History
Like 82 other departments, Mayenne was created on 4 March 1790 during the early stages of the French Revolution by order of the National Constituent Assembly (France), National Constituent Assembly. The new departments were to be uniformly administered and approximately equal to one another in size and population. The former province of Maine was partitioned into two, Upper Maine, centred on Le Mans, became the new department of Sarthe, and Lower Maine, centred on Laval became the new department of Mayenne. Duchy of Anjou, Anjou, to the south, being too big to form a single department, was reduced in size and became Maine-et-Loire. In this partition, Sarthe received the region of La Flèche, and Mayenne received Château-Gontier and Craon, Mayenne, Craon. Flax was a feature of the Mayenne economy, and the southern limit for the cultivation of flax was used to determine the new border between Mayenne and Maine-et-Loire. The American first army's 90th Infantry Division were tasked with capturing the town in 1944.Geography
Mayenne is a department in northwestern France and is part of the region of Pays de la Loire. The department does not have a sea coast, but about thirty kilometres to the northwest is Mont Saint-Michel Bay. The capital and largest town is Laval, Mayenne, Laval in the centre of the department. To the north lies the department of Orne, to the east lies Sarthe, to the south lies Maine-et-Loire, to the west lies Ille-et-Vilaine and to the northwest lies Manche. The department forms a roughly rectangular shape, being long by wide, with a total area of about . The river Mayenne (river), Mayenne flows centrally through it from north to south, passing through the towns of Mayenne, Mayenne, Mayenne, Laval and Château-Gontier. After leaving the department, the river joins the river Sarthe (river), Sarthe to form the Maine (river), Maine which later joins the Loire. The department is varied in topography. Much of it is largely flat, but there are also hilly areas, some with steep-sided valleys and ravines. Of the total area of , some are arable, are grassland, are forests and woodland and are heathland and moorland. To the north lies the Armorican Massif, a plateau that has been eroded over time, the highest summit of which, the Mont des Avaloirs, is the highest point in the department at above sea level. A branch range to the south of this plateau forms the ridge that divides the Mayenne Valley from the Vilaine Valley. The department is subdivided into three arrondissements: Mayenne, Laval, and Château-Gontier; and is coincident with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Laval.Principal towns
The most populous commune is Laval, Mayenne, Laval, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 7,000 inhabitants:Demographics
Population development since 1801:Politics
The president of the Departmental Council is Olivier Richefou, elected in 2014.Presidential elections 2nd round
Current National Assembly Representatives
Flora and fauna
Mayenne has a diversity of habitat types such as forest, heathland, bog and farmland. Some 1445 species of plants, 63 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 16 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles have been recorded, as well as thousands of species of invertebrates. The peat-lands and bogs are often fringed with woodlands of alder and ash, and in some places carnivorous plants such as sundew and butterwort flourish, Fritillaria meleagris, fritillaries, Comarum palustre, marsh cinquefoil and Eriophorum angustifolium, cottongrass grow and butterflies, dragonflies and spiders abound. The woodlands are mostly small with the deciduous trees dominated by oak. Here roe deer, European badger, badger, fire salamander, Aesculapian snake, middle spotted woodpecker, little owl and Limenitis camilla, white admiral can be found and uncommon plants present including Aquilegia vulgaris, European columbine and wild russet apple. The dry grasslands, which cover the limestone and sandstone soils, are also rich in fauna and flora. They house the snake ''Vipera aspis'', the Large blue butterfly, the Oedipoda caerulescens, blue-winged grasshopper and the bee orchid. The heathland in the north of Mayenne is populated by Ulex minor, dwarf gorse and Erica tetralix, cross-leaved heath and there are plenty of spiders, European nightjar, nightjars and warblers. The old quarries are the refuge of bats, amphibians, the Geranium lucidum, shining cranesbill and Platanthera chlorantha, greater butterfly orchid. Rivers and ponds are home to eel, northern crested newt, European otter, common kingfisher, kingfisher, grass snake, common moorhen and plants such as Ranunculus, spearwort, Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag, Sagittaria sagittifolia, arrowhead and ''Isopyrum thalictroides'', a small poisonous plant.Economy
The department is largely rural with about 80% being used for agriculture, 8% being urban area and the remainder forest, heath and plantations. Livestock farming predominates, with the breeding of cattle, horses and pigs, and also bee-keeping being important. The soil is generally poor, but it is of better quality around Laval and Château-Gontier. In these parts corn is cultivated and there are plantings of hemp, flax, fruits and vines. There are many apple orchards and large quantities of cider are made. The department is rich in mineral resources; iron and coal are mined and there are quarries for marble, slate, building stone, limestone and flint; the white sand deposits are used in the manufacture of glass. Industries include the manufacture of linen, paper and hemp, and cider-making is traditionally carried on in the department. Office furniture is manufactured in Château-Gontier, and Laval is active in the industrial sector, with dairy products, electronics and chemicals in a modern science park.Tourism
See also
* Cantons of the Mayenne department * Communes of the Mayenne department * Arrondissements of the Mayenne department * Duke of Mayenne *Departmental Council of MayenneReferences
External links
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