département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
in the northwest of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, named after the river
Orne
Orne (; nrf, Ôrne or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.Populations légales 2019: 61 Orne INSEE
History
Orne is one of the original 83 départements created during the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the
former provinces
A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature.
A former may become an integral part of the f ...
of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
Girondist
The Girondins ( , ), or Girondists, were members of a loosely knit political faction during the French Revolution. From 1791 to 1793, the Girondins were active in the Legislative Assembly and the National Convention. Together with the Montagnard ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.Sarthe
Sarthe () is a department of the French region of Pays de la Loire, and the province of Maine, situated in the '' Grand-Ouest'' of the country. It is named after the river Sarthe, which flows from east of Le Mans to just north of Angers. It ha ...
,
Manche
Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.Mayenne
Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ill ...
, and
Calvados
Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears.
History In France
Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Nor ...
. It is the only department of Normandy not to border the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
.
Economy
The largest town by a considerable margin is the prefecture, Alençon, which is an administrative and commercial centre for what is still an overwhelmingly rural department. There are no large industrial centres, and agriculture remains the economic focus.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called ''Ornais''.
The recorded population level peaked at 443,688 in 1836. Declining farm incomes and the lure of better prospects in the overseas empire led to a sustained reduction in population levels in many rural departments. By the time of the 1936 census, the recorded population stood at just 269,331. Once motor car ownership started to surge in the 1960s, employment opportunities became less restricted and by 1982, the population level had recovered a little to 295,000, after which it slowly decreased.
Principal towns
The most populous commune is Alençon, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:
Politics
The president of the Departmental Council is Christophe de Balorre, elected in 2017.
Camembert
Camembert (, also , ) is a moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. It is sometimes compared in look and taste to brie cheese, albeit wi ...
, the village where Camembert cheese is made, is located in Orne.
The local dialect is known as ''
Augeron
Augeron is the Norman language, Norman dialect of the Pays d'Auge. It is highly endangered. This dialect includes both coastal and inland areas.
Phonology
Augeron can be characterised by means of its position within the isoglosses that traverse t ...
Château de Domfront
The Château de Domfront is a ruined castle in the town of Domfront, in the Orne département of France.
The Château de Domfront has been protected as a '' monument historique'' by the French Ministry of Culture since 1875. The ruins include t ...
File:Abbaye Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois 2.jpg, Abbey of
Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois
Saint-Evroult-Notre-Dame-du-Bois () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.
The commune is primarily known for the picturesque ruins of the Abbey of Saint-Evroul.
See also
* Communes of the Orne department
The following ...
Camembert
Camembert (, also , ) is a moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. It is sometimes compared in look and taste to brie cheese, albeit wi ...
File:Haras du Pin main.jpg,
Haras national du Pin
The Haras national du Pin is a French national stud located in Le Pin-au-Haras district, in the Orne (61) department of the southern Normandy region. It is the oldest of the French "Haras Nationaux" (National Studs).
History
In 1665, under Lou ...
See also
*
Cantons of the Orne department The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Orne department, in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015 (by alphabetical order):
* L'Aigle
* Alençon-1
* Alençon-2
* Argentan-1
* Argentan- ...
*
Communes of the Orne department
The following is a list of the 385 communes of the Orne department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Arrondissements of the Orne department
The 3 arrondissements of the Orne department are:
# Arrondissement of Alençon, (prefecture of the Orne department: Alençon) with 111 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 86,907 in 2016.
# Arrondissement of Argentan, (subprefect ...