LOIRET

dpartement, Centre rgion, central France, created mainly from the eastern part of historic Orlanais province and situated in the Paris Basin. The Loire River enters in the southeast and describes a sweeping arch, flowing through Gien, Sully, Orlans (q.v.), the capital, and Beaugency. The dpartement takes its name from the short Loiret River, which rises south of Orlans from springs fed by the Loire and joins the main stream 8 miles (13 km) to the west. The Essonne and the Loing, both tributaries of the Seine, flow through the northeast. The Seine is linked to the Loire and its lateral canal by the Loing and Briare canals, constructed in the 17th century and still in use, mostly for coal transport. Loiret has a temperate climate, with an average of 120 days of rain a year. Its highest point is a hill 825 feet (251 m) above sea level on the wooded Sologne plateau, which extends south of the Loire. The lowest point, 174 feet (53 m), is in the undulating Gtinais country in the northeast, in which mixed farming and beekeeping are practiced. In the section of the Beauce Plain in the northwest, wheat, barley, and corn (maize) are cultivated. The great forest of Orlans, in the centre, slopes gradually down to the gentle Loire Valley, which is cultivated intensely; its vineyards account for nearly one-half of France's vinegar production. Loiret has, in particular, benefited from the decentralization of industry away from Paris. Its industry is mainly in the Orlans region, but tires are made in Montargis. Pottery long has been made in Gien, which, like Sully and Beaugency, is a historic town with an ancient chteau. The abbey church of Saint-Benot-sur-Loire is near the basilica of Germigny-des-Prs, which dates in part from the 9th century and has a Byzantine mosaic unique in France. In Bignon (now Le Bignon-Mirabeau) was born the Revolutionary politician Honor Mirabeau. Orlans, Montargis, and Pithiviers give their names to the three arrondissements of Loiret, which is in the educational division of Orlans. Area 2,616 square miles (6,775 square km). Pop. (1990) 580,612.