Charente-Maritime Communes Articles Needing Translation From French Wikipedia

Charente-Maritime (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Chérente-Marine''; ) is a department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on the country's west coast. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kilometres (2,650 sq mi).

History

The history of the department begins with a decree from the Constituent Assembly on December 22, 1789, which took effect on March 4, 1790, creating it as one of the 83 original departments during the French Revolution. Named “Charente-Inférieure” after the lower course of the Charente, it was renamed Charente-Maritime on September 4, 1941, during World War II, reflecting its Atlantic coast identity. The department encompasses most of the former province of Saintonge (excluding Cognaçais and Barbezilien, part of Charente, and the duchy-pairie of Frontenay-Rohan-Rohan, in Deux-Sèvres), nearly all of Aunis, and the Pays d'Aulnay from Poitou.

Evidence of human settlement dates back to the Paleolithic era, with the Celtic Santon tribe settling during the La Tène period, fostering trade and crafts. Romanization after the Gallic War led to the rise of Mediolanum Santonum (Saintes), the capital of Augustan Aquitaine. Initially designated the prefecture in 1790 (having been Saintonge’s capital), Saintes lost this status in 1810 when Napoleon decreed its transfer to La Rochelle. The region, under Merovingian and Carolingian rule, oscillated between kingdom and duchy status until Carolingian decline spurred instability, shaping Aunis’ distinct identity.In the 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitaine’s remarriage tied the region to the Plantagenet domain, boosting trade with England despite revolts. The Hundred Years' War brought devastation, ending with the French recapture of Montguyon in 1451. The 16th century saw the Reformation and Wars of Religion divide Aunis and Saintonge. The French Revolution raised hopes but faltered with events like the Rochefort pontoons, amid tensions between the Vendée, the German Army occupied the department, integrating it into German military administration in occupied France during World War II, occupied France. The Organisation Todt built Atlantic Wall, sea defences, including Bunker, pillboxes along the presqu'île d'Arvert and Oléron island, to counter Allied landings. The war’s end saw German resistance pockets at La Rochelle and Royan; Royan was nearly destroyed by an Royal Air Force, RAF raid on January 5, 1945, and liberated by the French Forces of the Interior in April, while La Rochelle was freed on May 9, 1945.

Prehistory

Paleolithic

Human occupation in present-day Charente-Maritime dates to the Lower Paleolithic (Acheulean), evidenced by bifaces found near Gémozac and Pons along the Seugne and Soute rivers, and an Acheulean lithic industry at ''Les Thibauderies'' near Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge. The Middle Paleolithic saw Mousterian, Mousterian civilizations flourish, with artifacts unearthed in the Charente valley (e.g., Gros-Roc cave at Le Douhet, Douhet and sites at Port-d'Envaux and Saint-Sever-de-Saintonge). In 1979, a Neanderthal skeleton found at Roche à Pierrot in Saint-Césaire (dated to ~36,300 years ago) confirmed overlap with Cro-Magnons, leading to the Paléosite center’s opening in 2005. Notable Aurignacian and Magdalenian finds include three engraved stones from Saint-Porchaire’s caves, the oldest (1924) depicting mammoths. Solutrean flint points were also discovered at Saint-Germain-du-Seudre and Bois, Charente-Maritime, Bois.

Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic “revolution” arrived in the Charente region around the 6th millennium BC, marked by settled agriculture, animal husbandry, and crafts like ceramics. The Middle Neolithic introduced the Chasséen culture, Chassean culture and megalithic monuments, including dolmens and menhirs, such as the Pierre-Levée dolmen at La Vallée, Charente-Maritime, La Vallée, Pierre-Folle alley at Montguyon, and the largest menhir at Chives, Charente-Maritime, Chives (Viviers-Jusseau). In the 4th–3rd millennia BC, the Matignons (e.g., Oléron, Ile d'Oléron, Soubise, Charente-Maritime, Soubise) and Peu-Richard (Thénac, Charente-Maritime, Thénac, Barzan, Charente-Maritime, Barzan) civilizations built fortified camps. By the early 3rd millennium BC, the Artenacian culture, Artenac civilization emerged, introducing copper metallurgy.

Antiquity

The Santoni

From the Bronze Age, Saintonge inhabitants maintained trade with the Atlantic arc, evidenced by bronze objects in the Meschers deposit. In the early Iron Age, a tomb at Courcoury with Mediterranean imports (Etruscan basin, Greek bowl) highlights broader connections. During the La Tène period, the Santoni (tribe), Santoni established the Pons oppidum as their political and trading hub, a key example of Oppidum, oppida civilization. This rural, hierarchical society featured self-sufficient villages and necropolises. Along the coast, they produced sea salt, while at Novioregum (Barzan, Charente-Maritime, Barzan), an Emporium (antiquity), emporium facilitated trade with the Ancient Rome, Romans via the Gironde estuary.

High Roman Empire and Gallo-Roman Period

The Gallic War (58–51 BC), sparked by Julius Caesar’s intervention against the Helvetii, Helvetians, saw mixed Santon involvement: their fleet aided the Romans against the Venetians (56 BC), yet some joined Vercingetorix at Battle of Gergovia, Gergovia and Battle of Alesia, Alesia. Post-conquest, under Augustus, the Santons’ territory became part of the Gallia Aquitania, province of Aquitaine, with Mediolanum Santonum (Saintes) as its first capital, boasting monuments like the Arch of Germanicus, votive arch and amphitheater. Novioregum (Barzan, Charente-Maritime, Barzan) emerged as a major port, exporting goods like wine (reallowed by Probus (emperor), Probus in 276) and ''santonine'' absinthe. Roman infrastructure, including roads to Burdigala (Bordeaux) and Limonum (Poitiers), and structures like the Pirelonge tower at Saint-Romain-de-Benet, enriched the region.

Late Roman Empire and First Barbarian Invasions

From the late 3rd century, barbarian invasions disrupted Santonia: ''Novioregum'' was destroyed in 256, and ''Mediolanum Santonum'' and Pons, Charente-Maritime, Pons were burned in 276 by the Alemanni, Alamanni. Saintes retreated behind ramparts, shrinking significantly. In 285, Diocletian Lewis, Diocletian reorganized it into Aquitaine Seconde, diminishing Saintes’ role. Christianity emerged, led by Eutropius of Saintes, Eutrope, the first bishop, though its spread was slow until the 5th century. After the Western Roman Empire’s fall in 476, Vandals and Alans plundered the region, ending its Gallo-Roman prosperity.

Early modern period

Early Middle Ages

In 418, a ''fœdus'' between Visigoth king Wallia and Roman emperor Honorius, Flavius Honorius allowed Visigoths to settle in Aquitaine II, including Saintonge, forming the Visigothic Kingdom, Visigothic kingdom with Toulouse as its capital. They occupied the region until 507, leaving toponymic traces like Goutrolles and Aumagne. Frankish king Clovis I, Clovis ousted them after defeating Alaric II, Alaric at Vouillé. In 584, Gundoald, Gondovald briefly ruled a Merovingian kingdom of Aquitaine, supported by Bishop Palladius of Saintes. A second kingdom under Charibert II, Caribert II became a duchy after his death, with Odo the Great, Eudes resisting Saracen incursions in 732, halted by Charles Martel near Poitiers. Charlemagne established a new kingdom of Aquitaine in 781 for his son Louis. Viking raids began in 843, devastating Royan, Saujon, Saintes (845, 863), and Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Saint-Jean-d’Angély (865), weakening Carolingian control and fostering feudalism. By the 10th century, Aunis split from Saintonge, with castles like Broue built for defense.

Late Middle Ages

La Rochelle grew in the 12th century under the Duke of Aquitaine, Dukes of Aquitaine, gaining a communal charter from Henry II of England, Henry II in 1175 and boosting trade with the Hanseatic League. Saintonge and Aunis prospered from salt, wine, and stone exports. The Via Turonensis pilgrimage route spurred religious growth, with a hospice in Pons and a basilica for Eutropius of Saintes, Eutropius in Saintes. In 1137, Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the region, marrying Louis VII of France, Louis VII, then Henry II of England, Henry Plantagenet in 1152, tying Aquitaine to England. Her Rolls of Oléron, Roles of Oléron maritime code emerged in 1169. Rebellions in 1174 and sieges like Saintes strained Plantagenet rule. After John, King of England, John’s contested reign, Philip II of France, Philippe Auguste seized most of Saintonge and Aunis by 1204, though La Rochelle resisted until 1224 under Louis VIII of France, Louis VIII. The Battle of Taillebourg (1242) saw Louis IX of France, Louis IX defeat Henry III of England, Henry III, solidified by the Treaty of Paris (1259).

Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War began when Edward III of England, Edward III claimed the French throne in 1337, sparking the “Saintonge Wars.” In 1345, Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster, Henry of Lancaster raided Saintonge, capturing key towns. The Black Death (1347) paused fighting, but in 1351, John II of France, John II retook Saint-Jean-d’Angély. The Treaty of Brétigny (1360) ceded Saintonge and Aunis to Edward the Black Prince, Edward of Woodstock, but Charles V of France, Charles V’s forces, led by Bertrand du Guesclin, Du Guesclin, reversed this. The Battle of La Rochelle (1372) and subsequent sieges secured French control by 1374. After truces, Charles VII of France, Charles VII’s reconquest ended with the siege of Montguyon (1451) and the Battle of Castillon (1453), leaving the region devastated.

Early modern period

Renaissance

Post-war recovery in Saintonge and Aunis was rapid, with lords granting land to peasants, spurring population growth and agricultural revival. Louis XI confirmed communal charters, and towns like Marennes, Charente-Maritime, Marennes (1452) and Jonzac (1473) gained fair rights. La Rochelle’s trade flourished, welcoming foreign ships despite plagues (1500–1515) and a 1518 hurricane. In 1542, Francis I of France, François I’s attempt to impose the ''gabelle'' tax on salt sparked revolt, initially subdued by Gaspard de Saulx, but he granted amnesty after arriving in La Rochelle. The ''Revolt of the Pitauds, Jacquerie des Pitauds'' erupted in 1548, spreading regionally; rebels seized Pons, Saintes, and Royan, but Anne de Montmorency, 1st Duke of Montmorency, Anne de Montmorency’s harsh repression crushed it, though Henry II of France, Henri II later restored the old tax system in 1555. Cod fishing grew from ports like La Tremblade and Royan by 1546, and Jacopolis-sur-Brouage was founded in 1555 as a salt trade hub.

The Reformation

The Reformation gained traction in Aunis and Saintonge after Martin Luther’s 1517 ''Ninety-five Theses, 95 Theses'', fueled by clerical abuses and trade with Protestant Northern Europe. John Calvin briefly preached in Saintonge in 1534 as Charles d’Espeville. Coastal areas like Marennes, Charente-Maritime, Marennes and Oléron became Reformed strongholds. Repression began in 1548, with public penance in La Rochelle and executions in 1552. Protestant churches emerged, including La Rochelle (1557) and Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Saint-Jean-d’Angély (1558), though leaders like Philibert Hamelin faced execution. Tensions escalated with the 1562 Massacre of Vassy, igniting the Wars of Religion.

Wars of Religion

La Rochelle’s growing Calvinist population led to the 1562 Edict of toleration, Edict of Toleration by Charles IX of France, Charles IX, but the Massacre of Vassy sparked uprisings led by Louis I, Prince of Condé, Louis de Condé. Iconoclastic attacks hit Saint-Jean-d’Angély’s abbey in 1562. The Edict of Amboise (1563) ended the first war. In 1565, Charles IX visited Saintes and La Rochelle, noting Protestant resistance. By 1567, La Rochelle became a Protestant stronghold under mayor François Ponsard, François Pontard, aligning with Condé. The Battle of Jarnac (1569) killed Condé, but the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Edict of Saint-Germain (1570) made La Rochelle a Protestant safe haven. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre (1572) led to the Siege of La Rochelle (1572–1573), Siege of La Rochelle, which ended in 1573. Later wars saw Henry IV of France, Henri de Navarre lead Protestants, culminating in the Edict of Nantes (1598), designating La Rochelle and others as security strongholds.

17th century

From the Edict of Nantes to the Assassination of Henri IV

Under Henry IV of France, Henri IV, the Edict of Nantes (1598) brought civil peace, though tensions persisted between Catholics and Protestants. Tax increases, like the 1602 “''pancarte''” extension, sparked revolts in Aunis and Saintonge, with La Rochelle’s privileges causing regional envy. Henri IV ordered land reclamation in Marans, Charente-Maritime, Marans’ marshes, led by Flemish and Brabantine experts. Explorers Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, Pierre Dugua de Mons and Samuel de Champlain from Saintonge founded Québec in 1608, boosting New France migration. Henri IV’s assassination in 1610 raised Protestant fears under regent Marie de' Medici, Marie de Médicis, who favored Catholics, prompting leaders like Henry III of France, Henri II de Rohan to emerge.

Aunis and Saintonge Under the Reign of Louis XIII

From 1615–1620, Aunis and Saintonge saw skirmishes due to Louis XIII’s pro-Spanish policies and Catholic restoration in Navarre, inciting Protestant unrest. In 1621, Louis XIII besieged Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Saint-Jean-d’Angély, defended by Benjamin, Duke of Soubise, Benjamin de Soubise, capturing it after a month, abolishing privileges, and razing defenses. Pons surrendered, but Royan’s 1622 siege ended with its destruction. La Rochelle resisted longer, facing a year-long blockade.

Siege of La Rochelle (1627-1628)

La Rochelle, dubbed the “metropolis of heresy” by Cardinal Richelieu, defied Louis XIII, leading to the 1622 Treaty of Montpellier, which faltered over Fort-Louis’ demolition. Renewed conflict in 1625 saw Jean Guiton’s fleet lose to Henri de Montmorency, 4th Duke of Montmorency, Henri II de Montmorency, and Saint-Martin-de-Ré fell. In 1627, England’s George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, Duke of Buckingham blockaded Île de Ré, while Richelieu’s siege of La Rochelle, with a dike blocking sea access, began. Famine and disease reduced the population from 28,000 to 5,000, forcing surrender on October 28, 1628.

The Peace of Alès and the Counter-Reformation

The Peace of Alès (1629) stripped Protestants of safe havens but allowed worship, though the Counter-Reformation pushed Catholic resurgence with Jesuit colleges and church restorations. In 1648, the diocese of La Rochelle was created, converting its grand temple into a cathedral. By 1660, 80,000 Protestants remained in Saintonge and Aunis.

The Reign of Louis XIV and the 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes

Louis XIV intensified Protestant persecution with dragonnades, taxes, and temple destruction, culminating in the 1685 Edict of Fontainebleau, revoking the Edict of Nantes. Clandestine “desert church” gatherings persisted, and many Protestants emigrated from Marennes and Arvert to England, Holland, and North America.

1666: Creation of Rochefort

In 1666, Jean-Baptiste Colbert established Rochefort as a naval arsenal on the Charente, designed on a grid plan with key facilities like the Corderie Royale. Fortifications by Sébastien Le Prestre, Marquis of Vauban, Vauban bolstered coastal defenses. Michel Bégon (naturalist), Michel Bégon, Intendant from 1688, modernized it with social and cultural initiatives.

1694: Creation of the Généralité de La Rochelle

In 1694, Michel Bégon (naturalist), Michel Bégon became Intendant of the new ''Généralité de La Rochelle'', unifying five elections from Poitiers, Limoges, and Bordeaux jurisdictions.

18th century

Return to Prosperity in the Age of Enlightenment

The 18th century brought agricultural growth in Aunis and Saintonge with the introduction of corn from the New World, complementing wheat, rye, and barley. Cognac production began, with eau-de-vie shipped via La Rochelle to Northern Europe. The “Little Ice Age” caused harsh winters, notably in 1708, 1739, and 1788/1789, freezing rivers and triggering famines. Textile and leather industries thrived in Saintes and Jonzac. La Rochelle prospered through the triangular trade, importing sugar and engaging in the slave trade, while Rochefort trained soldiers for New France. Enlightenment advances included La Rochelle’s Académie (1732) and Rochefort’s Naval Medicine School (1722). During the Seven Years' War, British raids in 1757 failed to take Rochefort. In 1780, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, Marquis de La Fayette sailed from Rochefort on ''French frigate Hermione (1779), L'Hermione'' to aid the American Revolution.A replica of this ship is being built in Rochefort. Economic decline in the 1780s, worsened by the 1788/1789 winter, led to riots in Rochefort by 1789. The Estates General (France), Estates-General convened in 1789, with representatives from La Rochelle, Saintes, and Saint-Jean-d’Angély drafting reform-focused ''cahiers de doléances''.

Revolution

The Estates General (France), Estates-General led to the Constituent Assembly, which, on December 22, 1789, created the department of Saintonge-et-Aunis, renamed Charente-Inférieure by February 26, 1790, centered on the Charente (river), Charente River. Ratified on March 4, 1790, it merged Aunis and Saintonge, incorporating some Poitevin areas, and was divided into seven districts, later six arrondissements, with Saintes chosen as the capital after debate. The new order was widely accepted, with a federative oath taken on July 14, 1790, though rural discontent over lingering feudal rights sparked unrest, including uprisings in Saint-Thomas-de-Conac and Varaize, where a mayor was killed. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy divided the clergy, with many, including Bishop Pierre-Louis de La Rochefoucauld of Saintes, refusing the oath; he was arrested in 1792 and killed in the September Massacres. From 1791–1793, Charente-Inférieure raised eight battalions for war against Austria and Prussia. The French First Republic, Republic was proclaimed on September 22, 1792.

The Terror

The Execution of Louis XVI on January 21, 1793, radicalized the Revolution under the The Mountain, Montagne faction, establishing the ''Committee of Public Safety, Comité de salut public'' and ''Revolutionary Tribunal, Tribunal révolutionnaire''. Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort gained strategic importance as the Republic’s key arsenal after Toulon’s fall. The Rochefort Revolutionary Court, created November 3, 1793, by Joseph Lequinio and Joseph François Laignelot, became a tool of repression, with the guillotine set up at Place Colbert. A de-Christianization campaign targeted priests, forcing renunciations and transforming churches into “Temple of Reason, temples of Reason.” On January 25, 1794, refractory priests were rounded up for deportation to French Guiana, but British blockades confined them to ships like the “Deux-Associés” off Île Madame, where typhus killed many. Survivors were released in 1795 or later under the 1802 Concordat. Rural brigandage, including “Chauffeur (criminal), chauffeurs,” surged amid administrative chaos.

Contemporary times

Charente-Inférieure During the First Empire

After Coup of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon’s coup, Charente-Inférieure overwhelmingly supported the First French Empire, Empire in 1804, with local leaders attending the coronation. Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély, Michel Regnaud rose as a key imperial figure. Napoleon visited in 1804, initiating Fort Boyard’s construction, halted by British threats. The 1809 Battle of the Basque Roads, Battle of Aix Island saw British forces under Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, Thomas Cochrane destroy much of the French fleet. Napoleon reinforced coastal defenses with forts like Énet. In 1810, La Rochelle became the prefecture. After defeats in 1814, Napoleon was exiled from Île-d'Aix, Île d’Aix to Saint Helena.

Charente-Inférieure During the Restoration

The Bourbon Restoration in France, Restoration saw indifference in Charente-Inférieure, though peace spurred rural growth. Marsh reclamation in Hiers-Brouage, Brouage began under sub-prefect Charles-Esprit Le Terme. Cultural societies emerged, and the 1833 Guizot law reduced illiteracy from 53.7% (1832) to 2.4% (1901). The 1822 Four Sergeants of La Rochelle, four sergeants’ plot against Louis XVIII gained national attention.

Charente-Inférieure During the July Monarchy

The July Revolution and Louis Philippe I, Louis-Philippe I’s reign brought economic crises, sparking 1839 riots in La Rochelle and Marans. Deputies Jules Armand Dufaure, Jules Dufaure and Tanneguy Duchâtel rose to ministerial roles.

Charente-Inférieure During the Second Republic

The 1848 revolution was welcomed, with Napoleon becoming President, and then Emperor after the 1851 coup.

Charente-Inférieure During the Second Empire

The Second French Empire, Second Empire boosted agriculture and Cognac production, with vineyards growing from 111,000 hectares (1839) to 164,651 (1876), aided by an 1860 trade treaty. Railroads developed, starting with the Rochefort-La Rochelle-Poitiers line in 1857. Prosper de Chasseloup-Laubat became Minister of Marine in 1860.

Charente-Inférieure during the Third Republic (1870-1940)

= The Slow Establishment of the Republican Idea

=
Charente-Inférieure remained Bonapartist post-1870, with Baron Eugène Eschassériaux leading conservatives until 1893. Republican gains came in 1876 with Jules Armand Dufaure, Jules Dufaure as President of the Council (1876-1879). Phylloxera devastated vineyards from 1872, dropping production from 7 million to 70,000 hectoliters by 1880; Saintonge rebuilt vineyards, while Aunis shifted to dairy, led by Eugène Biraud’s 1888 cooperative. Coastal resorts like Royan boomed with rail access by 1875, hosting figures like Émile Zola during the Belle Époque. In 1895, Alfred Dreyfus was held in Saint-Martin-de-Ré before deportation.

= The Belle Époque: Radical Domination

=
Radicals dominated post-1898, with Émile Combes of Pons as President of the Council (1902-1905), pushing the 1905 Church-State separation law. In 1910, a rail crash at Saujon killed 38 and injured 80.

= A Great War Is Seen from Afar

=
World War I mobilization began on August 1, 1914; Charente-Inférieure supported the war effort with converted factories and U.S. bases like Saint-Trojan-les-Bains (1917). The unfinished Talmont port project halted with the 1918 armistice.

= Between the Wars

=
Post-war population dropped from 451,044 (1911) to 418,310 (1921), worsened by a 1920 oyster epizootic. The Rochefort arsenal closed in 1927, but La Pallice port expanded by 1930. The Great Depression hit in 1931, ending the Années folles, Roaring Twenties. Radicals held strong in 1936 (42%), with strikes following the Popular Front (France), Front Populaire victory.

World War II

German occupation began June 23, 1940, after the armistice; Charente-Inférieure hosted Alsace-Lorraine refugees from 1939. The Atlantic Wall fortified the coast, and La Pallice gained a Kriegsmarine submarine base by 1941. Resistance faced harsh repression, with deportations to camps like Drancy internment camp, Drancy. The name changed to Charente-Maritime in 1941. Liberation began in August 1944, with Royan bombed by the Royal Air Force, RAF in 1945 (442 civilian deaths) and freed in April via Operation Venerable. Oléron was liberated on April 30, and La Rochelle surrendered on May 9, 1945.

Post-war

= 1945-1960: The Feverish Years of Reconstruction

=
Royan, 85% destroyed, was rebuilt as a modernist “urban laboratory” under Claude Ferret in the 1950s. Saintes launched the “Castors Saintais” housing cooperative in 1950. Rail lines closed, replaced by roads like Rochefort-Aigrefeuille-d’Aunis by 1950.

= 1960-1975: Modernization Underway

=
The Trente Glorieuses brought industrial growth, with Simca, SIMCA in Périgny (1965) and CIT-Alcatel in La Rochelle (1970). Agriculture modernized, but rural exodus hit hard, with commune mergers like Montendre in 1972. Urbanization grew, with La Rochelle’s agglomeration exceeding 100,000 by 1975; tourism surged with the Oléron viaduct (1966) and La Palmyre Zoo (1967).

= 1975-1990: Continued Modernization Against a Backdrop of Economic Crisis

=
A 1976 drought and 1982 floods hit hard. Agriculture shifted to cereals and oilseeds like sunflower. De-industrialization cut 10,000 jobs by 1985, with unemployment peaking above 15%. Peri-urbanization emerged, and infrastructure grew with the A10 freeway (1981) and Île de Ré bridge (1988). Royan became a tourist hub, hosting 400,000 visitors seasonally.

Charente-Maritime Today

Since the 1990s, Charente-Maritime has transformed economically and socially, modernizing infrastructure with projects like the Martrou viaduct (1991), A837 autoroute, A837 freeway (1997), and Paris-La Rochelle TGV electrification (1993). La Rochelle University, founded in 1993, bolstered education and research. Tourism drives the economy, making it France’s second most popular destination, with attractions like Royan, La Palmyre Zoo, and Aquarium de La Rochelle, La Rochelle Aquarium. Industry includes rail, aircraft, and yachting, alongside La Pallice port activities. Agriculture focuses on cereals, cognac, and pineau, while shellfish farming leads nationally in oysters and mussels. With over 605,000 residents, it’s the most populous and fastest-growing department in Poitou-Charentes. Natural disasters struck with Cyclone Martin (1999), Cyclone Martin (1999, 13 deaths, 197 km/h winds) and Cyclone Xynthia (2010, 12 deaths, coastal flooding), prompting a natural disaster declaration. After the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting, 30,000 marched in La Rochelle, with thousands more in Rochefort, Saintes, and Royan, supporting “''Je suis Charlie''.”

Geography

Charente-Maritime is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine administrative region. It is bordered by the departments of Gironde, Charente, Deux-Sèvres, Dordogne and Vendée. It has a land area of 6864 km² and 651,358 inhabitants as of 2019.

Major rivers are the Charente and its tributaries, the Boutonne and the Seugne, along with the Sèvre Niortaise, the Seudre and the Garonne, in its downstream part, which is the estuary of the Gironde estuary, Gironde.

The départment includes the islands of Île de Ré, Île d'Aix, Ile d'Oléron and Île Madame.

The department forms the northern part of the Aquitaine Basin. It is separated from the Massif Armoricain by the Marais Poitevin to the north-west and from the Parisian basin by the Seuil du Poitou to the north-east. The highest point in the department is in the forest of Chantemerlière, near the Communes of France, commune of Contré in the north-east, and rises to 173 m.

Administrative borders

Principal towns

The most populous commune is La Rochelle, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 8,000 inhabitants:Populations légales 2019: 17 Charente-Maritime
INSEE

Climate

The climate is mild and sunny, with less than 900 mm of precipitation per year and with insolation being remarkably high, in fact, the highest in Western France including southernmost sea resorts such as Biarritz. Average extreme temperatures vary from in summer to in winter (as of 2022).

Economy

The economy of Charente-Maritime is based on three major sectors: tourism, maritime industry, and manufacturing. Cognac and Pineau des Charentes, pineau are two of the major agricultural products with maize and sunflowers being the others.

Charente-Maritime is the headquarters of the major oyster producer Marennes-Oléron. Oysters cultivated here are shipped across Europe.

Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort is a shipbuilding site and has been a major French naval base since 1665.

La Rochelle is a seat of major French industry. Just outside the city, in Aytré, is a factory for the French engineering giant Alstom, where the TGV, the cars for the Paris Métro, Paris and other Rapid transit, metros are manufactured (see :fr:Alstom Aytré). It is a popular venue for tourism, with its picturesque medieval harbour and city walls.

Demographics

The inhabitants of the department are called ''Charentais-Maritimes''.

Politics

Departmental Council of Charente-Maritime

The List of presidents of departmental councils (France), President of the Departmental Council has been Dominique Bussereau (The Republicans (France), LR) since 2008. He was replaced by Sylvie Marcilly after the 2021 French departmental elections, departmental elections of June 2021.

National representation

In the 2022 French legislative election, 2022 legislative election, Charente-Maritime elected the following members of the National Assembly (France), National Assembly:

In the Senate (France), Senate, Charente-Maritime is represented by List of senators of Charente-Maritime, three members: Daniel Laurent (since 2008), Corinne Imbert (since 2014) and Mickaël Vallet (since 2020).

Tourism

Popular destinations include La Rochelle, Royan, Saintes, Saint-Jean-d'Angély, Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort, the Île d'Aix, Île de Ré and Île d'Oléron.

The department is served by the TGV at Surgères station, Surgères and La Rochelle station, La Rochelle. It can also be reached by motorway by the A10 (E5, Paris-Bordeaux) and A837 (E602, Saintes-Rochefort).

File:La Rochelle2tours.jpg, La Rochelle
File:Port Royan.jpg, Royan, a seaside resort
File:Cabanes ostréicoles au Château-d'Oléron.jpg, Oyster farming, Oyster farms on the island of Oléron
File:Talmont sur Gironde.jpg, Talmont-sur-Gironde
File:Jonzac 17 Église façade 2013.jpg, Jonzac
File:Fort boyard aout 2006-6.JPG, Fort Boyard (fortification), Fort Boyard
File:Hennessy cognac.jpg, Barrels of Hennessy cognac

See also

*Cantons of the Charente-Maritime department
*Communes of the Charente-Maritime department
*Arrondissements of the Charente-Maritime department
*Éclade des Moules

Notes

References

Bibliography

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External links

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Prefecture website
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Departmental Council website
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Tourism website

{{Authority control

Charente-Maritime,
1790 establishments in France
Nouvelle-Aquitaine region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
Departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
States and territories established in 1790