| Eure-et-Loir | |
| Native Name Lang: | fr |
| Type: | Department of France |
| Coordinates: | 48.3333°N 26°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | France |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Centre-Val de Loire |
| Seat Type: | Prefecture |
| Seat: | Chartres |
| Parts Type: | Subprefectures |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Châteaudun Dreux Nogent-le-Rotrou |
| Leader Party: | LR |
| Leader Title: | President of the Departmental Council |
| Leader Name: | Christophe Le Dorven[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 5880 |
| Population Rank: | 58th |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Department number |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 28 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Arrondissements |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 4 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Cantons |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 15 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Communes |
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 365 |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Footnotes: | French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 |
Eure-et-Loir (pronounced as /fr/, locally: pronounced as /fr/) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.[2]
Eure-et-Loir is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790 pursuant to the Act of December 22, 1789. It was created mainly from parts of the former provinces of Orléanais (Beauce) and Maine (Perche), but also parts of Île-de-France (Drouais, Thymerais, Valley of the Avre, Hurepoix).
The current department corresponds to the central part of the land of the Carnutes who had their capital at Autricum (Chartres). The Carnutes are known for their commitment, real or imagined, to the ancient Druidic religion. In the north of the department another pre-Roman people, the little-known Durocasses, had their capital at Dreux.
Eure-et-Loir comprises the main part of the region of Beauce, politically it belongs to the current region of Centre-Val de Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Essonne, Yvelines, Eure, Orne, and Sarthe.
The most populous commune is Chartres, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:[2]
| Commune | Population (2019) | |
|---|---|---|
| Chartres | 38,534 | |
| Dreux | 30,646 | |
| Lucé | 15,403 | |
| Châteaudun | 13,096 | |
| Vernouillet | 12,472 | |
| Mainvilliers | 11,127 |
The inhabitants of the department are called Euréliens.
The Eure-et-Loir is a department of agricultural tradition (Beauce), but also at the forefront in three economic sectors :
The department is a major economic player in the production of grain and oilseed in France.[3] Its agricultural economy is still heavily dependent on the economic and regulatory environment of the markets for crops. The Eure-et-Loir region is the first grain producer of France. It is also the national leader in the production of rapeseed and peas. Wheat production is by far the most dominant in the area. Nearly 40% of all farmland is devoted to the cultivation of wheat, which has generated an average of 29% of the commercial agricultural production of the department over the last 5 years.
The "Pôle AgroDynamic also promotes agriculture in the department", a grouping of subsidiaries providing added values in different sectors: agro-energy, agribusiness, agricultural materials, Agrohealth.
The department also has the lead in renewable energy. Already ranked second nationally in terms of power generation through its wind farms located in particular in the Beauce region of Eure-et-Loir in 2012 will be the largest producer of electricity with photovoltaic French original creation on the airbase NATO disused Crucey-Villages near Brezolles in the region's natural Thymerais, the largest photovoltaic park in France. Given in February 2011 by the General Council to the operator, EDF Energies Nouvelles, the park will cover 245 ha of the military base and produce the equivalent output of 160 wind turbines.
The President of the Departmental council is Christophe Le Dorven of The Republicans.
| Party | seats | |
|---|---|---|
| • | 17 | |
| 11 | ||
| 2 | ||
| Election | Winning Candidate | Party | % | 2nd Place Candidate | Party | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022[6] | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 53.29 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 46.71 | ||
| 2017[7] | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 60.27 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 39.73 | ||
| 2012 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 53.47 | François Hollande | PS | 46.53 | ||
| 2007 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 58.16 | Ségolène Royal | PS | 41.84 | ||
| 2002 | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 79.26 | Jean-Marie Le Pen | FN | 20.74 | ||
| 1995[8] | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 54.27 | Lionel Jospin | PS | 46.71 | ||
The media in Eure-et-Loir include the following: