Maine-et-Loire

Maine-et-Loire (French pronunciation: ​[mɛn.e.lwaʁ]) is a depairtment in wast-central Fraunce, in the Pays de la Loire region.

Maine-et-Loire
Depairtment
Coat airms
Location o Maine-et-Loire in Fraunce
Coordinates: 47°27′N 0°36′E
Kintra	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Prefectur	Angers
Subprefecturs	Cholet Saumur Segré
Govrenment
• Preses o the General Cooncil	Christophe Béchu (UMP)
Area
• Total	7166 km2 (2,767 sq mi)
Population  (1999)
• Total	732,942
• Rank	27t
• Density	100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Depairtment number	49
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	41
Communes	363
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, an lakes, ponds, an glaciers lairger than 1 km2

History

Relatit page: Anjou

Maine-et-Loire is ane o the oreeginal 83 depairtments creatit durin the French Revolution on 4 Mairch 1790. Oreeginally it wis cried Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name wis chyngit tae Maine-et-Loire in 1791. It wis creatit frae pairt o the umwhile province o Anjou. Its present name is drawn frae the umwhile province o Maine an the Loire River, which runs through it.

Geography

Maine-et-Loire is pairt o the current region o Pays-de-la-Loire an is surroondit bi the depairtments o Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Sarthe, Indre-et-Loire, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, an Loire-Atlantique.

It haes a varied landscape, wi forestit ranges o hills in the sooth an north separatit bi the valley o the Loire. The heichest 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 o Maine-et-Loire are cried Angevins, frae the umwhile province o Anjou.

Tourism

• The Loire Valley an its castles.
• The lairgest vineyard o the Loire Valley.
• The boule de fort, the traditional boules geme in Anjou

Angers an aroond:

• The Angers castle an the Apocalypse Tapestry, the lairgest tapestry in the warld.
• The Cointreau museum, in Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou
• The Château de Brissac, the tawest castle o the Loire Valley.
• The crooked spires in Baugé region.

Saumur an aroond:

• The Cadre Noir, ane o the maist famous horsemanship schuil in the warld.
• Aroond Saumur, the lairgest concentration o troglodyte hoose in Europe.
• The Royal Abbey o Fontevraud an the graves o the Hoose o Plantagenet, includin Richard I o ingland.
• The Tank museum o Saumur, which display the lairgest tank collection in Fraunce.

Cholet an aroond:

• The textile museum o Cholet, an the creation o the famous red an white handkerchief.
• The Château de Touvois
• The Parc Oriental de Maulévrier, the lairgest Japanese garden o Fraunce

Segré an aroond:

• The fortifeed ceety o Pouancé an its medieval castle.
• The Blue Mine, a slate mine, wi a funicular which goes 130 meters unner the surface.
• The Naitional stud o Le Lion-d'Angers, which host ivery year Le Mondial du Lion
• The Château de Challain-la-Potherie

See an aw

• Cantons o the Maine-et-Loire depairtment
• Communes o the Maine-et-Loire depairtment
• Arrondissements o the Maine-et-Loire depairtment
• Anjou wine

Freemit airtins

• (in French) Prefectur wabsteid Archived 1999-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
• (in French) General cooncil wabsteid
• (in Inglis) Anjou Tourism Board wabsteid Archived 2004-12-09 at the Wayback Machine