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LOIRE
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LOIRE , a See also:department of central See also:France, made up in 1793 of the old See also:district of Forez and portions of Beaujolais and Lyonnais, all formerly included in the See also:province of Lyonnais. Pop. (1906) 643,943. See also:Area 1853 sq. m. It is bounded N. by the department of See also:Saone-et-Loire, E. by those of See also:Rhone and See also:Isere, S. by See also:Ardeche and Haute-Loire, and W. by See also:Puy-de-See also:Dome and See also:Allier. From 1790 to 1793 it constituted, along with that of Rhone, a single department (Rhone-et-Loire). It takes its name from the See also:river which bisects it from See also:south to See also:north. The Rhone skirts the S.E. of the department, about one-eighth of which belongs to its See also:basin. After See also:crossing the See also:southern border the Loire runs through See also:wild See also:gorges, passing the picturesque See also:crag crowned by the old fortress of St See also:Paul-en-Cornillon. At St See also:Rambert it issues into the broad See also:plain of Fotez, flows north as far as its confluence with the See also:Aix where the plain ends, and then again traverses gorges till it enters the less extensive plain of See also:Roanne in the extreme north of the department. These two plains, the beds of See also:ancient lakes, are enclosed See also:east and See also:west by chains of mountains See also:running parallel with the river. In the west are the Forez mountains, which See also:separate the Loire basin from that of the Allier; their highest point (See also:Pierre sur Haute, J381 ft.) is 12 m. W. of See also:Montbrison. They sink gradually towards the north, and are successively called Bois Noirs (4239 ft.), from their See also:woods, and Monts de la Madeleine (3822 to 1640 ft.). In the east the Rhone and Loire basins are separated, by Mont Pilat (4705 ft.) at the north extremity of the See also:Cevennes, and by the hills of Lyonnais, See also:Tarare, Beaujolais and Charolais, none of which rise higher than 3294 ft. Of the affluents of the Loire the most important are the Lignon du See also:Nord, the beautiful valley of which has been called " La Suisse Forezienne," and the Aix on the See also:left, and on the right the Ondaine (on which stand the See also:industrial towns of Chambon-Feugerolles and See also:Firminy), the Furens and the Rhin. The Gier forms a navigable channel to the Rhone at See also:Givors, and has on its See also:banks the industrial towns of St Chamond and Rive-de-Gier. From Mont Pilat descends the Debme, in the valley of which are the workshops of See also:Annonay (q.v.). The See also:climate on the heights is See also:cold and healthy, it is unwholesome in the marshy plain of Forez, mild in the valley of the Rhone. The See also:annual rainfall varies from 39 to 48 in. on the Forez mountains, but only reaches 20 to 24 in. in the vicinity of Montbrison. The plains of Forez and Roanne are the two most important agricultural districts, but the See also:total See also:production of See also:grain within the department is insufficient for the requirements of the See also:population. The pasture lands of the plain of Forez, the western portion of which is irrigated by the See also:canal of Forez, support a large number of live stock. See also:Good pasturage is also found on the higher levels of the Forez mountains, on the north-eastern plateaus, where oxen of the famous Charolais breed are raised, and on the uplands generally. See also:Wheat and See also:rye are the leading cereal crops; oats come next inimportance, See also:barley and colza occupying a relatively small area. The See also:vine is cultivated in the valley of the Rhone, on the See also:lower slopes of the Forez mountains and on the hills west of the plain of Roanne. The forests of Mont Pilat and the Forez See also:chain yield good-sized pines and See also:wood for See also:mining purposes. The so-called See also:Lyons chestnuts are to a large extent obtained from Forez; the woods and pasture lands of Mont Pilat yield medicinal See also:plants, such as See also:mint. Poultry-rearing and See also:bee-keeping are considerable See also:industries. The department is See also:rich in See also:mineral springs, the See also:waters of St Galmier, See also:Sail-sous-Couzan, St Romain-le-Puy and St See also:Alban being largely exported. The See also:chief See also:wealth of the department lies in the See also:coal deposits of the basin of St See also:Etienne (q.v.), the second in importance in France, See also:quarrying is also active. See also:Metal-working industries are centred in the S.E. of the department, where are the See also:great manufacturing towns of St Etienne, Rive-de-Gier, St Chamond and Firminy. At St Etienne there is a See also:national factory of arms, in which as many as io,000 have been employed; apart from other factories of the same See also:kind carried on by private individuals, the production of hardware, locks, edge-tools, See also:common See also:cutlery, chain cables for the mines, files, rails, &c., occupies thousands of hands. See also:Cast See also:steel is largely manufactured, and the workshops of the department See also:supply the heaviest constructions required in See also:naval See also:architecture, as well as See also:war material and machinery of every description. The See also:glass See also:industry is carried on at Rive-de-Gier and St Galmier. St Etienne and St Chamond are centres for the fabrication of See also:silk See also:ribbons, elastic ribbons and laces, and the dressing of raw silks. Between 50,000 and 6o,000 See also:people are employed in the last-named industries. The See also:arrondissement of Roanne manufactures See also:cotton stuffs, muslins and the like. That of Montbrison produces table See also:linen. The department has numerous dye-See also:works, See also:flour-See also:mills, See also:paper works, tanyards, See also:brick-works, silk-See also:spinning works and See also:hat factories. It is served by the See also:Paris-See also:Lyon railway, Roanne being the junction of important lines from Paris to Lyons and St Etienne. Within the department the Loire is hardly used for commercial See also:navigation; the chief See also:water-ways are the canal from Roanne to See also:Digoin (13 m. in the department), that from Givors to Rive-de-Gier (7 m.) and the Rhone (7 m.).
Loire comprises three arrondissements—St Etienne, Montbrison and Roanne—with 31 cantons and 335 communes. It falls within the region of the XIII. See also:army See also:corps and the See also:diocese and acaderie (educational circumscription) of Lyons, where also is its See also:court of See also:appeal. St Etienne is the See also:capital, other leading towns being Roanne, Montbrison, Rive-de-Gier, St Chamond, Firminy and Le Chambon, all separately noticed. St See also:Bonnet-le-See also:Chateau, besides old houses, has a See also: Area 2694 sq. m. The See also:surface is very See also:flat, and the highest point, in the north on the See also:borders of Ille-et-Vilaine, reaches only 377 ft. The See also:line of hillocks skirting the right See also:bank of the Loire, and known as the sillon de Bretagne, scarcely exceeds 250 ft.; below Savenay they recede from the river, and meadows give See also:place to See also:peat bogs. North of St Nazaire and Grande Briere, measuring 9 M. by 6, and rising hardly to ft. above the See also:sea-level, still supplies old trees which can be used for joiners' See also:work. A few scattered villages occur on the more elevated spots, but communication is effected chiefly by the canals which intersect it. The district south of the Loire lies equally See also:low; its most salient feature is the See also:lake of Grandlieu, covering 27 sq. m., and surrounded by low and marshy ground, but so shallow (62 ft. at most) that drainage would be comparatively easy. The Loire (q.v.) has a course of 7o m. within the department. On the left bank a canal stretches for 9 m. between Pellerin, where the dikes which protect the Loire valley from inundation terminate, and Paimbreuf, and vessels See also:drawing 17 or 18 ft. can reach See also:Nantes. The See also:principal towns on the river within the department are Ancenis, Nantes and St Nazaire (one of the most important commercial ports of France) on the right, and Paimboeuf on the left. The chief affluents are, on the right the Erdre and on the left the Sevre, both debouching at Nantes. The Erdre in its lower course broadens in places into lakes which give it the See also:appearance of a large river. Four See also:miles below Nort it coalesces with the canal from Nantes to See also:Brest. The Sevre is hemmed in by picturesque hills; at the point where it enters the department it flows past the beautiful See also:town of See also:Clisson with its imposing See also:castle of the 13th century. Apart from the Loire, the only navigable channel of importance within the department is the Nantes and Brest canal, fed by the Isac, a tributary of the Vilaine, which separates Loire-Inferieure from Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan. The climate is humid, mild and equable. At Nantes the mean annual temperature is 54.70 Fahr., and there are one See also:hundred and twenty-two See also:rainy days, the annual rainfall being 25.6 in. See also:Horse and See also:cattle raising prospers, being carried on chiefly in the west of the department and in the Loire valley. Good See also:butter and See also:cheese are produced. Poultry also is reared, and there is a good See also:deal of bee-keeping. Wheat, oats, See also:buckwheat and potatoes are produced in great abundance; leguminous plants are also largely cultivated, especially near Nantes. See also:Wine, See also:cider and See also:forage crops are the chief remaining agricultural products. The woods are of See also:oak in the interior and See also:pine on the See also:coast. The department has deposits of See also:tin, See also:lead and See also:iron. N.W. of Ancenis coal is obtained from a See also:bed which is a prolongation of that of See also:Anjou. The See also:salt marshes, about 6000 acres in all, occur for the most See also:part between the mouth of the Vilaine and the Loire, and on the See also:Bay of Bourgneuf, and salt-refining, of which Guerande is the centre, is an important industry. The See also:granite of the sea-coast and of the Loire up to Nantes is quarried for large blocks. See also:Steam-engines are built for the See also:government at Indret, a few miles below Nantes; the forges of Basse-See also:Indre are in good repute for the quality of their iron; and the production of the lead-smelting works at Coueron amounts to several millions of francs annually. There are also considerable foundries at Nantes, Chantenay, See also:close to Nantes, and St Nazaire, and See also:shipbuilding yards at Nantes and St Nazaire. Among other industries may be mentioned the preparation of pickles and preserved meats at Nantes, the curing of sardines at Le Croisic and in the neighbouring communes, the manufacture of See also:sugar, brushes, See also:tobacco, See also:macaroni and similar foods, See also:soap and chemicals at Nantes, and of paper, sugar and soap at Chantenay. Fishing is prosecuted along the entire coast, particularly at Le Croisic. Among the seaside resorts Le Croisic, Pornichet and Pornic, where there are megalithic monuments,may be mentioned. The department is traversed by the See also:railways of the See also:state, the See also: Its members are employed for the most part in the salt marshes N.E. of the town. Guerande has well-preserved ramparts and See also:gates of the 15th century, a church dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries, and other old buildings. At St Philbert-de-Grandlieu there is a church, rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries, but preserving remains of a previous edifice belonging at least to the beginning of the 11th century. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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