| Vendée | |
|---|---|
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| Coat of arms of the Vendée department | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Department number: | 85 |
| Region: | Pays de la Loire |
| Prefecture: | La Roche-sur-Yon |
| Subprefectures: | Fontenay-le-Comte Les Sables-d'Olonne |
| Arrondissements: | 3 |
| Cantons: | 31 |
| Communes: | 282 |
| President of the General Council: | Philippe de Villiers |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 45th |
| -2004 | 559,888 |
| Population density: | 80/km² |
| Land area¹: | 6720 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². The term administration, as used in the context of Government, differs according to Jurisdiction. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Pays de la Loire is one of the 26 Regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital Nantes A prefecture ( préfecture) in France can refer to: the Chef-lieu de département, the town in which the administration of a ''département'' La Roche-sur-Yon is a town and commune in western France, préfecture (capital of the Vendée département. Subprefectures (sous-préfectures are the administrative towns of arrondissements in France that do not contain the prefecture for its department. Fontenay-le-Comte is a town and commune of western France. It is located in the Vendée département, for which it is the Les Sables-d'Olonne is a seaside town of western France, by the Atlantic Ocean. The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The 3 arrondissements of the Vendée department are Arrondissement of Fontenay-le-Comte, ( subprefecture: Fontenay-le-Comte The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The following is a list of the 31 cantons of the Vendée department, in France, sorted by arrondissement: Arrondissement The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. The following is a list of the 282 communes of the Vendée département, in France. In France, the President of the General Council (French Président du conseil général) is the locally-elected head of the General Council, the assembly Philippe de Villiers (born Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon on March 25, 1949) was the Mouvement pour la France As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open | |
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The Vendée [vɑ̃ˈde] is a department in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department. The Vendée is a small river in western France, right tributary to the river Sèvre Niortaise.
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Administration
In the Vendée, 31 members, elected through universal suffrage, govern the affairs of the department, with 28 members on the right-wing and 3 members on the left-wing. Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities In the Vendée, this assembly is headed by Philippe de Villiers. Philippe de Villiers (born Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon on March 25, 1949) was the Mouvement pour la France
The Prefect represent the French State in the department. A prefect (préfet in France is the State's representative in a department or region. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division
History
- See also: Revolt in the Vendée
The area today called the Vendée was originally known as the Bas-Poitou and is part of the former province of Poitou. The War in Vendée ( 1793 to 1796) was a Civil war in Vendée between Royalists and Republicans during the French Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. In the south-east corner, the village of Nieul-sur-l'Autise is believed to be the birthplace of Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) and was part of her kingdom. For other Eleanors of England see Eleanor of England (disambiguation Eleanor Duchess of Aquitaine (1122&ndash1 April 1204 Eleanor's son, Richard I of England (the Lionheart) often based himself in Talmont. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) turned much of the Vendée into a battleground. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior
Since the Vendée held a considerable number of influential Protestants, including control by Jeanne d'Albret, the region was greatly impacted by the French Wars of Religion which broke out in 1562 and continued until 1598. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Jeanne III or Joan III, known as Jeanne d'Albret (7 January 1528 – 9 June 1572 was Queen regnant of Navarre from 1555 to 1572 wife of The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting Eventually King Henri IV issued the Edict of Nantes and the Wars came to an end. Henry IV (Henri IV ( 13 December 1553 &ndash 14 May 1610) ruled as King of France from 1589 to 1610 and as Henry III The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant the Calvinist Protestants of When the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685, it caused many Huguenots to flee from the Vendée. The Edict of Nantes was issued on April 13, 1598 by Henry IV of France to grant the Calvinist Protestants of The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth
It is also remembered as the place where the peasants revolted against the Revolutionary government in 1793. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an They resented the changes imposed on the Roman Catholic Church by the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) and broke into open revolt in defiance of the Revolutionary government's military conscription. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy ( "Constitution civile du clergé") was a law passed on July 12, 1790 during the French Revolution Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority A guerrilla war, known as the Revolt in the Vendée, led at the outset by an underground faction called the Chouans (tawny owls), cost more than 100,000 lives before it ended in 1796. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc The War in Vendée ( 1793 to 1796) was a Civil war in Vendée between Royalists and Republicans during the French This article deals with the name its origins and usage For the course of the revolt itself see Chouannerie, and for the family in particular see Chouan family
In 1815, when Napoleon returned from Elbe for his Hundred Days, La Vendée refused to recognise him and stayed loyal to King Louis XVIII. The Hundred Days was the period between Napoleon Bonaparte 's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the restoration Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre. General Lamarque led 10,000 men into La Vendée to pacify the region. Jean Maximilien Lamarque (1770–1832 was a French commander during the Napoleonic Wars who later became a member of French Parliament. [1]
In 1850, British author, Anthony Trollope published his book La Vendée, detailing the history of the region and the war. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Anthony Trollope (April 24 1815 – December 6 1882 became one of the most successful prolific and respected English Novelists of the Victorian era. In the preface he pays tribute to Madame de la Rochejaquelein on whose memoirs of the war he based his story. De La Rochejacquelein or De La Rochejaquelein, the name of an ancient French family of the Vendée, celebrated for its devotion to the House of Bourbon
The Revolt in the Vendée is the subject of Ninety-Three (Quatre-vingt-treize), the last novel by the French writer Victor Hugo. The War in Vendée ( 1793 to 1796) was a Civil war in Vendée between Royalists and Republicans during the French Ninety-Three ( Quatrevingt-treize) is the last novel by the French writer Victor Hugo. Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist
In the writings of Karl Marx regarding revolutionary struggles in various countries, he uses the term "a Vendée" as meaning "a focus of persistent counter-revolutionary activities".
Geography & Climate
Vendée's highest point is Mont Mercure (935 feet/285 m).
The department is crossed by four rivers: the Sèvre Nantaise (135 km), the Vendée (70 km), the Lay (110 km) and the Sèvre Niortaise (150 km).
Economy
The primary drivers of the Vendéen economy are:
- Tourism
- Agriculture
- Food Processing
- Light/Medium Industry.
The Vendée has been cited as the most economically dynamic department in France by L'Express magazine in a 2006 survey (L'Express 2006 Survey Results - in French). Its economy is characterised by a low rate of unemployment (around 7% in late 2006 compared to more than 9% nationally) and a very high proportion of small and medium sized businesses (one business for every 14 inhabitants).
Tourism
The coast of the Vendée extends over 160 km of mostly sandy beaches. Coupled with an exceptionally mild climate, these have long attracted large numbers of overseas and domestic tourists. Some popular resorts include Les Sables-d'Olonne, La Tranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-de-Monts. Les Sables-d'Olonne is a seaside town of western France, by the Atlantic Ocean. Saint-Jean-de-Monts is a French commune. It is situated in the Vendée département and the Pays de la Loire Some beaches are "blue flagged" for cleanliness.
Inland, the chief attractions include the Marais Poitevin (an area of marshlands famed for wildlife), the forested area around the village of Mervent, the rolling countryside of the Bocage and the historical theme park at the Puy du Fou. The Marais Poitevin (Poitevin Marsh also known as Venise Verte (Green Venice is a marsh region in Western France, a remnant of the former Puy du Fou is a historical theme park in Les Epesses in the heart of the Vendée region of Western France.
Agriculture
Agriculture remains a significant source of employment in the Vendée. The department has the second highest level of revenue from agriculture in France. The major arable crops grown are maize, colza (oil seed rape), wheat and sunflowers. Meat and dairy production also feature, as does the offshore farming of shellfish (oysters and mussels). Poultry from Challans is highly regarded nationwide as is lamb produced from the salt marshes in the North of the Vendée.
Demonstrating its support for the agricultural sector, the Conseil Général of the Vendée has a stated policy to promote the construction of irrigation reservoirs to reduce dependence on ground water during key summer growing seasons.
Food Processing & Manufacturing
The Vendée is home to a large number of food processing firms, including some nationally important firms. Fleury Michon (in French), a manufacturer of ready-meals and charcuterie employs the vast majority of its workforce (some 3000 people) at plants in the Vendée. Other important employers include bakeries and biscuit producers.
The department also has some speciality products, including a distinctive brioche (now recognised by the "Label Rouge" designation) and a raw cured ham ("Jambon de Vendée) similar in flavour to bacon.
Wine is also produced in the area around the communes of Vix, Brem, Pissotte and Mareuil-sur-Lay, and is marketed under the "Fiefs Vendéens" label. Production quality has improved markedly over recent years, and, having already achieved the appellation V. D. Q. S (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure), the wines are on their way towards A. O. C status (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). Wines of Mareuil
Industry
Much of the manufacturing industry in the Vendée reflects its status as a major tourist destination. Mobile homes are manufactured at plants in Luçon and the building of motor and sail yachts takes place at locations all over the department. Luçon is a commune of the Vendée département, in France. It is the seat of the Diocese of Luçon and Luçon The service sector too is strongly inclined towards tourism with campsites, restaurants and other tourism businesses being important sources of revenue and employment.
Demographics
Vendée's inhabitants are referred to as Vendeans (French Vendéens [vɑ̃ˈdeɛ̃]). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people
- Main towns:
- La Roche-sur-Yon [laʁɔʃsyʀjɔ̃]
- Challans [ʃɑlɑ̃]
- Les Herbiers [lezɛʁʙje]
- Les Sables-d'Olonne [lesɑʙdolɔn]
- Fontenay-le-Comte [ɸɔ̃tnɛlkɔ̃t]
Culture
With more than 100 miles of sandy beaches edged with dunes and pine woods, and a very mild climate, Vendée is today a popular tourist destination. La Roche-sur-Yon is a town and commune in western France, préfecture (capital of the Vendée département. Challans is a commune of the Vendée département in France. Les Herbiers is a municipality in the Vendée département of the Pays de la Loire region of France. Les Sables-d'Olonne is a seaside town of western France, by the Atlantic Ocean. Fontenay-le-Comte is a town and commune of western France. It is located in the Vendée département, for which it is the There is an extensive nude beach just south of La Faute sur Mer on the Pointe d'Arçay. A nude beach (British English naturist or nudist beach) is a Beach where users are legally at liberty to be nude. The department also boasts many churches and abbeys, museums, and - for nature lovers - there are thousands of marked footpaths, a signposted bicycle route running along the coastal mudflats, and marshes that attract unusual birds. Fishing is popular in the ocean or in the Vendée's rivers and lakes.
Gastronomy:
- Jambon-mogettes ( Ham and white beans) is the most famous Vendean dish.
- The department is the largest brioche producer in France, with the Brioche de Vendée made in the Bocage. Bocage is a Norman word which has entered both the French and English languages
- In the Plain of Luçon, préfou is a garlic bread that can be served as an aperitif. Luçon is a commune of the Vendée département, in France. It is the seat of the Diocese of Luçon and Luçon An apéritif (also spelled aperitif) is an alcoholic drink that is usually served to stimulate the appetite before a meal *In the marshland of the North-West, the poultry of Challans, especially duck, is well-known in the gastronomic world. In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. For duck as a food see Duck (food; for other meanings see Duck (disambiguation.
- The department has several small vineyards, around Brem, Mareuil, Vix, and Pissotte. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic Brem is the traditional Rice wine from the island of Bali. It is consumed and holds important use in temple ceremonies Mareuil is the name or part of the name of the following communes in France Mareuil Charente, in the Charente department Mareuil Dordogne VIX is the Ticker symbol for the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, a popular measure of the Implied volatility of S&P 500 index Pissotte is a Village and commune of the Vendée département in France.
See also
- Cantons of the Vendée department
- Communes of the Vendée department
- Arrondissements of the Vendée department
- Ninety-Three (a novel by Victor Hugo)
- Revolt in the Vendée (counter-revolt to the French Revolution)
- Puy du Fou (a historical theme park)
- Vendée Globe
References
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition Waterloo Campaign
External links
- (French) General council website
- (French) Prefecture website
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