The Charente is a 381 km long river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in southwestern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.
Its source is in the Haute-Vienne

Haute-Vienne

Haute-Vienne is a French department named after the Vienne River. It is one of three departments that together constitute the French region of Limousin.The chief and largest city is Limoges...

 département at Chéronnac

Chéronnac

Chéronnac is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in western France.-Geography:At Chéronnac is the source of Charente River.Inhabitants are known as Chéronnacais.-References:*...

, a small village near Rochechouart

Rochechouart

Rochechouart is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in west-central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....

. It flows through the departments of Haute-Vienne

Haute-Vienne

Haute-Vienne is a French department named after the Vienne River. It is one of three departments that together constitute the French region of Limousin.The chief and largest city is Limoges...

, Charente

Charente

Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...

, Vienne

Vienne

Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...

 and Charente-Maritime

Charente-Maritime

Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.- History :Previously a part of Saintonge, Charente-Inférieure was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...

. The river flows into the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 near 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:...

.

Navigation

The Charente was navigable for many years, but navigation has only recently been restored after the river had been virtually abandoned by commercial shipping in the middle of the 20th century. Recreational vessels have now taken possession of the waterway of which the navigability has been completely restored as far upstream as Angoulême

Angoulême

-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...

. Flowing through cities like Cognac

Cognac

Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...

, Jarnac

Jarnac

Jarnac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.It is the site of the Battle of Jarnac in 1569.-Geography:Jarnac is situated on the right bank of the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Cognac...

, Saintes and 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:...

, the river has excellent possibilities for tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

.

The river has been equipped upstream from Saintes, and it has locks

Lock (water transport)

A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...

 of a fairly modest size - some 34 by 6 meters. Marina

Marina

A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....

s along the river with boats for hire and good possibilities to moor and disembark make the Charente a perfect leisure area for boat trip lovers.

Tributaries

Tributaries include:

• Antenne
  Antenne
  The Antenne is a 48.3 km long river in the Charente-Maritime département, in southwestern France. Its source is in the commune of Fontaine-Chalendray.- External links :...
  
  
• Né
• Coran
• 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...
  
  
• Bramerit
• 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...
  
  
• Arnoult
• Bandiat
  Bandiat
  The Bandiat is a small river that is 91 km long, a left tributary of the Tardoire. It flows through the Haute-Vienne, Dordogne and Charente departments in France.-Geography:...
  
  
• Tardoire
  Tardoire
  The Tardoire is a river in southwestern France, left tributary to the river Bonnieure. Its source is in Châlus, in the Haute-Vienne département. It flows into the Bonnieure near Saint-Ciers-sur-Bonnieure...
  
  
• Touvre
• Bonnieure
  Bonnieure
  The Bonnieure is a river in the Charente département, southwestern France, left tributary to the river Charente. Its source is in Genouillac, in the east of the department. It flows into the Charente near Mansle. Another town along the Bonnieure is Chasseneuil-sur-Bonnieure.- References...
  
  

Cities

Cities along the river include:

• Civray
  Civray, Vienne
  Civray is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France....
  
  
• Jarnac
  Jarnac
  Jarnac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.It is the site of the Battle of Jarnac in 1569.-Geography:Jarnac is situated on the right bank of the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Cognac...
  
  
• Montignac-Charente
  Montignac-Charente
  Montignac-Charente is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
  
  
• Angoulême
  Angoulême
  -Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
  
  
• Cognac
  Cognac
  Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
  
  
• 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....
  
  
• Taillebourg
  Taillebourg, Charente-Maritime
  Taillebourg is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.It is built on a rock, overlooking the Charente River, 9 km downstream from Saintes....
  
  
• Saint-Savinien
  Saint-Savinien
  Saint-Savinien is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.-Population:-History:...
  
  
• Tonnay-Charente
  Tonnay-Charente
  Tonnay-Charente is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.In the 18th century it was the home town of Prominent Irish Physician Dr...
  
  
• 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:...
  
  
• Soubise
  Soubise, Charente-Maritime
  Soubise is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.It is situated on the left bank of the Charente River opposite Rochefort and is a former shipbuilding centre.-Population:-References:*...
  
  
• Vergeroux
  Vergeroux
  Vergeroux is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
  
  

External links

• http://www.geoportail.fr
• The Charente at the Sandre database