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ARDENNES

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 451 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ARDENNES , a See also:

department of See also:France on the N.E. frontier, deriving its name from that of the See also:forest, and formed in 1790 from parts of See also:Champagne, See also:Picardy and Hainault. Pop. (1906) 317,505. See also:Area, 2028 sq. m. It is bounded N. and N.E. by See also:Belgium, E. by the department of See also:Meuse, S. by that of See also:Marne, and W. by that of See also:Aisne. In shape it is See also:quadrilateral with a cape-like prolongation into Belgium on the See also:north. The slope of the department is from north-See also:east to See also:south-See also:west, though its longest See also:river, the Meuse, entering it in the south-east, pursues a winding course of 111 m. in a north-See also:westerly, and after-wards through deep See also:gorges in a northerly, direction. The other See also:principal river, the Aisne, crosses the See also:southern border and takes a northerly, then a westerly course, separating the region known as Champagne Pouilleuse from the more elevated See also:plateau of See also:Argonne which forms the central See also:zone of the department and stretches to the See also:left See also:bank of the Meuse. The highest points of the department are found in the wooded See also:highlands of the Ardennes which, with an See also:altitude varying between 98o and 164o ft., See also:cover the north and north-east. The See also:climate is comparatively mild in the south-west, but becomes colder and more See also:rainy towards the north and north-east. See also:Agriculture is carried on to most See also:advantage in the Champagne and Argonne. See also:Wheat and oats are the predominant cereals.

Potatoes, See also:

rye, See also:lucerne and other kinds of See also:forage are also important crops. Pasturage is found chiefly on the See also:banks of the Aisne and Meuse and on the plateau of See also:Rocroi in the north. See also:Horse-raising is carried on in the neighbourhood of Buzancy in the south, and at Bourg-Fidele in the north. See also:Fruit-growing is confined to the west and central districts. The working of See also:slate is very important, especially in the neighbourhood of Fumay, and quarries producing freestone, See also:lime-See also:stone and other minerals are found in several places. See also:Flour-See also:mills, saw-mills, See also:sugar-See also:works, distilleries and See also:leather-works are scattered over the department, but See also:iron-See also:founding and various branches of See also:metal-working which are active along the valley of the Meuse (Nouzon, &c.) are the See also:chief See also:industries. To these may be added See also:wool-See also:weaving, centred at See also:Sedan, and See also:minor industries such as the manufacture of See also:basket-See also:work, wooden shoes, &c. See also:Coal and raw wool are prominent imports, while iron goods, See also:cloth, See also:timber, live-stock, See also:alcohol and the products of the See also:soil are exported. Various branches of the Eastern railway See also:traverse the department. The Meuse is canalized within the department, and the See also:Canal See also:des Ardennes, uniting that river with the Aisne, and the lateral canal of the Aisne are together about 65 m. See also:long. Ardennes is divided into five arrondissements: See also:Mezieres, Rocroi, See also:Rethel, Vouziers and Sedan, with 31 cantons and 503 communes. The department forms See also:part of the ecclesiastical See also:province of See also:Reims and of the circumscriptions of the See also:appeal-See also:court of See also:Nancy and the VI. See also:army See also:corps.

In educational matters, it is included in the See also:

academic (educational area) of See also:Lille. Mezieres, the See also:capital, See also:Charleville, Rocroi, Sedan and Rethel are the chief towns, Outside them its finest examples of See also:architecture are the churches of Mouzon (13th See also:century) and Vouziers (15th century).

End of Article: ARDENNES

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