| Maine-et-Loire | |
| Native Name Lang: | fr |
| Type: | Department of France |
| Coordinates: | 47.45°N -36°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | France |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Pays de la Loire |
| Seat Type: | Prefecture |
| Seat: | Angers |
| Parts Type: | Subprefectures |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Cholet Saumur Segré-en-Anjou Bleu |
| Leader Party: | DVD |
| Leader Title: | President of the Departmental Council |
| Leader Name: | Florence Dabin[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 7107 |
| Population Rank: | 28th |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Department number |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 49 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Arrondissements |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 4 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Cantons |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 21 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Communes |
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | 177 |
| 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 |
Maine-et-Loire (pronounced as /fr/) is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-et-Loire to the east, Vienne and Deux-Sèvres to the south, Vendée to the south-west, and Ille-et-Vilaine to the north-west. It also borders Ille-et-Vilaine in the north for just 19-1NaN-1, France's shortest department boundary. Its prefecture is Angers; its subprefectures are Cholet, Saumur and Segré-en-Anjou Bleu. Maine-et-Loire had a population of 818,273 in 2019.[2]
Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790, mostly out of the southern portion of the former province of Anjou.[3] Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791. Its present name is drawn from the rivers Maine and Loire, which meet within the department.
Maine-et-Loire is part of the current region of Pays de la Loire. The principal city is Angers, the seat of a bishopric and of a court of appeal.[3]
It has a varied landscape, with forested ranges of hills in the south and north separated by the valley of the Loire. The highest point is Colline des Gardes at 210m (690feet). Part of the Loire Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site lies in Maine-et-Loire.[4]
The area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire, Sarthe, Mayenne, Loir, and Authion.
The most populous commune is Angers, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:[2]
| Commune | Population (2019) | |
|---|---|---|
| Angers | 155,850 | |
| Cholet | 54,037 | |
| Saumur | 26,467 | |
| Sèvremoine | 25,162 | |
| Beaupréau-en-Mauges | 23,419 | |
| Chemillé-en-Anjou | 20,828 |
The inhabitants of Maine-et-Loire have no official qualifier. They are sometimes known as Angevins, from the former province of Anjou, or Mainéligériens, from the name of the department.[5]
Population development since 1801:
The president of the Departmental Council is Florence Dabin, elected in July 2021.
Anjou traditions
Angers and around:
Saumur and around:
Cholet and around:
Segré and around: