| Loire-Atlantique | |
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| Coat of arms of the Loire-Atlantique department | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Department number: | 44 |
| Region: | Pays-de-la-Loire |
| Prefecture: | Nantes |
| Subprefectures: | Ancenis Châteaubriant Saint-Nazaire |
| Arrondissements: | 4 |
| Cantons: | 59 |
| Communes: | 221 |
| President of the General Council: | Patrick Mareschal |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 13th |
| -Jan.1, 2004 estimate -March 8, 1999 census |
1,192,176 1,134,266 |
| Population density: | 175/km² |
| Land area¹: | 6,815 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
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Loire-Atlantique (formerly Loire-Inférieure) is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.
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History
Loire-Atlantique is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally, it was named Loire-Inférieure, but its name was changed in 1957 to Loire-Atlantique. The area was originally part of Brittany, and contains what many people still consider to be Brittany's capital, Nantes. This department was separated from Brittany in 1941 by the German occupation. There is a popular campaign to have it reintegrated in Brittany.
Geography
Loire-Atlantique is part of the current region of Pays-de-la-Loire and is surrounded by the department of Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Maine-et-Loire, and Vendée, with the Atlantic on the west.
Culture
The Breton language is an important issue, with many supporting bilingual education.
See also
- Cantons of the Loire-Atlantique department
- Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department
- Arrondissements of the Loire-Atlantique department
External links
- (French) Prefecture website
- (French) General council website
- (English) Loire-Atlantique Tourism Guide
- (English) Comprehensive Information on Loire-Atlantique and other Departments in Pays-de-la-Loire
