| Marne | |
| Native Name Lang: | fr |
| Type: | Department |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | France |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Grand Est |
| Seat Type: | Prefecture |
| Seat: | Châlons-en-Champagne |
| Parts Type: | Subprefectures |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Épernay Reims Vitry-le-François |
| Leader Title: | President of the Departmental Council |
| Leader Name: | Christian Bruyen[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 8162 |
| Population Rank: | 45th |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Department number |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 51 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Arrondissements |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 4 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Cantons |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 23 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Communes |
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 613 |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +1 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +2 |
| Iso Code: | FR-51 |
| Footnotes: | French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 |
Marne (in French pronounced as /maʁn/) is a department in the Grand Est region of France. It is named after the river Marne which flows through it. The prefecture (capital) of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne (formerly known as Châlons-sur-Marne). The subprefectures are Épernay, Reims, and Vitry-le-François. It had a population of 566,855 in 2019.[2]
The Champagne vineyards producing the eponymous sparkling wine are in Marne.
The department is named after the Marne, which was called Matrona in Roman times.
Marne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the province of Champagne.
Marne has a long association with the French Army. The training ground of the Camp Militaire de Mailly straddles the border with the département of Aube in the south while that of the Camp de Mourmelon occupies a large area north of Châlons-en-Champagne. The smaller Camp de Moronvilliers lies to the east of Reims and the Camp Militaire de Suippes lies to the east of that. These are all located on the chalk grounds of the Champagne plateau, a feature comparable in geology but not size, with the British military training ground on Salisbury Plain.
The Battles of the Marne, where the British and French fought against Germany during World War I, took place here.
Marne is part of the region of Grand Est and is surrounded by the departments of Ardennes, Meuse, Haute-Marne, Aube, Seine-et-Marne, and Aisne.
Geologically, it divides into two distinct parts; the Upper Cretaceous chalk plain in the east and the more wooded and hilly Eocene and Oligocene in the west.
Rivers draining the department include the Marne, Vesle, Ardre and Somme-Soude. Numerous other rivers, such as the Grande and the Petite Morin rise in the department but flow mainly in others. Conversely, the Aube joins the Seine in the department of Marne.
The most populous commune in the department is Reims; the prefecture Châlons-en-Champagne is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are five communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:[2]
| Commune | Population (2019) | |
|---|---|---|
| Reims | 181,194 | |
| Châlons-en-Champagne | 44,379 | |
| Épernay | 22,433 | |
| Vitry-le-François | 11,376 | |
| Tinqueux | 10,294 |
The inhabitants of the department are called Marnais.
Population development since 1801:
The president of the Departmental Council is Christian Bruyen, elected in 2017.
| Election | Winning Candidate | Party | % | 2nd Place Candidate | Party | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 52.10 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 47.90 | ||
| 2017[3] | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 57.01 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 42.99 | ||
| 2012 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 55.31 | François Hollande | PS | 44.69 | ||
| 2007 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 59.20 | Ségolène Royal | PS | 40.80 | ||
| 2002 | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 79.83 | Jean-Marie Le Pen | FN | 20.17 | ||
| 1995[4] | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 54.53 | Lionel Jospin | PS | 45.47 | ||
Reims, with its cathedral in which the kings of France were traditionally crowned, is a major attraction. Others include the bird reserve on the Lake Der-Chantecoq and the fishing lakes nearby. The Parc Naturel Régional de la Montagne de Reims is a major area of country recreation. In the west of the département there are many scenic routes as also are the several wine cellars of Épernay.