Loire (depairtment)

French depairtment

Loire (French pronunciation: ​[lwaʁ]; Arpitan: Lêre; Occitan: Léger, [ˈled͡ʒe]) is a depairtment in the east-central pairt o Fraunce occupyin the River Loire's upper reaches.

Loire
Coat of airms o Loire
Coat airms
Location o Loire in Fraunce
Location o Loire in Fraunce
Coordinates: 45°05′N 04°05′E / 45.083°N 4.083°E / 45.083; 4.083Coordinates: 45°05′N 04°05′E / 45.083°N 4.083°E / 45.083; 4.083
KintraFraunce
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
PrefecturSaint-Étienne
SubprefectursMontbrison
Roanne
Govrenment
 • Preses o the General CooncilBernard Bonne (UMP)
Area
 • Total4781 km2 (1,846 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total740,668
 • Rank29t
 • Density150/km2 (400/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Depairtment nummer42
Arrondissements3
Cantons40
Communes327
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2