Charente-Maritime
Encyclopedia
Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River
.
, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution
on 4 March 1790. On 4 September 1941, it was renamed Charente-Maritime.
When first created, the commune
of Saintes
was assigned as the prefecture of the department (Saintes had previously been the prefecture of Saintonge). This changed in 1810 when Napoléon passed an imperial decree which moved the prefecture to La Rochelle
.
During World War II, the department was invaded by the German army and became part of occupied France. To provide defence against a possible beach landing, the Organisation Todt
constructed a number of sea defences
in the area. Defences such as pillboxes are particularly noticeable on the beaches of the presqu'île d'Arvert and the island of Oléron
.
At the end of the war there were only two pockets of German resistance: La Rochelle, in the north and Royan
in the south. Despite being almost completely destroyed during an RAF
bombing raid on 5 January 1945, the town of Royan wasn't liberated by the French resistance
until April of the same year. La Rochelle was finally captured on 9 May 1945.
administrative region. It is the second largest and the most populated department in the region with a land area of 6864 km² and 598 915 inhabitants as of 2006.
The important rivers are the Charente
and its tributaries, the Boutonne
and the Seugne
, along with the Sèvre Niortaise
, the Seudre
, and the Garonne
, in its downstream part, which is the estuary of the Gironde
.
The department includes the islands of Île de Ré
, Île d'Aix, and Ile d'Oléron.
The department forms the northern part of the Aquitaine basin
. It is separated from the Massif Armoricain by the Marais Poitevin
to the north-west and from the Parisian basin by the Seuil du Poitou
to the north-east. The highest point in the department is in the woods of Chantemerlière, near the commune
of Contré
in the north-east, and rises to 173 m.
Charente-Maritime is surrounded by the departments of Gironde
, Charente, Deux-Sèvres
, Dordogne and Vendée
.
and pineau
are two of the major agricultural products.
During the summer months, families flock from all over Europe to bask in the sun and enjoy the local seafood.
Charente-Maritime is the headquarters of the major oyster
producer Marennes-Oléron. Oysters cultivated here are shipped across Europe.
Rochefort
is the site of shipbulding and a French naval base.
La Rochelle
is a seat of major French industry. Just outside the city is a factory for the French engineering giant Alstom
, where the TGV
, the cars for the Paris
and other metro
s are manufactured. It is a popular venue for tourism, with its picturesque medieval harbour and city walls.
of the Union for a Popular Movement
.
]
Popular destinations include, La Rochelle
, Royan
, Saintes
, St Jean d'Angely, Rochefort
, Île d'Aix, Île de Ré
and Île d'Oléron.
The department is served by the TGV
at Surgères
and La Rochelle. It can also be reached by motorway by the A10 (E5, Paris-Bordeaux
) and A837 (E602, Saintes
-Rochefort
).
Charente River
The Charente is a 381 km long river in southwestern France.Its source is in the Haute-Vienne département at Chéronnac, a small village near Rochechouart. It flows through the departments of Haute-Vienne, Charente, Vienne and Charente-Maritime...
.
History
Previously a part of SaintongeSaintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
on 4 March 1790. On 4 September 1941, it was renamed Charente-Maritime.
When first created, the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Saintes
Saintes
Saintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....
was assigned as the prefecture of the department (Saintes had previously been the prefecture of Saintonge). This changed in 1810 when Napoléon passed an imperial decree which moved the prefecture to La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
.
During World War II, the department was invaded by the German army and became part of occupied France. To provide defence against a possible beach landing, the Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt
The Todt Organisation, was a Third Reich civil and military engineering group in Germany named after its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi figure...
constructed a number of sea defences
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
in the area. Defences such as pillboxes are particularly noticeable on the beaches of the presqu'île d'Arvert and the island of Oléron
Oléron
Île d'Oléron is an island off the Atlantic coast of France , on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
.
At the end of the war there were only two pockets of German resistance: La Rochelle, in the north and Royan
Royan
Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes...
in the south. Despite being almost completely destroyed during an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombing raid on 5 January 1945, the town of Royan wasn't liberated by the French resistance
French Forces of the Interior
The French Forces of the Interior refers to French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as France's status changed from that of an occupied nation...
until April of the same year. La Rochelle was finally captured on 9 May 1945.
Geography
Charente-Maritime is part of the Poitou-CharentesPoitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members...
administrative region. It is the second largest and the most populated department in the region with a land area of 6864 km² and 598 915 inhabitants as of 2006.
The important rivers are the Charente
Charente River
The Charente is a 381 km long river in southwestern France.Its source is in the Haute-Vienne département at Chéronnac, a small village near Rochechouart. It flows through the departments of Haute-Vienne, Charente, Vienne and Charente-Maritime...
and its tributaries, the Boutonne
Boutonne
The Boutonne is a long river in the Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime départements, western France. Its source is in the village of Chef-Boutonne . It flows generally southwest...
and the Seugne
Seugne
The Seugne is an long river in the Charente-Maritime département, in western France, left tributary of the Charente. Its source is in the commune of Montlieu-la-Garde, west of the village...
, along with the Sèvre Niortaise
Sèvre Niortaise
The Sèvre Niortaise is a river in western France, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Its source is in the Deux-Sèvres département, near Sepvret, north of Melle.It flows through the following départements and towns:...
, the Seudre
Seudre
The Seudre is a river in the Charente-Maritime département, southwestern France, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Its source is near Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge. It flows northwest through Saint-André-de-Lidon, Saujon and La Tremblade. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Marennes...
, and the Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
, in its downstream part, which is the estuary of the Gironde
Gironde estuary
The Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux...
.
The department includes the islands of Île de Ré
Île de Ré
Île de Ré is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
, Île d'Aix, and Ile d'Oléron.
The department forms the northern part of the Aquitaine basin
Aquitaine Basin (geology)
The Aquitaine Basin is after the Paris Basin the second largest Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary basin in France, occupying a large part of the country's southwestern quadrant. Its surface area covers 66,000 km2 onshore. It formed on Variscan basement which was peneplained during the Permian...
. It is separated from the Massif Armoricain by the Marais Poitevin
Marais Poitevin
The Marais Poitevin is a large area of marshland in Western France, a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou...
to the north-west and from the Parisian basin by the Seuil du Poitou
Seuil du Poitou
The Seuil du Poitou is a geological denomination for an area in western central France where the Paris and Aquitaine sedimentary basins meet, and which also is a gap between the ancient mountain ranges Massif Armoricain and the Massif Central .Situated to the south of Poitiers, the area is the...
to the north-east. The highest point in the department is in the woods of Chantemerlière, near the commune
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Contré
Contré
Contré is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the north-east, and rises to 173 m.
Charente-Maritime is surrounded by the departments of Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
, Charente, Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
, Dordogne and Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
.
Climate
The climate is mild and sunny, with less than 900 mm of precipitation per year. Average temperatures vary from 20 °C (68 °F) in summer to 5 °C (41 °F) in winter.Economy
The economy of Charente-Maritime is based on three major sectors: tourism, maritime industry, and manufacturing. CognacCognac (drink)
Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
and pineau
Pineau des Charentes
Pineau des Charentes, is a regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime and, to a much lesser extent, Dordogne in western France...
are two of the major agricultural products.
During the summer months, families flock from all over Europe to bask in the sun and enjoy the local seafood.
Charente-Maritime is the headquarters of the major oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
producer Marennes-Oléron. Oysters cultivated here are shipped across Europe.
Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
is the site of shipbulding and a French naval base.
La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
is a seat of major French industry. Just outside the city is a factory for the French engineering giant Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, where the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, the cars for the Paris
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
and other metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
s are manufactured. It is a popular venue for tourism, with its picturesque medieval harbour and city walls.
Politics
The President of the General Council is Dominique BussereauDominique Bussereau
Dominique Bussereau is a French politician, was Secretary of State for Transport within the government of François Fillon...
of the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
.
| Party | seats | |
|---|---|---|
| • | Union for a Popular Movement Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party... |
18 |
| Socialist Party Socialist Party (France) The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement... |
15 | |
| • | Miscellaneous Right Miscellaneous Right Miscellaneous Right in France refers to right-wing candidates that are not member of any large party. They either include small right-wing parties, dissidents expelled from their parties for running against their party's candidate, as well as candidates who were never formal members of a party... |
8 |
| Left Radical Party Left Radical Party The Radical Party of the Left is a minor social-liberal, and in opposition to its common understanding of its name, a moderate centre-left political party in France advocating radicalism, secularism to its french extend known as laïcité, progressivism, pro-Europeanism, individual freedom and... |
7 | |
| The Greens The Greens (France) The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974... |
1 | |
| • | New Centre New Centre New Centre , also known as the European Social Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in France, formed by the members of the Union for French Democracy – including a majority of former parliamentarians – who did not agree with François Bayrou's... |
1 |
| MoDem Democratic Movement (France) The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential... |
1 | |
Tourism
Popular destinations include, La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, Royan
Royan
Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes...
, Saintes
Saintes
Saintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....
, St Jean d'Angely, Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
, Île d'Aix, Île de Ré
Île de Ré
Île de Ré is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
and Île d'Oléron.
The department is served by the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
at Surgères
Surgères
Surgères is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. It is the home of the Surgères 48 Hour Race.-Surrounding communes:...
and La Rochelle. It can also be reached by motorway by the A10 (E5, Paris-Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
) and A837 (E602, Saintes
Saintes
Saintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....
-Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
).
See also
- Cantons of the Charente-Maritime department
- Communes of the Charente-Maritime department
- Arrondissements of the Charente-Maritime department
- Éclade des Moules