Vienne (department) explained

Vienne
Native Name Lang:fr
Type:Department
Coordinates:45.5221°N 4.8453°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:France
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Seat Type:Prefecture
Seat:Poitiers
Parts Type:Subprefectures
Parts Style:para
P1:Châtellerault
Montmorillon
Leader Title:President of the Departmental Council
Leader Name:Alain Pichon[1]
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:6990
Population Rank:56th
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Department number
Blank Info Sec1:86
Blank Name Sec2:Arrondissements
Blank Info Sec2:3
Blank1 Name Sec2:Cantons
Blank1 Info Sec2:19
Blank2 Name Sec2:Communes
Blank2 Info Sec2:266
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

Vienne (in French pronounced as /vjɛn/; Poitevin-Saintongeais: Viéne) is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.[2]

History

Established on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution, Vienne is one of the original 83 departments. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou, Touraine, and Berry, the last being a part of the Duchy of Aquitaine until the 15th century.

The original Acadians, who settled in and around what is now Nova Scotia, left Vienne for North America after 1604. Kennedy (2014) argues that the emigrants carried to Canada their customs and social structure. They were frontier peoples, who dispersed their settlements based on kinship. They optimized use of farmland and emphasized trading for a profit. They were hierarchical and politically active.[3]

Geography

The department of Vienne has an area of . Part of the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine, it borders Maine-et-Loire to the northwest, Indre-et-Loire to the north, Indre to the east, Haute-Vienne to the southeast, Charente to the south and Deux-Sèvres to the west. It is crossed by the river Vienne, a tributary of the Loire.

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Poitiers, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 6 communes with more than 7,000 inhabitants:[2]

CommunePopulation (2019)
Poitiers89,212
Châtellerault31,487
Buxerolles10,060
Jaunay-Marigny7,600
Saint-Benoît7,267
Chauvigny7,062

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Politics

Édith Cresson, France's first woman prime minister from 1991 to 1992, was a deputy (MP) for the department. The president of the Departmental Council is Alain Pichon, elected in 2020.

Vienne has three arrondissements: Poitiers, the prefecture, and the subprefectures Châtellerault and Montmorillon.

Current National Assembly Representatives

ConstituencyMember[4] Party
Vienne's 1st constituencyLisa BellucoThe Ecologists (France)
Vienne's 2nd constituencySacha HouliéLa République En Marche!
Vienne's 3rd constituencyPascal LecampMoDem
Vienne's 4th constituencyNicolas TurquoisMoDem

Religion

The capital, Poitiers, is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers, which pastorally serves the department.

Tourism and sights

The most famous tourist sites include the Futuroscope theme park, Poitiers (city of Art and History), the Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, a UNESCO world heritage site, the animal parks of Monkey's Valley in Romagne and the Crocodile Planet in Civaux.

Economy

The production of goat cheese is an important industry in Vienne.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France.

Vienne has a partnership relationship with:

Notable people

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022. fr.
  2. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep86.pdf Populations légales 2019: 86 Vienne
  3. Gregory M.W. Kennedy. Something of a Peasant Paradise? Comparing Rural Societies in Acadie and the Loudunais, 1604-1755 (MQUP, 2014)
  4. Web site: Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français. Assemblée. Nationale. Assemblée nationale.
  5. Web site: Partneri- ja kummikaupungit (Partnership and twinning cities). 2013-07-27. Oulun kaupunki (City of Oulu). fi.
  6. http://www.szfao.gov.cn/zwgk/wsz/201103/t20110322_1645217.htm 友好城市 (Friendly cities)
  7. http://www.szfao.gov.cn/ygwl/yxyc/ycgy/201101/t20110120_1631663.htm 国际友好城市一览表 (International Friendship Cities List)
  8. http://www.szfao.gov.cn/ygwl/yxyc/yhjl/ 友好交流 (Friendly exchanges)