MAINE-ET-LOIRE, a western department of France, lying between 47° and 47° 50' N. 1at., and between 15' E. and 1° 20' W. long., consists of the southern portion of the former province of Anjou, and is bounded on the N. by the departments of Mayenne and Sarthe, on the E. by Indre-et-Loire, on the S. by Deux-Sèvres and Vendée, on the W. by Loire-inférieure, and on the N.W. by Ille-et-Vilaine. The extreme length from north-east to southwest is about 7 8 miles; the breadth from north to south ranges from 25 to 50 miles, and the area is 2750 square miles. The capital, Angers, lies 162 miles south-west from Paris. The department is made up of two distinct regions, the line of demarcation running from south-east to north-west, and passing through Angers; that to the south consists of granites, felspars, and a continuation of the geological formations of Brittany and Vendée; to the north, on the contrary, schists, limestone, and chalk prevail. The general elevation of the latter region is but small, and none of its eminences exceed 330 feet in height; the former, on the contrary, has a surface richly varied with deep winding valleys clothed with woods and thickets, though the highest points are under 700 feet. The department belongs entirely to the basin of the Loire, which traverses it from east to west by a valley varying in breadth from about 1 to 5 miles; the bed is wide but shallow, and full of islands, the depth of the water in summer being at some places little more than 2 feet. The floods which occur are sudden and destructive....
The chief affluent of the Loire within the department is the Maine, formed a little above Angers by the junction of the Mayenne and the Sarthe (the latter in turn having previously received the waters of the Loir). All three rivers are navigable. Other tributaries of the Loire are the Thouet (with its tributary the Dive), the Layon, the Èvre, the Divatte on the left, and the Authion on the right. The latter, which has a course parallel to that of the Loire, has been supposed, but erroneously, to occupy an ancient bed of that river. The Mayenne is joined on the right by the Oudon, which can be navigated below Segré. The Erdre, which joins the Loire at Nantes, and the Moine, a tributary of the Sèvre-Nantaise, both take their rise within this department. The climate, which is very mild, shares the characteristics both of the Sequanian and of the Armorican districts. The mean annual temperature of Angers is 3° Fahr, above that of Paris; the rainfall at the same place is only 18 ’ 64 inches, but rises to 23 ’ 6 inches farther down the river, and 27‘75 as the sea is approached. Notwithstanding this deficiency of rain, the frequent fogs, combined with the peculiar nature of the soil in the southeast of the department, produce a degree of moisture which is highly favourable to meadow growths. The winter colds are never severe, and readily permit the cultivation of certain trees which cannot be reared in the adjoining departments.
Of the entire area more than one-half is arable; one-tenth is occupied by meadows; and considerably smaller areas are occupied by woods, vineyards, and heath respectively. Oxen number 225,000, pigs 100,000, and sheep 68,500; these figures represent a considerable commercial activity, as most of the animals are purchased out of neighbouring departments for the purpose of being fattened. Cholet alone exports annually 100,000 cattle, 150,000 or 200,000 sheep, and 25,000 or 30,000 pigs. The number of horses in the department is 55,000, chiefly of a race much used for light cavalry service. The cavalry school is at Saumur within this department. The production of cereals is in excess of the consumption; there are extensive areas in the valleys of the Loire and Sarthe under hemp, and linseed and colza oil are produced in quantity. The legumes of Saumur and Angers are specially prized. The wine of the department (14,000,000 gallons in 1880) is fairly good, and the white wine of Saumur is exported and sold as sparkling champagne (about 6,000,000 bottles yearly). Cider is produced, and large quantities of apples, pears, and plums are exported to the markets of Paris, England, and Russia. Floriculture is an important industry, and the forests of oak and beech abound in game (stag, roebuck, wildboar). Near Angers are slate quarries in which 3250 workmen are employed; and the “Layon-et-Loire” coal-bed produced in 1881 15,288 tons of coal and anthracite, which, however, did not supply the demand of the department. There are sandstone quarries in the arrondissements of Saumur and Baugé. Cholet, the chief manufacturing town, is famous for its pocket-handkerchiefs; it has also manufactures of linen cloths, flannels, and cotton stuffs, worsted and cotton thread factories, and bleaching works. Similar manufactures are earned on at Angers; the speciality of Saumur is the making of enamels and beads, in which it employs 600 workmen, producing goods to the annual value of 1,500,000 francs. The population of the department was 517,258 in 1876, being an increase of 141,714 since 1801. There are five arrondissements,—Angers, Baugé, Cholet, Saumur, and Segré. The capital is Angers.
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