Ardennes (department) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ardennes
Department
Prefecture building of the Ardennes department, in Charleville-Mézières
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Ardennes in France
Country	France
Region	Grand Est
Département	4 March 1790
Prefecture	Charleville-Mézières
Subprefectures	Rethel, Sedan, Vouziers
Area
• Total	5,229.4 km2 (2,019.1 sq mi)
Population  (2014)
• Total	279,715
• Density	53.4889/km2 (138.5357/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Ardennais
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	FR-08
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	19
Communes	452
Website	www.cd08.fr

Ardennes is a department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France named after the Ardennes forest. Its prefecture is the city of Charleville-Mézières.

History

Ardennes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Mézières as is capital. It was formed with the former province of Champagne, the principalities of Sedan and Argonne and other territories.

It was divided in six districts: Charleville, Grandpré, Rethel, Rocroi, Sedan and Vouziers.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the six districts were changed into five arrondissements: Mézières, Rethel, Rocroi, Sedan and Vouziers.

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissements of Rocroi and Sedan were eliminated but in 1942 Sedan was made again an arrondissement.

The communes of Charleville and Mézières are joined to form the new commune of Charleville-Mézières; it was named the capital of the department.

Geography

Ardennes is part of the Grand Est region. It has an area of 5,229.4 km² (2,019 sq mi).

The department borders with Belgium (Namur and Luxembourg provinces) and 3 other departments in 2 regions:

• Hauts-de-France region
  • Aisne (west)
• Grand Est region
  • Marne (south)
  • Meuse (east)

		Namur province (Belgium)	Luxembourg province (Belgium)
	Aisne		Meuse
		Ardennes
		Marne

The highest point of the department is Croix-Scaille (46°16′22″N 04°50′31″E / 46.27278°N 4.84194°E / 46.27278; 4.84194 (La Croix-Scaille)) with an altitude of 500–505 m (1,640–1,657 ft) high.; it is found between the French commune of Hautes-Rivières and the Belgian commune of Gedinne.

The lowest point is on the Aisne river in Brienne-sur-Aisne, 57 m (187 ft) high.

Several rivers flow through the department; the main rivers are the Meuse, in the north, and the Aisne, in the south.

Climate

The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Charleville-Mézières is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype "Cfb".

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Charleville-Mézières is 703.6 mm (27.7 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is November with 86.4 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is June with an average of 38.1 mm (1.5 in).

The average temperature for the year in Charleville-Mézières is 9.9 °C (49.8 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 18.1 °C (64.6 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 2.3 °C (36.1 °F).

Administration

Ardennes is managed by the Departmental Council of Ardennes in Charleville-Mézières. The department is part of the Grand Est region.

Administrative divisions

There are 4 arrondissements (districts), 19 cantons and 452 communes (municipalities) in Ardennes.

The following is a list of the 19 cantons of the Ardennes department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

Demographics

The inhabitants of the Ardennes department are known, in French, as Ardennais (women: Ardennaises),

Ardennes had a population, in 2014, of 279,715, for a population density of 53.5 inhabitants/km². The arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières, with 160,939 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in the Ardennes

The main communes in the department are:

Gallery

• 

  Charleville-Mézières on the Meuse.

• 

  Sedan, the second largest urban area of Ardennes.

• 

  Rethel, the third largest city of Ardennes.

• 

  Saint-Maurille church, Vouziers

Related pages

• Arrondissements of the Ardennes department
• Communes of the Ardennes department

Images for kids

• 

  Rocroi in the snow – shallow to deep snow in winter is likely in this department.

• 

  Forest of Argonne in October 1915 ravaged by shellfire.

• 

  Place Ducale in Charleville-Mézières, prefecture of the Ardennes department.

• 

  Map of the communes of the Ardennes department.

• 

  The small town of Rocroi was a sub-prefecture of Ardennes until 1926.

• 

  The Hotel de Ville in Givet, a border town with Belgium.

• 

  Monthermé along the Meuse

• 

  Fort de Charlemont in Givet

• 

  The citadel of Rocroi

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  Dry-cured ham from Ardennes

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  Medieval Festival in 2011

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  Medieval Festival in 2011

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  Arthur Rimbaud was a native of Charleville-Mézières.

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  A typical landscape of Champagne chalk in the south of the department.

• 

  View of the Meuse valley in the north of the department at Givet.

• 

  Farm of Porcien in the south-west of the department.

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  Rethel, a city watered by the Aisne, is the third largest city of Ardennes and also the third largest urban area.

• 

  La Meuse at Sedan, sub-préfecture and second city of Ardennes.

See also

In Spanish: Ardenas para niños