Charente
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Please expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French Wikipedia. (December 2008) After translating, {{Translated|fr|Charente}} must be added to the talk page to ensure copyright compliance.Translation instructions · Translate via Google |
| Charente | |
|---|---|
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| Coat of Arms of Charente | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Department number: | 16 |
| Region: | Poitou-Charentes |
| Prefecture: | Angoulême |
| Subprefectures: | Cognac Confolens |
| Arrondissements: | 3 |
| Cantons: | 35 |
| Communes: | 404 |
| President of the General Council: | Michel Boutant PS |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 66th |
| -1999 | 339,628 |
| Population density: | 57/km2 |
| Land area¹: | 5956 km2 |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2. | |
Charente (Saintongeais: Chérente, Occitan: Charanta) is a department in southwestern France named after the Charente River.
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[edit] History
Charente is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the former province of Angoumois, west and south of Saintonge.
[edit] Geography
The department is part of the current region of Poitou-Charentes. It is surrounded by the departments of Vienne, Haute-Vienne, Dordogne, Charente-Maritime, and Deux-Sèvres. It contains part of the geographical regions of Poitou and Limousin. Its capital is Angoulême.
[edit] Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called Charentais.
[edit] Politics
The President of the General Council is Michel Boutant of the Socialist Party.
| Party | seats | |
|---|---|---|
| • | Socialist Party | 15 |
| Union for a Popular Movement | 6 | |
| Miscellaneous Right | 6 | |
| • | Miscellaneous Left | 6 |
| • | French Communist Party | 2 |
[edit] Economy
Cognac and pineau are two of the major agricultural products. They also produce excellent butter. But the Charentaise slipper is the 2nd most well-known product (after cognac).
[edit] See also
- Cantons of the Charente department
- Communes of the Charente department
- Arrondissements of the Charente department
[edit] External links
- (French) Prefecture website
- (French) General Council website
- (English) Official Charente Tourist Board
