rivers Maine and Loire, which meet within the department.
Maine-et-Loire is part of the current region of Pays de la Loire. The principal city is Angers, the seat of a bishopric and of a court of appeal.[4]
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). Part of the Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site lies in Maine-et-Loire.[5]
The area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire, Sarthe, Mayenne, Loir, and Authion.
Principal towns
The most populous commune is Angers, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:[3]
| Commune | Population (2019) |
|---|---|
| Angers | 155,850 |
| Cholet | 54,037 |
| Saumur | 26,467 |
| Sèvremoine | 25,162 |
| Beaupréau-en-Mauges | 23,419 |
| Chemillé-en-Anjou | 20,828 |
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 department.[6]
Population development since 1801:
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The president of the Departmental Council is Florence Dabin, elected in July 2021.
Current National Assembly Representatives
- Château de Montsoreau.[10][11]
- 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.[12][13][14]
- Château de Montsoreau-Museum of contemporary art, featuring the Philippe Méaille Collection, largest collection of works by the British conceptual artists, Art & Language.[15][16][17]
- 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
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