Product Code Database
Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et-Vilaine.
Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine. The southern third of Mayenne corresponds to the northern portion of the old province of Anjou. The inhabitants of the department are called Mayennais. It had a population of 307,062 in 2019. Populations légales 2019: 53 Mayenne, INSEE
The American first army's 90th Infantry Division were tasked with capturing the town in 1944.
The department is varied in topography. Much of it is largely flat, but there are also hilly areas, some with steep-sided valleys and ravines. Of the total area of , some are arable, are grassland, are forests and woodland and are heathland and moorland. To the north lies the Armorican Massif, a plateau that has been eroded over time, the highest summit of which, the Mont des Avaloirs, is the highest point in the department at above sea level. A branch range to the south of this plateau forms the ridge that divides the Mayenne Valley from the Vilaine Valley.
The department is subdivided into three arrondissements: Mayenne, Laval, and Château-Gontier; and is coincident with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Laval.
The woodlands are mostly small with the deciduous trees dominated by oak. Here roe deer, European badger, fire salamander, Aesculapian snake, middle spotted woodpecker, little owl and white admiral can be found and uncommon plants present including European columbine and wild russet apple.
The dry grasslands, which cover the limestone and sandstone soils, are also rich in fauna and flora. They house the snake Vipera aspis, the Large blue butterfly, the blue-winged grasshopper and the bee orchid. The heathland in the north of Mayenne is populated by Ulex minor and Erica tetralix and there are plenty of spiders, nightjars and . The old quarries are the refuge of bats, amphibians, the Geranium lucidum and greater butterfly orchid. Rivers and ponds are home to eel, northern crested newt, European otter, kingfisher, grass snake, common moorhen and plants such as Ranunculus, Iris pseudacorus, arrowhead and Isopyrum thalictroides, a small poisonous plant.
Industries include the manufacture of linen, paper and hemp, and cider-making is traditionally carried on in the department. Office furniture is manufactured in Château-Gontier, and Laval is active in the industrial sector, with dairy products, electronics and chemicals in a modern science park.
==Tourism==
Principal towns
The most populous commune is Laval, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 7,000 inhabitants:
Laval 49,733 Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne 16,950 Mayenne 12,823 Évron 8,614 Saint-Berthevin 7,353
Demographics
Population development since 1801:
Politics
The president of the Departmental Council is Olivier Richefou, elected in 2014.
Presidential elections 2nd round
2022 Emmanuel Macron LREM 64.21 Marine Le Pen FN 35.79 2017 Emmanuel Macron LREM 72.02 Marine Le Pen FN 27.98 2012 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 53.07 François Hollande PS 46.93 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 55.45 Ségolène Royal PS 44.55 2002 Jacques Chirac RPR 88.59 Jean-Marie Le Pen National Rally 11.41 1995 Jacques Chirac RPR 59.49 Lionel Jospin PS 40.51
Current National Assembly Representatives
Mayenne's 1st constituency Guillaume Garot Socialist Party Mayenne's 2nd constituency Géraldine Bannier MoDem Mayenne's 3rd constituency Yannick Favennec Becot Horizons
Flora and fauna
Mayenne has a diversity of habitat types such as forest, heathland, bog and farmland. Some 1445 species of plants, 63 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 16 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles have been recorded, as well as thousands of species of invertebrates. The peat-lands and bogs are often fringed with woodlands of alder and ash, and in some places carnivorous plants such as sundew and butterwort flourish, fritillaries, Comarum palustre and cottongrass grow and butterflies, dragonflies and spiders abound.
Economy
The department is largely rural with about 80% being used for agriculture, 8% being urban area and the remainder forest, heath and plantations. Livestock farming predominates, with the breeding of cattle, horses and pigs, and also bee-keeping being important. The soil is generally poor, but it is of better quality around Laval and Château-Gontier. In these parts corn is cultivated and there are plantings of hemp, flax, fruits and vines.
There are many apple orchards and large quantities of cider are made. The department is rich in mineral resources; iron and coal are mined and there are quarries for marble, slate, building stone, limestone and flint; the white sand deposits are used in the manufacture of glass.
]]
See also
External links
|
|
