SEINE-ET-MARNE

dpartement, le-de-France rgion, northern France. Extending east and south from the outer suburbs of Paris, it was created in 1790 from parts of the historic provinces of le-de-France and Champagne. The Marne River, flowing toward Paris, crosses the northern part of the dpartement east-west through Meaux; it is joined from the north by the Ourcq River and from the south by the Grand Morin River. The Seine River, before flowing northwest toward Paris, traverses the south in a sweeping arch, passing through Montereau-faut-Yonne, skirting the Fontainebleau Forest, and flowing through Melun, the dpartement's capital. The fertile river valleys provide vegetables, fruit, and dairy products for the Paris markets. Between the Marne and the Seine, the plateau of Briein which large, highly mechanized farms produce cereals, fodder, potatoes, livestock, and sugar beetscovers more than half the dpartement. The climate is generally mild. Industrial centres in Seine-et-Marne include Melun, Montereau-faut-Yonne, Nemours, and Nangis. Food processing, chemicals, and the manufacture of electrical equipment are the main industries. The western part of the dpartement, which has been affected by the urban spread of Paris, is still a popular area for weekend excursions. The chteaus of Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, and Champs, surrounded by parks and open to the public, are among the notable historic buildings. The region was the scene of fierce fighting during World War I, when the German advance in 1914 was repulsed on the Marne and the Ourcq. The dpartement has five arrondissements: Melun, Meaux, Provins, Fontainebleau, and Noisiel. Area 2,284 square miles (5,915 square km). Pop. (1990) 1,078,944; (1994 est.) 1,171,313.