PAYS DE LA LOIRE

rgion, western France. It encompasses the dpartements of Mayenne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Vende, and Loire-Atlantique. The capital is Nantes. The region is bounded by the dpartements of Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Manche, and Orne to the north, Eure-et-Loir to the northeast, Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire to the east, and Vienne, Deux-Svres, and Charente to the south. The Bay of Biscay lies to the west. The Massif Armoricain extends into Mayenne and Loire Atlantique and the northern fringes of Vende and Maine-et-Loire. Sarthe and eastern Maine-et-Loire belong to the Paris Basin. The massif of Vende rises in the south. The Loire River flows east to west. An oceanic climate prevails. The population remained static between 1851 and 1946, in distinction to the general trend of rural population loss in France during this period; it has subsequently increased. Demographic recovery has favoured the Loire River valley between Saumur and Saint-Nazaire, and the agglomerations of Angers and Nantes. Emigration has depleted the population of inland Vende, northern Maine-et-Loire, and Mayenne and Sarthe outside Laval and Le Mans. The rural population density is relatively high, with the result that farms in general are small. Soils tend to be acid and heavy; lime and fertilizers are widely used. Viticulture is concentrated in Maine-et-Loire around the towns of Souzay-Champigny, Brissac-Quinc, and Quarts-de-Chaume. Animal husbandry dominates agriculture, and the region is a leading producer of milk, beef, and pork. Ducks are raised along the Atlantic coast. Fishing ports include Pornic and Le Croisic in Loire-Atlantique, and Les Sables-d'Olonne in Vende. Iron is mined at Segr in Maine-et-Loire and at Roug in Loire-Atlantique; Gtign in Loire-Atlantique produces uranium. The region's manufactures are diverse and include ships, automobiles, and textiles. Area 12,387 square miles (32,082 square km). Pop. (1991 est.) 3,072,300.