Pays de la Loire

I

Introduction

Pays de la Loire, administrative region (région), western France, comprising the departments of Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Vendée, and Loire-Atlantique. The region is bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, Brittany to the north-west, Lower Normandy to the north, Centre to the east, and Poitou-Charentes to the south-east and has an area of 32,082 sq km (12,387 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

The River Loire, France's longest river, flows through the region in a westerly direction and empties into the Bay of Biscay through a wide, lengthy estuary near Saint-Nazaire. The region’s coastline stretches for some 450 km (280 mi); two sizable islands—Noirmoutier and Yeu—are located in the Bay of Biscay. Inland, around 15 km (9 mi) south-west of Nantes, the Lac de Grand-Lieu is an important wintering ground for a rich variety of wildfowl and a breeding ground for herons and European spoonbills. The lake, which has a surface area of 63 sq km (24 sq mi), was designated a wetland of international importance in 1995, under the Ramsar Convention. In the south-west of the region are the undrained areas of the Marais Poitevin (Poitevin marshes), which were designated a natural regional park in 1979. The region’s highest point is the Mont des Avaloirs (417 m/1,368 ft), in the Alpes Mancelles, on the border with Lower Normandy. The Pays de la Loire region is characterized by a maritime climate.

III

Population

In 2007 around 3,455,000 people lived in the Pays de la Loire region, giving an average population density of 104 people per sq km (269 per sq mi). Nantes, the regional capital, has 281,800 inhabitants (2005); other sizable cities and towns include Angers (2005 estimate, 152,700); Le Mans (2005 estimate, 144,500); Saint-Nazaire (2005 estimate, 67,200); Laval (2005 estimate, 50,700); Saumur (2005 estimate, 28,600); and Mayenne (1999, 13,724).

Nantes boasts an elegant Gothic cathedral and the spectacular Ducal palace, together with a tram system. The University of Nantes (1460, re-established 1961 after being abolished during the French Revolution) and the School of Mines, a specialist engineering college, in Nantes; a state university (1970) and a Roman Catholic university, in Angers; and the University of Maine (1969) in Le Mans are the leading institutions of higher education in the region. The Loire Valley World Heritage Site, designated by UNESCO in 2000, encompasses a number of historic towns and castles along the River Loire, including Chalonnes-sur-Loire, Brissac, Saumur, and Montsoreau. A world-famous 24-hour motor race has been held annually at Le Mans since 1923.

IV

Economy

The Pays de la Loire is renowned for its agricultural produce. Early vegetables, flowers, and fruit are all grown in the region. It is livestock farming, however, that dominates agriculture in the Pays de la Loire. Cattle feed on the pastures of the Maine and Anjou valleys while ducks and chickens are raised along the western seaboard. Farms in the Pays de la Loire are typically small, reflected in the region's relatively high rural population density. Angers is famous as a producer of umbrellas and a liqueur flavoured with orange peel called Cointreau. The industrial city of Nantes grew up around the import of sugar cane in the early 18th century. Construction of downstream harbour facilities in the 19th and 20th centuries has ensured Nantes' continuing prosperity. The city is the region’s leading manufacturing centre; products include chemicals, ships, aerospace equipment, clothing, and processed food.