BASSE-NORMANDIE

rgion, encompassing the northwestern French dpartements of Orne, Calvados, and Manche and coextensive with western Normandy (q.v.). The capital is Caen. The region has an area of 6,791 square miles (17,589 square km) and is bounded by the dpartements of Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, and Sarthe to the south and Eure-et-Loir and Eure to the east. Manche and Calvados face the English Channel. The uplands of the Massif Armoricain extend into Manche and western Calvados and Orne; eastern Calvados and Orne belong to the Paris Basin. A humid climate prevails, with annual precipitation in the Cotentin peninsula of Manche approaching 35 inches (900 mm). Basse-Normandie is sparsely inhabited. The process of rural depopulation, which characterized much of France in the 19th and early 20th centuries, was especially pronounced in Basse-Normandie, whose population declined by more than 38 percent between 1851 and 1946. It has subsequently grown, and most of the recovery has occurred in Calvados, which has benefited from the growth of Caen. There is a large rural population. Animal husbandry dominates agriculture. Grainfields around Caen have been converted to pastures for beef cattle, and the regions of Auge in Calvados and Perche in Orne are major producers of beef. Artificial insemination is widely used to improve dairy herds. Camembert cheese is produced in Orne; Pont-l'vque and Livarot in Calvados also produce fine cheeses. Large numbers of horses are raised in Manche. Port-en-Bassin in Calvados and Cherbourg are major fishing ports. Industries are concentrated around Caen, whose manufactures include electronic goods and Citron automobiles. The production of iron, which is concentrated around Caen in May-sur-Orne, Soumont, and Potigny, is in decline. Orne has benefited from the decentralization of Parisian industries since 1950. Tourism is being developed along the coast of Calvados between Honfleur and Cabourg. Pop. (1982) 1,350,979.