|
Centre-Val De Loire
Centre-Val de Loire (, , ,In isolation, ''Centre'' is pronounced . ) or Centre Region (french: région Centre, link=no, ), as it was known until 2015, is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior of the country, with a population of 2,572,853 as of 2018. Its prefecture is Orléans, and its largest city is Tours. Naming and etymology Like many contemporary regions of France, the region of Centre-Val de Loire was created from parts of historical provinces: , and . First, the name was chosen by the government purely on the basis of geography, in reference to its location in northwest-central France (the central part of the original French language area). However, Centre is not situated in the geographical centre of France (except the Cher department); the name was criticised as being too dull and nondescript. Proposed names for the region included after the Loire Valley (the main feature of the region) or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regions Of France
France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (french: régions, singular ), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collectivities, which have a semi-autonomous status). All of the thirteen metropolitan administrative regions (including Corsica ) are further subdivided into two to thirteen administrative departments, with the prefect of each region's administrative centre's department also acting as the regional prefect. The overseas regions administratively consist of only one department each and hence also have the status of overseas departments. Most administrative regions also have the status of regional territorial collectivities, which comes with a local government, with departmental and communal collectivities below the region level. The exceptions are Corsica, French Guiana, Mayotte and Martinique, where region and department functions are mana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of French Regions And Overseas Collectivities By GDP
This article lists French regions and overseas collectivities by gross domestic product (GDP). Introduction INSEE and affiliate statistical offices in the overseas collectivities produce estimates of GDP in France's 13 regions and 5 overseas collectivities every year, and in some overseas collectivities where GDP estimates are made only every few years. In 2011, France (whose territory in the national accounts refers to Metropolitan France plus the four old overseas regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Réunion, but excludes Mayotte and the six overseas collectivities) had a GDP of US$2,778 bn, 98.2% of which was produced in Metropolitan France, and 1.8% in the four overseas regions. Dynamics Île-de-France (the Paris Region) has a much higher GDP per capita than the rest of France, due to its position as one of the "command centres" for the global economy, as well as its relatively low share of retirees. Outside Île-de-France, the 12 other regions of Metr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Châteaux Of The Loire Valley
The châteaux of the Loire Valley (french: châteaux de la Loire) are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Montsoreau, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the river Loire in France. They illustrate Renaissance ideals of design in France. The châteaux of the Loire Valley number over three hundred, ranging from practical fortified castles from the 10th century to splendid residences built half a millennium later. When the French kings began constructing their huge châteaux in the Loire Valley, the nobility, drawn to the seat of power, followed suit, attracting the finest architects and landscape designers. The châteaux and their surrounding gardens are cultural monuments which embody the ideals of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Many of the châteaux were built on hilltops, such as the Château d'Amboise, while the only one built in the riverbed is the Château de Montsoreau. Many had exquisite churches on the grounds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Langues D'oïl
The ''langues d'oïl'' (; ) are a dialect continuum that includes standard French and its closest autochthonous relatives historically spoken in the northern half of France, southern Belgium, and the Channel Islands. These belong to the larger category of Gallo-Romance languages, which also include the historical languages of east-central France and western Switzerland, southern France, portions of northern Italy, and the Val d'Aran in Spain. Linguists divide the Romance languages of France, and especially of Medieval France, into two main geographical subgroups: the ''langues d'oïl'' to the North, and the '' langues d'oc'' in the Southern half of France. Both groups are named after the word for "yes" in them or their recent ancestral languages. The most common modern ''langue d'oïl'' is standard French, in which the ancestral "oïl" has become "oui". Terminology ''Langue d'oïl'' (in the singular), ''Oïl dialects'' and ''Oïl languages'' (in the plural) designate the a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geography Of France
The geography of France consists of a terrain that is mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the north and west and mountainous in the south (including the Massif Central and the Pyrenees) and the east (the highest points being in the Alps). Metropolitan France has a total size of (Europe only). It is the third largest country in Europe by area (after Russia and Ukraine) and the largest in Western Europe. Physical geography of Metropolitan France Climate The French metropolitan territory is relatively large, so the climate is not uniform, giving rise to the following climate nuances: *The hot-summer mediterranean climate (''Csa'') is found along the Gulf of Lion. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are mild and wet. Cities affected by this climate: Arles, Avignon, Fréjus, Hyères, Marseille, Menton, Montpellier, Nice, Perpignan, Toulon. *The warm-summer mediterranean climate (''Csb'') is found in the northern part of Brittany. Summers are warm and dry, while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Placename Etymology
In much of the "Old World" (approximately Africa, Asia and Europe) the names of many places cannot easily be interpreted or understood; they do not convey any apparent meaning in the modern language of the area. This is due to a general set of processes through which place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost. In contrast, in the "New World" (roughly North America, South America, and Australasia), many place names' origins are known. Although the origin of many place names is now forgotten, it is often possible to establish likely meanings through consideration of early forms of the name. Some general conclusions about the nature of place names, and the way in which place names change, can be made and are examined below. It is also possible to distinguish regional trends and differences in the naming of places, as is also discussed below. Types of place name There are several clearly definable types of place name, the primary division being between the n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Berry, France
The Duchy of Berry (; ; ) was a former province located in central France. It was a province of France until departments replaced the provinces on 4 March 1790, when Berry became divided between the ''départements'' of Cher (Upper Berry) and Indre (Lower Berry). History Berry is notable as the birthplace of several kings and other members of the French royal family, and was the birthplace of the knight Baldwin Chauderon, who fought in the First Crusade. In the Middle Ages, Berry became the center of the Duchy of Berry's holdings. It is also known for an illuminated manuscript produced in the 14th–15th century called '' Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry''. In later times, the writer George Sand spent much of her life at her Berry estate in Nohant, and Berry's landscape and specific culture figure in much of Sand's writings. The Duchy was governed by the Duke/Duchess of Berry, who after 1601 was a senior member of the French royal family. The title of 'Duke of Berry' wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orléanais
The Duchy of Orléanais () is a former province of France, which was created during the Renaissance by merging four former counties and towns. However after the French Revolution, the province was dissolved in 1791 and succeeded by five ''départments'' (less some communes to others). Dukedom The Duchy of Orléanais was created in 1344 by raising the former County of Orléans to a Dukedom under King Philip VI for his second son Philip de Valois. With the creation of the duchy, several localities around the former county were also integrated, they included the County of Beaugency and the Seigneurities of Neuville-aux-Bois, Yèvre-le-Châtel, Châteauneuf-en-Thymerais, Lorris, and Boiscommun. In 1375, Prince Philip died without a legitimate heir, the title of 'Duke of Orléans' and the duchy itself were merged into the royal domain (crown lands) of the King of France. In 1392, the duchy was re-created by King Charles VI for his younger brother Louis de Valois-Orléans. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Touraine
Touraine (; ) is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher, Indre and Vienne. Geography Traversed by the river Loire and its tributaries the Cher, the Indre and the Vienne, Touraine makes up a part of the western Paris Basin. It is well known for its viticulture. The TGV high-speed train system, which connects Tours with Paris (200 kilometers away) in just over an hour, has made Touraine a place of residence for people who work in the French capital but seek a different quality of life. History Touraine takes its name from a Celtic tribe called the Turones, who inhabited the region about two thousand years ago. In 1044, the control of Touraine was given to the Angevins, who (as the House of Plantagenet) became kings of England in 1154, the castle of Chinon being their greatest stronghold. In 1205, Philip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Province Of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until the National Constituent Assembly adopted a more uniform division into departments (''départements'') and districts in late 1789. The provinces continued to exist administratively until 21 September 1791. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England. They came into their final form over the course of many hundreds of years, as many dozens of semi-independent fiefs and former independent countries came to be incorporated into the French royal domain. Because of the manner in which the provinces evolved, each had its own sets of feudal traditions, laws, taxation systems and courts; the system represented an impediment to effective administration of the entire country from Paris. During the early years of the French Revolution, in an attempt to centralise the administration of the whole country and to remove the influence of the French nobility over the country, the entirety of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
