Maine-et-Loire

Maine-et-Loire
Department

Prefecture building of the Maine-et-Loire department, in Angers

Coat of arms

Location of Maine-et-Loire in France
Coordinates: 47°27′N 0°36′W / 47.450°N 0.600°W / 47.450; -0.600Coordinates: 47°27′N 0°36′W / 47.450°N 0.600°W / 47.450; -0.600
Country France
Region Pays de la Loire
Prefecture Angers
Subprefectures Cholet
Saumur
Segré
Government
  President of the General Council Christophe Béchu (UMP)
Area1
  Total 7,172 km2 (2,769 sq mi)
Population (2013)
  Total 800,191
  Rank 27th
  Density 110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 49
Arrondissements 4
Cantons 21
Communes 250
^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]) is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.

History

See also: Anjou and History of Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791. It was created from part of the former province of Anjou. Its present name is drawn from the former province of Maine and the Loire River, which runs through it.

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, Mayenne, Sarthe, Indre-et-Loire, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, and Loire-Atlantique.

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 (689 feet/210m).

The area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire, Sarthe, Mayenne, Loir, and Authion.

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.[1]

Tourism

Angers and around:

Saumur and around:

Cholet and around:

Segré and around:

See also

References

  1. "Vous voulez vous appeler Angevin ou Mainoligérien ? Dernier jour pour voter !". ouest-france.fr. Ouest France. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
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