French department From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Loire-Atlantique is a department in France. It is in the Pays de la Loire region. Its capital is Nantes, which is also the region's capital. The department gets its name from the river which goes through it (la Loire), and because it is next to the Atlantic Ocean.
Loire-Atlantique
| |
|---|---|
_-_Nantes.jpg) Prefecture building in Nantes | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Loire-Atlantique in France | |
| Coordinates: 47°20′N 1°40′W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Pays de la Loire |
| Prefecture | Nantes |
| Subprefectures | Châteaubriant Saint-Nazaire |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Michel Menard[1] (PS) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,881 km2 (2,657 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,429,272 |
| • Rank | 9th |
| • Density | 210/km2 (540/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Department number | 44 |
| Arrondissements | 3 |
| Cantons | 31 |
| Communes | 207 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Loire Atlantique is one of the first 83 departments of France created in 1790. It used to be called Loire-Inférieure. It got its new name in 1957.
The department was part of Brittany until 1941 when the Vichy Governement separated it. Many people still think it is Brittany's capital. Some want it to be part of Brittany again.
Loire-Atlantique is next to 4 departements:
West of it is the Atlantic Ocean.
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