Centre-Val de Loire
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Centre-Val de Loire (/ˌvɑːl də ˈlwɑːr/, French pronunciation: [sɑ̃tʁə val də lwaʁ][Notes 1], lit. 'Centre-Loire Valley') or Centre Region (French: Région Centre, pronounced [ʁeʒjɔ̃ sɑ̃tʁ]), as it was known until 2015, is one of the 18 administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior of the country. The administrative capital is Orléans.
Centre-Val de Loire | |
|---|---|
 The Loire river as it passes through Orléans | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Country |  France |
| Prefecture | Orléans |
| Departments | |
| Government | |
| • President of the Regional Council | François Bonneau (PS) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 39,151 km2 (15,116 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 7th |
| Population (2008-01-01) | |
| • Total | 2,538,000 |
| • Density | 65/km2 (170/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | FR-CVL |
| GDP (2012)[1] | Ranked 9th |
| Total | €67.1 billion (US$86.3 bn) |
| Per capita | €26,126 (US$33,603) |
| NUTS Region | FR2 |
| Website | www |
Naming and etymologyEdit
Like many contemporary regions of France, the region of Centre-Val de Loire was created from parts of three historical provinces: Touraine, Orléanais, and Berry. First, the name Centre was chosen by the French government purely on the basis of geography, in reference to its location in northwest-central France (the central part of the original French language area).
However, Centre is not situated in the geographical centre of France (except the Cher department), and the name was criticized as being too dull and nondescript.[citation needed] Proposed names for the region included Val de Loire after the Loire Valley (the main feature of the region) or Cœur de Loire (i.e. Heart of Loire).[citation needed] On 17 January 2015, as part of the reorganization of French regions, the region's official name was changed to Centre-Val de Loire.[2] Val de Loire is associated with positive images of the Loire Valley, such as the châteaux, the gentle and refined lifestyle, the wine, and the mild and temperate climate, all of which attract many tourists to the region. A new logo was also created.
GeographyEdit
Bordering six other regions, Centre-Val-de-Loire borders the most of all 18 regions in France. The bordering regions are Normandy on the northwest, Île-de-France on the northeast, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté on the east, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on the southeast, Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the south and southwest, and Pays de la Loire on the west.
DepartmentsEdit
Centre-Val De Loire comprises 6 departments: Cher, Eure-et-Loir, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret.
Largest citiesEdit
- Tours with 139,963 inhabitants (2016)
- Orléans with 114,644 inhabitants (2015)
- Bourges with 66,528 inhabitants (2015)
- Blois with 46,351 inhabitants (2014)
- Châteauroux with 43,732 inhabitants (2015)
- Chartres with 38,875 inhabitants (2015)
- Joué-lès-Tours with 37,974 inhabitants (2016), Tours Métropole Val de Loire
- Dreux with 30,836 inhabitants (2015)
- Vierzon with 26,919 inhabitants (2015)
- Olivet with 21,520 inhabitants (2016), Orléans Métropole
EconomyEdit
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 72.4 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 3.1% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 25,200 euros or 84% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 99% of the EU average.[3]
An economic development agency, called Centréco, was created in 1994 by the Centre Regional Council of the Centre-Loire valley region (France) to promote the inflow of investments and the establishment setting-up of new businesses French and foreign companies in the Centre region. This ensures a mission of economic promotion, international support to regional companies and enhancement promotion of regional agrofood products via a regional signature, © du Centre.
GalleryEdit
Blois
Bourges
Chartres
Châteauroux
Orléans
Tours
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ INSEE. "Produits intérieurs bruts régionaux et valeurs ajoutées régionales de 1990 à 2012". Retrieved 2014-03-04.
- ^ "Journal officiel of 17 January 2015". Légifrance (in French). 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
External linksEdit
Media related to Centre-Val de Loire at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Centre : on the road of the châteaux - Official French website (in English)
- Centre at Curlie
- Website of the agency for promotion and economic development of the Centre / Loire Valley region
- About-France - overview of the region and main attractions
- Experience Loire - information on the region and its departments