Centre (France)
Encyclopedia
Centre is one of the 27 regions
of France
, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley
. Its capital is Orléans
, although its largest city is Tours
.
. It includes the rich, fertile valleys of the Loire River and its tributaries: Cher
, Indre
, Loiret
, etc. Centre contains the famous châteaux of the Loire Valley
, which attract many tourists to the region. The climate of the region is essentially oceanic.
It has been proposed to rename the region Val de Loire (i.e. "Valley of the Loire") or also "Coeur de Loire" (i.e. "Heart of Loire), which would give more character to the name of the region. Val de Loire is a name associated with positive images of the Loire Valley, such as the chateaux
, the gentle and refined lifestyle, wine, the mild and temperate climate. The name change has not yet been adopted, but the term is sometimes juxtaposed with the region's name, as in Centre - Val de Loire.
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
. Its capital is Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
, although its largest city is Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
.
Features
The main feature of Centre is the Loire ValleyLoire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
. It includes the rich, fertile valleys of the Loire River and its tributaries: Cher
Cher River
The Cher is a river in central France, left tributary to the river Loire. Its source is in the Creuse département, north-east of Crocq. It joins the river Loire in Villandry, west of Tours....
, Indre
Indre River
The Indre is a river in central France, left tributary to the river Loire.Its source is in the département Cher, near Préveranges. It flows through the départements Cher, Indre and Indre-et-Loire...
, Loiret
Loiret River
The Loiret is a 12 km long river in France, left tributary to the Loire River. Its waters come from infiltrations from the Loire.Its course is completely within the Loiret département, to which it gives its name....
, etc. Centre contains the famous châteaux of the Loire Valley
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
The châteaux of the Loire Valley are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the Loire River in France...
, which attract many tourists to the region. The climate of the region is essentially oceanic.
Name
The name Centre was chosen by the French central government based purely on geography, as Centre is composed of too many historical provinces to use a historical name. However, Centre is not in the geographical centre of France, and the name has been criticized as being overly dull and nondescript.It has been proposed to rename the region Val de Loire (i.e. "Valley of the Loire") or also "Coeur de Loire" (i.e. "Heart of Loire), which would give more character to the name of the region. Val de Loire is a name associated with positive images of the Loire Valley, such as the chateaux
Châteaux of the Loire Valley
The châteaux of the Loire Valley are part of the architectural heritage of the historic towns of Amboise, Angers, Blois, Chinon, Nantes, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours along the Loire River in France...
, the gentle and refined lifestyle, wine, the mild and temperate climate. The name change has not yet been adopted, but the term is sometimes juxtaposed with the region's name, as in Centre - Val de Loire.
Major communities
- BloisBloisBlois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
- BourgesBourgesBourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
- ChartresChartresChartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
- ChâteaurouxChâteaurouxChâteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
- DreuxDreuxDreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
- Fleury-les-AubraisFleury-les-AubraisFleury-les-Aubrais is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-External links:*...
- Joué-lès-ToursJoué-lès-ToursJoué-lès-Tours is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is the largest suburb of the city of Tours, and is adjacent to it on the southwest....
- OrléansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
- ToursToursTours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
- VierzonVierzonVierzon is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A medium-sized town by the banks of the Cher River with some light industry and an area of forestry and farming to the north...
External links
- Région Centre Official website
- The Centre region of France Overview of the region and main attractions
- Centre Val de Loire region of France Information on the region and its departments