LOIRE, the largest river in France, rises in the mountains of the Cevennes, and, after running a course of about 500 miles, falls into the Bay of Biscay.

Loire, a department of the south-east of France, formed out of the whole district of Forez, a part of the Lyonnois, and a few portions added from the neighbouring departments. It extends in north latitude from 45. 10. to 46. 12. and in east longitude from 3. 39. to 4. 46. It contains 2032 square miles, or 496,000 hectares. It is bounded on the north by the departments of Allier and Saone-Loire, on the east by those of the Rhone and of the Isère, on the south by Ardèche and the Upper Loire, and on the west by Puy de Dome and Allier. It comprehends three arrondissements and twenty-eight cantons, which are subdivided into 327 communes, and contain a population of 318,500 persons. The face of the country is generally hilly, and towards the south-east is mountainous, where Mount Pilat attains the height of 3000 feet. With this is connected a chain, of lower elevation, called the Pérouse Range, which, from the vast quantity of basalt, is supposed to be extinguished volcanoes. The greatest plain is the basin of the Loire, which is about fifteen miles in extent. The highest mountains are stony, and many of them incapable of cultivation. The sides of the hills, and even the tops of those of lower elevation, are covered with vineyards; and the basin of the Loire, and the other plains in the valleys, are fertile, and yield abundant crops of corn, and much hemp, The chief river is the Loire, which is navigable from Roane, receives the waters of the Semene, the Bonson, the Furand, the Lignon, the Rahins or Rhine, and the Tessonne, as well as that of many smaller streams that issue from the hills. In the middle of the department, especially in the arrondissement of Montbrison, are a multitude of lakes, which abound in fish, the water of which is let off every two or three years, and the ground is sowed with wheat, and thus alternately the land produces fish and corn. The whole growth of corn does not equal the consumption; but the deficiency is supplied from the neighbouring departments, which take hemp in exchange for it. The chief products of the soil are, wine, fruit, honey and wax, chestnuts, wood for building and fuel, and the flesh of sheep, cows, and goats, with cheese made from the two latter classes of animals. The agriculture is but indifferently conducted. Many of even the valleys grow only rye, and the produce of some scarcely equals the expense of raising it. There are numerous coal-mines worked, which yield annually 300,000 tons of that substance. Mines of lead and of iron are also worked, but scarcely yield more of those metals than is consumed within the department. The quarries of granite, marble, porphyry, and flint, are sources of employment and wealth. The chief manufacturing industry is occupied in making ironmongery and cutlery goods; and, besides these trades, many silk goods, chiefly ribbons, are prepared, and cloth of cotton, of wool, and of hemp, with brandy, paper, glass, and leather. The department elects two deputies to the legislative chamber. The capital is Montbrison.

Loire, Lower , a department of France, formed out of a part of Upper Bretagne, extending in north latitude from 46. 44. to 47. 50. and in west longitude from 1. 6. to 2. 39. It is bounded on the north by the departments of Morbihan and Ille-Vilaine, on the east by those of Mayenne and Mayenne-Loire, on the south by Vendée, and on the west by the ocean. It is divided into five arrondissements, forty-five cantons, and 209 communes, and contains 417,120 inhabitants. The extent is 3021 square miles, or 766,000 hectares. Of this land, 268,100 hectares are under the plough, 105,700 are pastures and morasses, 137,800 are not cultivated, 82,780 consist of vineyards, 80,430 are woods and forests, and the remainder are the sites of towns and villages, roads, rivers, and salt marshes. The face of the country is generally level, but interspersed with a few hills of inconsiderable height. The highest of them are covered with a vegetable or clayey soil, resting on a bed of granite or schist. In some districts the overflooding has created extensive turf ground, which is applied to the purposes of fuel. The agriculture is in a backward state, though somewhat improved of late years. In the northern portion of the department, wheat, and in greater proportion rye, buckwheat, and pulse, form the grain crops, but in the south-west, wheat is the principal grain; yet the whole corn grown is scarcely more than three fifths of what the consumption requires. The meadows on the left banks of the Loire pasture many cows, and the butter from the dairies is much esteemed. The cultivation of the vine is an important object of industry, especially in the arrondissements of Savenai, Ancenis, and Nantes. The greater part of the wine is converted into brandy. Apples are the most abundant fruit, and a great quantity of cider , is made from them in several districts. There are mines of iron and of coal, but the former are not highly productive, and only yield 1000 tons annually; the latter are said to be equal in quality to the best coals of England. The principal manufacture is that of linen; but of late the cotton trade has been much extended, and in printed cotton a [7:13:463]great progress has been made, and a large quantity is fabricated. The chief trade is concentrated in the city of Nantes, the capital. A large portion of culinary salt is collected from the marshes on the sea-shore. The river Loire conveys to the sea the water of most of the other streams. The department elects four members of the legislature.

Loire, Upper, a department on the south-east of France, formed out of the ancient district of Belay, a part of Languedoc, of a portion of the Upper Auvergne, and of some communes taken from Gévaudun, Vivarais, and Forez. It extends in north latitude from 44. 48. to 45. 25. and in east longitude from 3. 4. to 4. 18. It is bounded on the north by the departments of Puy de Dome and Loire, on the east and south-east by the Ardèche, on the south by the Lozère, and on the west by Cantal. It contains 1920 square miles or 502,854 hectares, is divided into three arrondissements, twenty-eight cantons, and 272 communes, and contains 272,600 inhabitants, of whom about 5000 are Protestants, and the others adhere to the Catholic church. It is generally a mountainous district, consisting of some branches of the range of the Auvergne, and some of the Cevennes range, the highest points of both of which are within this department. The soil is generally of volcanic origin, consisting in a great measure of lava or pozzolana. It is dry and hard, but in the valleys is not wholly unproductive. The principal rivers are the Loire and the Allier, which receive the waters of the several smaller streams; 'but neither of them become navigable till they have passed nit of this department. There are several small mountain akes, the most extensive of which is that of Bouchet. Although, from the mountainous nature of the district, it is letter calculated for pasture than for the plough, yet, as he sides of the hills are cultivated like gardens, and easily rrigated, sufficient corn is grown for the consumption of ;he population. The chief source of profit, in husbandry s the breeding of black cattle and of horses, and making )utterand cheese. Fruit is extensively produced, particu-arly chestnuts and apricos. The bees yield abundance if honey and wax, both of which form branches of the export trade. There are no mines but those of coal, which field about 18,000 tons yearly. Manufactures are incon-iderable, consisting chiefly of linen goods, and some lace, ∣oth of silk and thread. The other articles are those for ∣omestic use, such as leather, heavy ironmongery, and jommon earthenware. The department furnishes two deputies to the legislative chamber. The capital is Puy en lelay.

Loire and Cher, a department of France, formed out f the ancient divisions of thesois and Cologne, in the Or-îannois. It extends in north latitude from 47.18. to 48.4. nd in east longitude from 0. 28. to 1. 57. It contains 2647 piare miles, or 671,500 hectares, of which 320,000 are table land, 70,000 are woods, 20,000 are vineyards, and he rest pastures, meadows, rivers, roads, and the sites of I )wns and villages. It is bounded on the north by the deI ιrtment of the Eure-Loire, on the north-east by Loiret, i the south-east by the Cher, on the south by the Indre, ι the south-west by the Indre-Loire, and on the north-est by the Sarthe. It is divided into three arrondisse- ' ents, twenty-four cantons, and 309 communes, and con-ins a population of 220,000 persons, amongst whom it . said there are scarcely 20,000 who can read and wute. he department is a level district, with a few inconsidera-e elevations, which are covered with vines. The south- , n part or arrondissement of Romorantin is a miserable strict, filled with heaths and swamps, between which only e spots of cultivable land scattered over it, in which are nall and wretched villages. The northern part contains larger proportion of cultivated soil, but is filled with san- ⅛z heaths, sometimes mixed with clay or chalk, but oftener with pebbles. There are numerous small streams, all of which empty themselves into the two rivers which give theis name to the department. No part of France contains so many small lakes and swamps. The agriculture is badly conducted. In many of the cantons no wheat is grown, and in some the only corn is buckwheat, which, with rye from the vicinity, forms the chief bread of the inhabitants. Along the banks of the rivers there are some meadows, which afford pasture for cows; and some good butter and cheese is produced. A number of horses, of a small but active race, are bred on the heathy lands. The land is divided into small portions, and cultivated for the most part by small and poor proprietors. The wine made in the department is chiefly sent to Orleans or Paris, but a great part of it is converted into brandy. The only product of the mines is iron; but flints for muskets are abundantly found, and the army is chiefly supplied from hence. The only manufacturing industry is the spinning of flax, which is carried on in every family. The department elects two deputies to the legislative chamber. The capital is the city of Blois.