Indre-et-Loire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Indre-et-Loire
Department
Prefecture building of the Indre-et-Loire department, in Tours
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Indre-et-Loire in France
Country	France
Region	Centre-Val de Loire
Département	4 March 1790
Prefecture	Tours
Subprefectures	Chinon, Loches
Area
• Total	6,126.7 km2 (2,365.5 sq mi)
Population  (2013)
• Total	600,252
• Density	97.9731/km2 (253.7493/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	FR-37
Arrondissements	3
Cantons	19
Communes	277

Indre-et-Loire is a special area in west-central France. It is called a department. Its name comes from two important rivers: the Indre and the Loire.

The main city and administrative center of Indre-et-Loire is Tours. This city is known as the prefecture of the department.

History of Indre-et-Loire

Indre-et-Loire was one of the very first 83 departments created in France. This happened during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The city of Tours was chosen as its capital.

This new department was formed from a part of an older area called Touraine. At first, it was divided into seven smaller areas called districts. These were Tours, Amboise, Château-Renault, Loches, Chinon, Preuilly, and Langeais.

In 1800, France changed how its areas were organized. The seven districts became three larger areas called arrondissements. These new arrondissements were Chinon, Loches, and Tours.

Later, in 1926, the arrondissement of Loches was removed. But in 1943, it was made an arrondissement again.

Geography of Indre-et-Loire

Indre-et-Loire is located in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. It covers an area of about 6,126.7 square kilometers (2,365.5 square miles).

The department is surrounded by five other departments. These departments belong to three different regions:

• Centre-Val de Loire region:
  • Loir-et-Cher department (to the northeast)
  • Indre department (to the southeast)
• Nouvelle-Aquitaine region:
  • Vienne department (to the southwest)
• Pays de la Loire region:
  • Maine-et-Loire department (to the west)
  • Sarthe department (to the north)

		Sarthe	Loir-et-Cher
	Maine-et-Loire
		Indre-et-Loire
	Vienne		Indre

The highest point in Indre-et-Loire is called Signal de la Ronde. It is 186 meters (610 feet) high. This point is in the town of Céré-la-Ronde, near the border with the Loir-et-Cher department.

The famous Loire river flows right through the middle of the department. Other important rivers like the Indre, Cher, and Vienne also flow here. They all eventually join the Loire river within Indre-et-Loire.

Climate in Indre-et-Loire

The climate in Indre-et-Loire usually does not have extreme temperatures. It is known as a "Marine West Coast Climate" (Cfb). This means it has mild winters and warm summers.

On average, the department gets about 696 millimeters (27.4 inches) of precipitation each year. October is usually the wettest month, with about 71.1 mm (2.8 inches) of rain. August is the driest month, with only about 43.2 mm (1.7 inches) of rain.

The average temperature for the whole year in Tours is 11.8°C (53.2°F). July is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 19.8°C (67.6°F). January is the coolest month, with an average temperature of 4.7°C (40.5°F).

Administration of Indre-et-Loire

Indre-et-Loire is governed by the General Council of Ardennes. This council is located in the city of Tours. The department is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region.

Administrative Divisions

The department of Indre-et-Loire is divided into smaller administrative areas. These help manage the region.

• There are 3 arrondissements (which are like large districts).
• There are 19 cantons (smaller groups of towns).
• There are 277 communes (which are like individual towns or municipalities).

Here is a table showing the arrondissements of Indre-et-Loire:

Here are the 19 cantons in Indre-et-Loire. These were reorganized in March 2015:

People of Indre-et-Loire

The people who live in the Indre-et-Loire department are called Tourangeaux (for men) or Tourangelles (for women) in French.

In 2013, the department had a population of 600,252 people. This means there were about 98 inhabitants for every square kilometer. The arrondissement of Tours is the most populated, with 462,714 people living there.

Here are the communes (towns) in the department that have more than 10,000 inhabitants:

Gallery

• 

  Chinon

• 

  Château de Chenonceau

• 

  Château d'Azay-le-Rideau

• 

  Château d'Amboise

• 

  Montrésor

Related pages

• Arrondissements of the Indre-et-Loire department
• Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department

Images for kids

• 

  Tours Cathedral

See also

In Spanish: Indre y Loira para niños