Aarushhh/wikipedia-simple-splitted huggingface dataset:
Haute-Garonne ("Upper Garonne"; ) is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city and prefecture of the department is Toulouse.

History
Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790.  It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.

The department was originally larger than now because it included the district of Castelsarrasin which was transferred to the department of Tarn-et-Garonne when it was created in 1808.

Geography 
Haute-Garonne has an area of . It is part of the Occitanie region. The department is not a historical region of France; this is an administrative division made from various pieces of Languedoc and Gascogne.

The department is surrounded by the departments:
 Ariège to the southeast
 Aude to the east
 Tarn to the northeast
 Tarn-et-Garonne to the north
 Gers to the west
 Hautes-Pyrénées to the southwest

and by Spain (provinces of Lleida and Huesca) to the south.
The department is crossed by the upper course of the Garonne river (hence the name) for nearly . The borders of the department follow the river. The Garonne enters France from Spain at the town of Fos, goes through Toulouse and leaves the department. Two big canals cross the department from east to west: the Canal du Midi and the Canal de Garonne.

There are three distinct geographical areas in the department:
 The extreme south of the department lies in the Pyrenees mountain range and there are many mountains. The highest mountain is Peak of Perdiguère () that is  above sea level.
 A first plain, to the north of the Pyrenees, that extends from Montréjeau to Saint-Martory
 A second plain, the vast plain of Toulouse, that extends from Saint-Martory to the northern border of the department.

Climate
The climate of the department is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.
Administration
The department is managed by the Departamental Council of the Haute-Garonne in Toulouse. The Haute-Garonne is part of the region of Occitanie.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 27 cantons and 589 communes (municipalities) in the Haute-Garonne.

The following is a list of the 27 cantons of the Haute-Garonne department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Auterive (3101)
 Bagnères-de-Luchon (3102)
 Blagnac (3103)
 Castanet-Tolosan (3104)
 Castelginest (3105)
 Cazères (3106)
 Escalquens (3107)
 Léguevin (3108)
 Muret (3109)
 Pechbonnieu (3110)
 Plaisance-du-Touch (3111)
 Portet-sur-Garonne (3112)
 Revel (3113)
 Saint-Gaudens (3114)
 Toulouse-1 (3115)
 Toulouse-2 (3116)
 Toulouse-3 (3117)
 Toulouse-4 (3118)
 Toulouse-5 (3119)
 Toulouse-6 (3120)
 Toulouse-7 (3121)
 Toulouse-8 (3122)
 Toulouse-9 (3123)
 Toulouse-10 (3124)
 Toulouse-11 (3125)
 Tournefeuille (3126)
 Villemur-sur-Tarn (3127)

Population
The inhabitants of Haute-Garonne are known, in French, as Haut-Garonnais (women: Haut-Garonnaises).

Haute-Garonne has a population, in 2014, of 1,317,668, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Toulouse, with 1,024,517 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Muret and Saint-Gaudens, have respectively 215,606 and 77,545 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Haute-Garonne
The 10 cities with more people living in them in 2014 in the department are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Haute-Garonne department
 Communes of the Haute-Garonne department

References

Other websites

 Departamental Council website  
 Prefecture website  
 Tourism website 
 Photography Panoramics 360° website 

Haute-Garonne
Gers (Gascon: Gers) is a department in the Occitanie region in the southwest of France named after the Gers river.

History
Gers is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

The new department had six districts: Auch, Lectoure, Condom, Nogaro, L'Isle-Jourdain and Mirande. The capital (now prefecture) was Auch.

in 1808, part of the Gers department was transferred to the new Tarn-et-Garonne department'.

Geography

Gers is known for its hilly landscape and bastide villages. The Pyrenees are visible to the south.

Gers is part of the Occitanie region, and is the 34th French department in area with .

The department is surrounded by six departments in two regions:
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Lot-et-Garonne (north)
 Pyrénées-Atlantiques (southwest)
 Landes (west)
 Occitanie region
 Tarn-et-Garonne (northeast)
 Haute-Garonne (east)
 Hautes-Pyrénées (south)
The main rivers of the department are the Garonne and the Gers, a left tributary of the Garonne. Other rivers are Save, Gimone, Arrats, Baïse and Osse.

The highest point in the department is Mont de Chapelle Saint Roch (), in west central Pyrénées near the border with the Hautes-Pyrénées department, with an altitude of .

Climate
The climate of Gers is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

The annual rainfall in the department varies from over  in the southwest of the department, to less than  in the northeast (Auch, Condom and Lectoure).

Summers are very hot and dry, the temperatures often exceed . Winters vary, often with frost, but the climate remains mild and dry.

Administration
The department is managed by the Departamental Council of the Gers in Auch. Gers is part of the region of Occitanie.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 17 cantons and 462 communes (municipalities) in Gers.
The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Gers department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 Adour-Gersoise (3201)
 Armagnac-Ténarèze (3202)
 Astarac-Gimone (3203)
 Auch-1 (3204)
 Auch-2 (3205)
 Auch-3 (3206)
 Baïse-Armagnac (3207)
 Fezensac (3208)
 Fleurance-Lomagne (3209)
 Gascogne-Auscitaine (3210)
 Gimone-Arrats (3211)
 Grand-Bas-Armagnac (3212)
 L'Isle-Jourdain (3213)
 Lectoure-Lomagne (3214)
 Mirande-Astarac (3215)
 Pardiac-Rivière-Basse (3216)
 Val de Save (3217)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Gers are known, in French, as Gersois (women: Gersoises).

Gers has a population, in 2014, of 190,625, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Auch, with 87,118 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Condom and Mirande, have respectively 65,562 and 37,945 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Gers

The 10 most important cities in the department are:
Economy
The economy in Gers revolves primarily around agriculture and culinary tourism. The department is a producer of maize, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower.

Some well-known products of the region are:
 Armagnac, a brandy
 Côtes de Gascogne, wine
 Floc de Gascogne, an apéritif (an alcoholic drink served before a meal)
 Foie gras
 Wild mushrooms

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Gers department
 Communes of the Gers department

References

Other websites

 Departamental Council website  
 Prefecture website 
 Comité départemental du tourisme et des loisirs du Gers 
 Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Gers 

Gers
Gironde () is a department in the southwest of France. It is named after the Gironde estuary.

The department is in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Its prefecture is Bordeaux.

History
Gironde was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

From July 1793 to April 1795, the department's name was changed to Bec-d'Ambès to avoid the association with the Girondists, a French revolutionary group.

The department was divided into seven districts: Bordeaux, Libourne, La Réole, Bazas, Cadillac, Blaye and Lesparre. Its capital was the city of Bordeaux.

Geography
Gironde is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, and is the largest department of Metropolitan France with an area of .
There four main zones in the Gironde; they are:
 the coastal zone, including part of the Côte d'Argent ("Silver coast");
 the forest that covers the western half of the department;
 the Bordelais, region around Bordeaux and where the different kinds of Bordeaux wines are produced; and
 the Bazadais, the region around the town of Bazas, in the soutwest of the department and where farming is very important.

The department is bordered by the departments: Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne and Landes. The Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Biscay) is to the west of the department.

The main rivers in the department are the Dordogne and the Garonne rivers; the two rivers form, after their confluence, the Gironde estuary, the largest estuary of France.

Climate 
The climate in Bordeaux is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.
The average temperature for the year in Bordeaux is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Bordeaux is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

Administration
Gironde is part of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and is managed by the Departmental Council of Gironde in Bordeaux.

Administrative divisions
There are 6 arrondissements (districts), 33 cantons and 538 communes (municipalities) in Gironde.

The following is a list of the 33 cantons of the Gironde department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Andernos-les-Bains (3301)
 Bordeaux-1 (3302)
 Bordeaux-2 (3303)
 Bordeaux-3 (3304)
 Bordeaux-4 (3305)
 Bordeaux-5 (3306)
 Le Bouscat (3307)
 La Brède (3308)
 Cenon (3309)
 Les Coteaux de Dordogne (3310)
 Créon (3311)
 L'Entre-Deux-Mers (3312)
 L'Estuaire (3313)
 Gujan-Mestras (3314)
 Les Landes des Graves (3315)
 Le Libournais-Fronsadais (3316)
 Lormont (3317)
 Mérignac-1 (3318)
 Mérignac-2 (3319)
 Le Nord-Gironde (3320)
 Le Nord-Libournais (3321)
 Le Nord-Médoc (3322)
 Pessac-1 (3323)
 Pessac-2 (3324)
 Les Portes du Médoc (3325)
 La Presqu'île (3326)
 Le Réolais et Les Bastides (3327)
 Saint-Médard-en-Jalles (3328)
 Le Sud-Gironde (3329)
 Le Sud-Médoc (3330)
 Talence (3331)
 La Teste-de-Buch (3332)
 Villenave-d'Ornon (3333)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Gironde are known, in French, as Girondins (women: Girondines).
The department of Gironde has a population, in 2014, of 1,526,016, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Bordeaux, with 921,668 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The arrondissements of Blaye and Lesparre-Médoc are those with less people, with 88,115 and 86,560 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Gironde

The main cities in the department are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Gironde department
 Communes of the Gironde department

References

Other websites

 Departmental Council of Gironde  
 Prefecture official website 
 Agence de Développement Touristique de la Gironde  

Gironde
Hérault () is a department in the region of Occitanie in southern France. It is named after the Hérault river.

The inhabitants of Hérault are known, in French, as Héraultais (women: Héraultaises).

History
Hérault was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Aude was formed with part of the old province of Languedoc.

It was divided in four districts: Montpellier, Béziers, Lodève and Saint-Pons, with Montpellier as is capital.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the four districts were changed into four arrondissements. On 10 September 1926, the arrondissements of Lodève and Saint-Pons were eliminated but on 1 June 1942 Lodève became again an arrondissement.

Geography
Hérault has an area of . It is surrounded by the departments of Aude, Aveyron, Tarn, and Gard, with the Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean Sea) to the east and southeast.
The main rivers in the department are the Orb and the Hérault which gives its name to the department.

Climate 
The climate in Montpellier, in the northeast of the department near the Mediterranean coast, is a Mediterranean climate, a "dry-summer subtropical" climate, Csa in the Köppen climate classification.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Montpellier is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of . There are an average of 73.4 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in December with 9.2 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 2.3 days.

The average temperature for the year in Montpellier is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .
Administration
The département is managed by the Departamental Council of the Hérault in Montpellier. Hérault is part of the region of Occitanie.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 25 cantons and 343 communes (municipalities) in Hérault.

The following is a list of the 25 cantons of the Hérault department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 Agde (3401)
 Béziers-1 (3402)
 Béziers-2 (3403)
 Béziers-3 (3404)
 Cazouls-lès-Béziers (3405)
 Clermont-l'Hérault (3406)
 Le Crès (3407)
 Frontignan (3408)
 Gignac (3409)
 Lattes (3410)
 Lodève (3411)
 Lunel (3412)
 Mauguio (3413)
 Mèze (3414)
 Montpellier-1 (3415)
 Montpellier-2 (3416)
 Montpellier-3 (3417)
 Montpellier-4 (3418)
 Montpellier-5 (3419)
 Montpellier - Castelnau-le-Lez (3420)
 Pézenas (3421)
 Pignan (3422)
 Saint-Gély-du-Fesc (3423)
 Saint-Pons-de-Thomières (3424)
 Sète (3425)
Demographics
The Hérault department has a population, in 2014, of 1,107,398, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Montpellier, with 700,241 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two arrondissements, Béziers and Lodève, have respectively 312,443 and 94,714 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Hérault

The communes in the department with more of 10,000 inhabitants are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Hérault department
 Communes of the Hérault department

References

Other websites

 Departamental council website 
 Prefecture website 
 The Hérault Tourist Board

Hérault
Ille-et-Vilaine is a department found in the west of France in the Brittany region. Its prefecture is Rennes and its population is about 908,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.

Ille-et-Vilaine
Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.

Its prefecture is the city of Tours.

History
Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Tours as is capital. It was formed with part of the former province of Touraine.

It was divided in seven districts: Tours, Amboise, Château-Renault, Loches, Chinon, Preuilly and Langeais.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the seven districts were changed into three arrondissements: Chinon, Loches and Tours.

After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Prussian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Loches was eliminated but in 1943 Loches was made again an arrondissement.

Geography
Indre-et-Loire is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .
The department is surrounded by 5 departments that are part of three regions:
 Centre-Val de Loire region
 Loir-et-Cher department (northeast)
 Indre department (southeast)
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Vienne department (southwest)
 Pays de la Loire region
 Maine-et-Loire department (west)
 Sarthe department (north)

The highest point of the department is Signal de la Ronde () with an altitude of  high.; it is in the commune of Céré-la-Ronde in the northeast of the department on the border with the Loir-et-Cher department.

The Loire river flows through the department and divides it in two parts. The Indre, Cher and Vienne rivers join the Loire river in the Indre-et-Loire department.

Climate
This area is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Tours is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".
The average amount of precipitation for the year in Tours is . The month with the most precipitation on average is  October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of .

The average temperature for the year in Toulon is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

Administration
Indre-et-Loire is managed by the Departmental Council of Ardennes in Tours. The department is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 19 cantons and 273 communes (municipalities) in Indre-et-Loire.

The following is a list of the 19 cantons of the Indre-et-Loire department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Amboise (3701)
 Ballan-Miré (3702)
 Bléré (3703)
 Château-Renault (3704)
 Chinon (3705)
 Descartes (3706)
 Joué-lès-Tours (3707)
 Langeais (3708)
 Loches (3709)
 Montlouis-sur-Loire (3710)
 Monts (3711)
 Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (3712)
 Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine (3713)
 Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (3714)
 Tours-1 (3715)
 Tours-2 (3716)
 Tours-3 (3717)
 Tours-4 (3718)
 Vouvray (3719)

Demographics
The inhabitants of the Indre-et-Loire department are known, in French, as Tourangeaux (women: Tourangelles),

Indre-et-Loire had a population, in 2014, of 603,924, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Tours, with 466,232 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Indre-et-Loire

The communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants in the department are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Indre-et-Loire department
 Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department

References
References

Other websites
 
 Departmental Council website 
 Prefecture of the Indre-et-Loire department 
 Official tourist website of Touraine Loire Valley 

Indre-et-Loire
Isère is a département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France named after the Isère river.

History
Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Moirans as its capital. It was formed from part of the former province of Dauphiné.

It was divided in four districts: Grenoble, Saint-Marcellin, La Tour-du-Pin and Vienne. The capital was transfered in 1790 from Moirans to Grenoble.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the four districts were changed into four arrondissements: Grenoble, Saint-Marcellin, La Tour-du-Pin and Vienne.

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Saint-Marcellin was eliminated.

Geography
Isère is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has an area of .

The department borders with 7 departments in 2 regions:

 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Ain (north)
 Savoie (east)
 Drôme (south)
 Ardèche (west)
 Loire (west)
 Rhône (northwest)
 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region
 Hautes-Alpes (southeast)
The highest mountain in the department is  Pic Lory (); it is  high.

The main rivers that flow through the department are the Rhône and its tributaries Isère and Bourbre.

Climate
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Grenoble is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

Administration
Isère is managed by the Departmental Council of Isère in Grenoble. The department is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Administrative divisions
There are 4 arrondissements (districts), 17 cantons and 281 communes (municipalities) in Isère.

The following is a list of the 29 cantons of the Isère department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Bièvre (3801)
 Bourgoin-Jallieu (3802)
 Chartreuse-Guiers (3803)
 Charvieu-Chavagneux (3804)
 Échirolles (3805)
 Fontaine-Seyssinet (3806)
 Fontaine-Vercors (3807)
 Le Grand-Lemps (3808)
 Grenoble-1 (3809)
 Grenoble-2 (3810)
 Grenoble-3 (3811)
 Grenoble-4 (3812)
 Le Haut-Grésivaudan (3813)
 L’Isle-d'Abeau (3814)
 Matheysine-Trièves (3815)
 Meylan (3816)
 Morestel (3817)
 Le Moyen Grésivaudan (3818)
 Oisans-Romanche (3819)
 Le Pont-de-Claix (3820)
 Roussillon (3821)
 Saint-Martin-d'Hères (3822)
 Le Sud Grésivaudan (3823)
 La Tour-du-Pin (3824)
 Tullins (3825)
 La Verpillière (3826)
 Vienne-1 (3827)
 Vienne-2 (3828)
 Voiron (3829)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Isère are known, in French, as Isérois (women: Iséroises).

Isère had a population, in 2014, of 1,243,597, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Grenoble, with 758,956 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Isère
The communes in the department with more inhabitants are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Isère department
 Communes of the Isère department

References

Other websites

 Departmental Council website 
 Prefecture website 

Isère
Landes (Gascon: Lanas) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. Landes is the plural of the French word lande (in English:heathland); it was named so because it was the most common habitat in the region.

It is well known for the Côte d'Argent beach that attracts many surfers to Mimizan and Hossegor each year.

History
The department was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony. It was divided into four districts: Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, Saint-Sever and Tartas. The capital was Mont-de-Marsan.

The arrondissement of Dax, Mont-de-Marsan and Saint-Sever were established on 17 February 1800. The arrondissement of Saint-Sever was dissolved on 10 September 1926 and integrated into the arrondissements of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan.

Geography
Landes is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, and is, after Gironde, the second largest department of Metropolitan France with an area of .
The department is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by the Gironde, to the northeast by Lot-et-Garonne and the south by the Pyrénées-Atlantiques; these three departments are, like Landes, of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. To the east, it borders with the Gers department of the Occitanie region.

The most important river is the Adour, which crosses the southern part of the department in an east-west direction; in Dax, the river turns to the southwest and is joined by the Gaves réunis before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

The forest of Landes is the largest forest in France. It covers about 67% of the department in its northern part, and also covers a large part of the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne (arrondissement of Nérac). The main species of tree is the maritime pine (Pinus pinaster).

Climate 
The climate in Mont-de-Marsan is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.
The average temperature for the year in Mont-de-Marsan is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Mont-de-Marsan is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of .

Administration
The department is managed by the Departmental Council of the Landes in Mont-de-Marsan.

Administrative divisions
There are 2 arrondissements (districts), 15 cantons and 330 communes (municipalities) in Landes.

The following is a list of the 15 cantons of the Landes department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Adour Armagnac (4001)
 Chalosse Tursan (4002)
 Côte d'Argent (4003)
 Coteau de Chalosse (4004)
 Dax-1 (4005)
 Dax-2 (4006)
 Grands Lacs (4007)
 Haute Lande Armagnac (4008)
 Marensin Sud (4009)
 Mont-de-Marsan-1 (4010)
 Mont-de-Marsan-2 (4011)
 Orthe et Arrigans (4012)
 Pays morcenais tarusate (4013)
 Pays Tyrossais (4014)
 Seignanx (4015)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Landes are known, in French, as Landais (women: Landaises).

The department of Landes has a population, in 2014, of 400,477, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Dax has 220,656 inhabitants and the arrondissement of Mont-de-Marsan, where is the prefecture of the departement, has only 179,821 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Landes

The 10 main cities in the department are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Landes department
 Communes of the Landes department

References

Other websites

 Departmental Council of Landes  
 Prefecture official website 

Landes
Loir-et-Cher is a department in the centre of France in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is named after the Loir and the Cher, two rivers that flow through the department.

Its prefecture is Blois and there are two subprefectures at Romorantin-Lanthenay and Vendôme.

History
The department is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was created from part of the former province of Orléanais together with small parts of other provinces.

The new department had six districts: Blois, Vendôme, Romorantin, Mondoubleau, Mer and Saint-Aignan. The capital (now prefecture) was Blois.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the six districts were changed into three arrondissements: Blois, Romorantin and Vendôme.

After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Prussian army from June 1815 to November 1818.
On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Romorantin was eliminated but in 1943 it was made again an arrondissement. In 1961, Romorantin was merged with Lanthenay and the name, of the commune and of the arrondissement, was changed to Romorantin-Lanthenay.

Geography
Loir-et-Cher is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .

The highest point of the department is in the Bois des Vallèes (), in the commune of Bouffry, and that is  above sea level.

The department is bordered by the 6 departments in 2 regions:
 Centre-Val de Loire region
 Eure-et-Loir
 Loiret
 Cher
 Indre
 Indre-et-Loire
 Pays de la Loire region
 Sarthe

The main rivers are:
 Loire, that flows through the centre of the department. The city of Blois is along this river.
 Loir, a left tributary of the Sarthe; it flows through the northern part of the department.
 Cher, that flows through the southern part of the department. It is a left tributary of the Loire.
 Sauldre, a right tributary of the Cher river.
Climate 
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Vendôme is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Vendôme is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

The average temperature for the year in Vendôme is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

Administration
The department is managed by the Departmental Council of the Loir-et-Cher in Blois. Loir-et-Cher is part of the region of Centre-Val de Loire.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 15 cantons and 276 communes (municipalities) in Loir-et-Cher.
The following is a list of the 13 cantons of the Loir-et-Cher department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 La Beauce (4101)
 Blois-1 (4102)
 Blois-2 (4103)
 Blois-3 (4104)
 Chambord (4105)
 Montoire-sur-le-Loir (4106)
 Montrichard (4107)
 Onzain (4108)
 Le Perche (4109)
 Romorantin-Lanthenay (4110)
 Saint-Aignan (4111)
 Selles-sur-Cher (4112)
 La Sologne (4113)
 Vendôme (4114)
 Vineuil (4115)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Loir-et-Cher are known, in French, as Loir-et-Chériens (women: Loir-et-Chériennes).

Loir-et-Cher has a population, in 2014, of 333,567, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Blois, with 173,125 inhabitants, is by far the largest.

Evolution of the population in Loir-et-Cher

The main cities in the department are:

Gallery

References

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Loir-et-Cher department
 Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department

Other websites
Other websites

 Departmental Council website 
 Prefecture website 
 Comité Departamental du Tourisme 

Loir-et-Cher
Loire () is a French department in the east-central part of France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and named after the Loire river. Its prefecture is the city of Saint-Étienne.

History
Rhône-et-Loire was one French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was divided in two departments in 1793: Rhône and Loire. The department of Loire had three districts: Montbrison, Roanne and Saint-Étienne. The capital was Feurs but in 1795 the capital was moved to Montbrison.

With the creation of the arrondissements, the three districts became three arrondissements: Montbrison, Roanne and Saint-Étienne.

After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the department was occupied by troops from Austria from June 1815 to November 1818.

The capital was moved from Montbrison to Saint-Étienne in 1855.

Geography
Loire is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in east-central France, with an area of . From north to south, it is  long but from east to west it is only  wide.
The department borders with 7 other departments in 2 regions:
 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
 Saône-et-Loire (north)
 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Rhône (east)
 Isère (southeast)
 Ardèche (southeast)
 Haute-Loire (south)
 Puy-de-Dôme (west)
 Allier (northwest)

The department is in eastern Massif Central and there are several mountain chains; some of the chains and mountains are:
 Monts du Forez, to the west of the department. Here is the highest mountain of the department: Pierre-sur-Haute (); it is  high, and is on the border with the Puy-de-Dôme department.
 Monts de la Madeleine, to the north of the Monts du Forez and form the limit between the Loire and the Allier departments.
 Monts du Lyonnais form the eastern limit of the Loire department.
 Pilat, a short chain that is in the Loire department but borders with other 4 departments: Rhône, Isère, Ardèche and Haute-Loire.
The main rivers of Loire are:
 Loire, that gives its name to the department and flows through the department from southwest to northeast for a distance of .
 Rhône, in the southeast of the department.

Climate
The climate of the Loire department, in the city of Andrézieux-Bouthéon (near Saint-Étienne and where is the Saint-Étienne-Loire Airport), is an oceanic climate, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

The average temperature for the year in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, at an altitude of , is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Andrézieux-Bouthéon is . The month with the most precipitation on average is December with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is April with an average of .
Administration
Loire is part of the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The department is managed by the Departamental Council of the Loire in Saint-Étienne.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 21 cantons and 326 communes (municipalities) in Loire.

The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Loire department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 Andrézieux-Bouthéon (4201)
 Boën-sur-Lignon (4202)
 Charlieu (4203)
 Le Coteau (4204)
 Feurs (4205)
 Firminy (4206)
 Montbrison (4207)
 Le Pilat (4208)
 Renaison (4209)
 Rive-de-Gier (4210)
 Roanne-1 (4211)
 Roanne-2 (4212)
 Saint-Chamond (4213)
 Saint-Étienne-1 (4214)
 Saint-Étienne-2 (4215)
 Saint-Étienne-3 (4216)
 Saint-Étienne-4 (4217)
 Saint-Étienne-5 (4218)
 Saint-Étienne-6 (4219)
 Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert (4220)
 Sorbiers (4221)
Demographics
The inhabitants of Loire are known, in French, as Ligériens (women: Ligériennes). Ligérien comes from Liger, the Latin name of the Loire river.

Loire has a population, in 2014, of 757,305, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Saint-Étienne, with 411,402 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Montbrison and Roanne, have respectively 188,635 and 157,268 inhabitants.

The city with more people living in it is the capital, Saint-Étienne (170,761 inhabitants). The subprefectures of Roanne and Montbrison have, respectively, 35,200 and 15,689 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Loire

The most important cities in the department are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Loire department
 Communes of the Loire department

References

Other websites

 Departamental Council website 
 Prefecture website 
 Loire Tourisme 

Loire (department)
Haute-Loire () is a département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. It is named after the Loire river.

History
The department of Haute-Loire was created on 4 March 1790 with three districts: Le Puy, Brioude and Yssingeaux. The capital was Le Puy. The new department was formed with territories of three historic provinces: the Languedoc, the Auvergne and the Lyonnais.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the three districts were changed into three arrondissements: Le Puy, Brioude and Yssingeaux.

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Yssingeaux was eliminated but became again an arrondissement in 1942.

On 18 March 1988, the name of Le Puy was changed to Le Puy-en-Velay.

Geography
The Haute-Loire is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has an area of .

The department is surrounded by 5 departments in 2 regions:

 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Loire (north)
 Puy-de-Dôme (north)
 Ardèche (east)
 Cantal (west)
 Occitanie region
 Lozère (south)
The highest point in the department is  Mont Mézenc (); it is  high. It is in the southeast of the department, on the border with the Ardèche department.

The main rivers in Haute-Loire are: 
 Loire, that flows through the eastern part of the department and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. Its Drainage basin covers two-thirds of the eastern part of the department.
 Allier, a tributary of the Loire that flows through the western part of the department.

Climate
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Le Puy-en-Velay is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

Administration
Haute-Loire is managed by the Departmental Council of Haute-Loire in Le Puy-en-Velay. The department is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 19 cantons and 257 communes (municipalities) in Haute-Loire.
The following is a list of the 19 cantons of the Haute-Loire department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 Aurec-sur-Loire (4301)
 Bas-en-Basset (4302)
 Boutières (4303)
 Brioude (4304)
 Deux Rivières et Vallées (4305)
 Emblavez-et-Meygal (4306)
 Gorges de l'Allier-Gévaudan (4307)
 Mézenc (4308)
 Monistrol-sur-Loire (4309)
 Pays de Lafayette (4310)
 Plateau du Haut-Velay granitique (4311)
 Le Puy-en-Velay-1 (4312)
 Le Puy-en-Velay-2 (4313)
 Le Puy-en-Velay-3 (4314)
 Le Puy-en-Velay-4 (4315)
 Saint-Paulien (4316)
 Sainte-Florine (4317)
 Velay volcanique (4318)
 Yssingeaux (4319)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Haute-Loire are known, in French, as Altiligériens (women: Altiligériennes).

Haute-Loire had a population, in 2014, of 226,565, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Le Puy-en-Velay, with 96,041 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Haute-Loire
The communes in the department with more inhabitants are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Haute-Loire department
 Communes of the Haute-Loire department

References

Other websites

 Departmental Council website 
 Prefecture website 

Haute-Loire
Loiret is a department in north-central France in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is named after the Loiret river, a tributary of Loire that is completely within the department.

Its prefecture is Orléans and there are two subprefectures: Montargis and Pithiviers.

History
The department is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was created from part of the former province of Orléanais.

The new department had seven districts: Orléans, Beaugency, Neuville, Pithiviers, Montargis, Gien and Boiscommun. The capital (now prefecture) was Orléans.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the seven districts were changed into four arrondissements: Orléans, Gien, Montargis and Pithiviers.

After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Bavarian army from June 1815 to November 1818.
On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Gien and Pithiviers were eliminated but in 1942 Pithiviers became again an arrondissement of the department.

Geography
Loiret is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .

The department is bordered by the 7 departments in 3 regions:

 Centre-Val de Loire region
 Eure-et-Loir
 Cher
 Loir-et-Cher
 Île-de-France region
 Essonne
 Seine-et-Marne
 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
 Yonne
 Nièvre

The highest point of the department is in the place called Col des Étourneaux (), in the commune of Pierrefitte-ès-Bois, and that is  above sea level; it is in northwestern Massif Central.

The main rivers are:
 Loire, that flows through the department from the southeast to the west.
 Loiret, a short tributary of the Loire and that gives its name to the department.
 Loing, 142 km long.
 Cosson, 96.4 km long.
 Essonne, 97 km long.
There are several natural regions in the Loiret department:
 The Loire Valley, the valley around the Loire river.
 Beauce, to the northwest of the department; it is a limestone plateau and an important farming region where wheat is grown.
 Gâtinais, to the east around the city of Montargis.
 The Forêt d'Orléans ("Forest of Orléans"), the largest national forest of France; it is to the north of the Loire river and to the south of the Beauce region.
 Sologne, south of the Loire river.
 Berry (a small part), to the southeast.
 Puisaye, between the Berry and the Gâtinais.

Climate 
The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Orléans is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Orléans is . The month with the most precipitation on average is August with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is March with an average of .
The average temperature for the year in Orléans is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

Administration
The department is managed by the Departmental Council of the Loiret in Orléans. Loiret is part of the region of Centre-Val de Loire.

Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 21 cantons and 326 communes (municipalities) in Loiret.

The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Loir-et-Cher department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
Beaugency (4501)
 Châlette-sur-Loing (4502)
 Châteauneuf-sur-Loire (4503)
 Courtenay (4504)
 La Ferté-Saint-Aubin (4505)
 Fleury-les-Aubrais (4506)
 Gien (4507)
 Lorris (4508)
 Malesherbes (4509)
 Meung-sur-Loire (4510)
 Montargis (4511)
 Olivet (4512)
 Orléans-1 (4513)
 Orléans-2 (4514)
 Orléans-3 (4515)
 Orléans-4 (4516)
 Pithiviers (4517)
 Saint-Jean-de-Braye (4518)
 Saint-Jean-de-la-Ruelle (4519)
 Saint-Jean-le-Blanc (4520)
 Sully-sur-Loire (4521)

Demographics
The inhabitants of Loiret are known, in French, as Loiretains (women: Loiretaines).

Loiret has a population, in 2014, of 669,737, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Orléans, with 435,676 inhabitants, is by far the largest.

Evolution of the population in Loiret

The main cities in the department are:

Gallery

References

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Loiret department
 Communes of the Loiret department

Other websites

 Departmental Council website 
 Prefecture website 

Loiret
Lot () is a French department in the Occitanie region of southern France named after the Lot river. Its prefecture and largest city is Cahors.

History
Lot is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the old province of Quercy.

The new department had six districts: Cahors, Martel, Gourdon, Figeac, Montauban and Lazorte. The capital (now prefecture) was Cahors.

In 1808, some of the original southeastern cantons were separated from it to form the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It originally extended much farther to the south and included the city of Montauban.

Geography 
Lot is part of the Occitanie region and has an area of .

The department borders with 6 other departments in 3 regions:
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Lot-et-Garonne
 Dordogne
 Corrèze
 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
 Cantal
 Occitanie region
 Aveyron
 Tarn-et-Garonne
The Lot river crosses the department from east to west with numerous meanders. The Dordogne river flows through the northern part of the department.

There are seven natural regions in the department:
The Segala (northeast) occupies the eastern border of the Lot department. It is the part of the Massif Central that gets into the department and here is found the highest point of the Lot department in Labastide-du-Haut-Mont, with  high.
 The Limargue (center east) separates the Segala from the Causses of Quercy. This narrow strip of land is found between the valleys of the Dordogne and Lot rivers. It is known as Terrefort around the city of Figeac.
 The Causses of Quency are several limestone plateaus crossed by the valleys of the Dordogne, Lot and Aveyron rivers. From north to south, they are the Causse of Martel, the Causse of Gramat and the Causse of Limogne.
 The Bouriane (west). This area is covered with an abundant vegetation and is very different from the near arid plateaus of the Causses.
 The Quercy Blanc (south) is formed by small white limestone plateaus along valleys where cereals, oilseeds (plants grown to produce vegetable oils), melons, plums and tobacco are grown.
The Valley of the Lot river (south), with many vineyards and vegetable crops.
 The Valley of the Dordogne river (north), with its walnut groves and meadows.
Climate
The climate in Gourdon, in the north of the department at an altitude of  above sea level, is an oceanic climate with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Gourdon is . The month with the most precipitation on average is May with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of . There are an average of 168.0 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in January with 17.0 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 10.0 days.

The average temperature for the year in Gourdon is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

Administration
The department is managed by the Departamental Council of the Lot in Cahors. Lot is part of the Occitanie region.
Administrative divisions
There are 3 arrondissements (districts), 17 cantons and 326 communes (municipalities) in Lot.

The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Lot department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

 Cahors-1
 Cahors-2
 Cahors-3
 Causse et Bouriane
 Causse et Vallées
 Cère et Ségala
 Figeac-1
 Figeac-2
 Gourdon
 Gramat
 Lacapelle-Marival
 Luzech
 Marches du Sud-Quercy
 Martel
 Puy-l'Évêque
 Saint-Céré
 Souillac

Demographics
The inhabitants of Lot are known, in French, as Lotois (women: Lotoises).

Lot has a population, in 2014, of 173,648, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Cahors, with 76,216 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Figeac and Gourdon, have respectively 54,060 and 43,372 inhabitants.

The city with more people living in it is the capital, Cahors (19,630). The subprefectures of Figeac and Gourdon have, respectively, 9,820 and 4,297 inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Lot
The cities in the department with more of 2,000 inhabitants are:

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissements of the Lot department
 Communes of the Lot department

References

Other websites

 Departamental Council website 
 Prefecture website 
 Lot Tourisme, Agence de Développement Touristique 
 Le Quercy sur le net 
 Société des Études du Lot 

Lot (department)
Lot-et-Garonne () is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot and Garonne rivers.

History
Lot-et-Garonne was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony. It was divided into nine districts: Agen, Nérac, Marmande, Tonneins, Villeneuve, Lauzun, Monflanquin, Casteljaloux and Valence.

Agen and Aiguillon were alternatively the capital of the department but in 1791 it was decided that only Agen would be the capital.

Several of the original southeastern cantons in the arrondissements of Agen and Villeneuve-sur-Lot were separated from it in 1808 to become a part of the newly created department of Tarn-et-Garonne.

Geography
Lot-et-Garonne is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, with an area of .
The departement is surrounded by two regions and six departments:
 Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
 Dordogne to the north;
 Landes to the southwest
 Gironde to the west.
 Occitanie region
 Lot to the northeast;
 Tarn-et-Garonne to the east:
 Gers to the south.

The main rivers in the Lot-et-Garonne are the Garonne river that flows through the south central part of the department, and the Lot river that flows through the northern regions of the department before joining, as a right tributary, the Garonne near the Aiguillon commune.

Other river is the Baïse, a left tributary of the Garonne.

In the west of the department, mainly in the arrondissement of Nérac, there is a forest of maritime pine like in the Landes department.

Climate 
The climate of Estillac, where is the Agen La Garenne Airport, is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.