Pays de la Loire
Encyclopedia
Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France
. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes
, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" (métropoles d'équilibre)¹. Other examples of "artificially created" regions include Rhône-Alpes
, which was created as the region for Lyon
, and Midi-Pyrénées
, which was created as the region for Toulouse
.
Consequently, the name of the region, chosen by the French central government, was not based on history, but purely on geographical references: Pays (i.e. "lands") de la Loire (i.e. "of the Loire River"). However, the majority of the famous châteaux of the Loire Valley
are located in the Centre region, and not inside Pays de la Loire, despite the confusing name. The Pays de la Loire present many great monuments as the castles of Angers
, Laval, Mayenne
and the Nantes
"Château des Ducs de Bretagne
", the Royal Fontevraud Abbey
(the widest monastic ensemble in Europe), the old city of Le Mans
, and also many natural parks such as the Brière
and the Marsh of Poitou
.
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" (métropoles d'équilibre)¹. Other examples of "artificially created" regions include Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
, which was created as the region for Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, and Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...
, which was created as the region for Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Geography
Pays de la Loire is made up of the following historical provinces:- a part of BrittanyBrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, with its old capital NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
contained within the Loire-AtlantiqueLoire-AtlantiqueLoire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
department. This is only 20% of Brittany. The other 80% of Brittany make up the region of Brittany - AnjouAnjouAnjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
: is largely contained within the Maine-et-LoireMaine-et-LoireMaine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
department. The whole of the former province of Anjou is contained inside Pays de la Loire. - MaineMaine (province)Le Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France . It corresponds to the old county of Maine, with its center, the city of Le Mans.-Location:...
: is now divided between the MayenneMayenneMayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
and SartheSartheSarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
departments. The whole of the former province of Maine is contained inside Pays de la Loire. - a part of PoitouPoitouPoitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
: is contained within the VendéeVendéeThe 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:...
department. Most of the old province of Poitou is inside the Poitou-CharentesPoitou-CharentesPoitou-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...
region. - a part of PerchePerchePerche is a former province of northern France extending over the départements of Orne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir and Sarthe, which were created from Perche during the French Revolution.-Geography:...
: is within the northeast of SartheSartheSarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
department. The rest of Perche is inside the Basse-NormandieBasse-NormandieLower Normandy is an administrative region of France. It was created in 1956, when the Normandy region was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy...
and CentreCentre (France)Centre is one of the 27 regions of France, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley. Its capital is Orléans, although its largest city is Tours.-Features:...
regions. - a small part of TouraineTouraineThe Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
: southeast of Maine-et-LoireMaine-et-LoireMaine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
department. Most of the former province of Touraine is inside the Centre region.
Consequently, the name of the region, chosen by the French central government, was not based on history, but purely on geographical references: Pays (i.e. "lands") de la Loire (i.e. "of the Loire River"). However, the majority of the famous châteaux of the Loire Valley
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
The châteaux of the Loire Valley are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the Loire River in France...
are located in the Centre region, and not inside Pays de la Loire, despite the confusing name. The Pays de la Loire present many great monuments as the castles of Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, Laval, Mayenne
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
and the Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
"Château des Ducs de Bretagne
Château des ducs de Bretagne
The Château des ducs de Bretagne is a large fortified château located in the city of Nantes in the Loire-Atlantique département of France; it served as the centre of the historical province of Brittany until its separation in 1941. It is located on the right bank of the Loire, which formerly fed...
", the Royal Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey
Fontevraud Abbey or Fontevrault Abbey is a religious building hosting a cultural centre since 1975, the Centre Culturel de l'Ouest, in the village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in Anjou, France. It was founded by the itinerant reforming preacher Robert of Arbrissel, who had just created a...
(the widest monastic ensemble in Europe), the old city of Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
, and also many natural parks such as the Brière
Brière
Brière is the marsh area to the north of the Loire estuary in France at its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean. The residents of Brière are called Brièrons...
and the Marsh of Poitou
Marais Poitevin
The Marais Poitevin is a large area of marshland in Western France, a remnant of the former Gulf of Poitou...
.
Demography
Evolution of the population listed by departments:| Year | Population of the departments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:... department |
Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791.... department |
Mayenne Mayenne Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine... department |
Sarthe Sarthe Sarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and... department |
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:... department |
Total Pays de la Loire | |
| 1801 | 369,305 | 375,544 | 305,654 | 388,143 | 243,426 | 1,682,072 |
| 1851 | 535,664 | 516,197 | 374,566 | 473,071 | 383,734 | 2,283,232 |
| 1901 | 664,971 | 515,431 | 313,103 | 422,699 | 441,311 | 2,357,515 |
| 1921 | 649,691 | 475,485 | 397,292 | 2,174,150 | ||
| 1936 | 659,428 | 478,404 | 251,348 | 388,519 | 389,211 | 2,166,910 |
| 1946 | 665,064 | 393,787 | 2,224,163 | |||
| 1954 | 733,575 | 395,641 | 2,320,177 | |||
| 1962 | 803,372 | 535,122 | 250,030 | 443,019 | 408,928 | 2,440,471 |
| 1968 | 861,452 | 585,563 | 252,762 | 461,839 | 421,250 | 2,582,866 |
| 1975 | 934,499 | 629,849 | 261,789 | 490,385 | 450,641 | 2,767,163 |
| 1982 | 995,498 | 675,321 | 271,784 | 504,768 | 483,027 | 2,930,398 |
| 1990 | 1,050,539 | 704,668 | 277,748 | 513,280 | 508,962 | 3,055,197 |
| 2005 | 1,208,761 | 754,997 | 297,854 | 551,971 | 587,162 | 3,400,745 |