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Loire (HAUTE a department of Auvergne)

HAUTE, a department of Auvergne, and the district of Forez, and mer province of Languedoc, the duchy of bounded on the S. by Lozère and Ardèche.

The Loire crosses it going N., the Allier going N. W.; area, 1,930 square miles; pop. about 303,000. The surface forms courses; it ranges in elevation from 2,000 a plateau, deeply trenched by river to 3,000 feet and rises in peaks and domes up to 5,755 feet above sea-level spite of the ungenerous nature of the soil, agriculture is the chief of the inhabitants. But about 120,000 persons find employment ton, flax, silk, gold, and silver. Some at home in making lace from wool, cotlace from wool, cotthousands of the inhabitants leave their houses for a time every year, to work in other parts of France.

Coal and building-stone are worked ing-stone are worked. Capital, Le Puy. bends roond to on to Tours; al, a W. course Bay of Biscay, miles from its miles. It beabove Roanne, The Loire is ve inundations er part of its rincipal tribud the Maire Sazthe, its Mayenne) on The Loire is e stretches of ted with the is extremely basin, 44,450 province of Foren, comof Montbri he, with St. ares, 1,862 10,000, The ad, and the in France. byed, 25,000 in the silk, industries. eather, etc., Wine, fruit, principal er and turine woods. t St. Gal- If the forduchy of Forez, and Ardoche. the Allier are miles; ace forms by river rom 2,000 eaks and sea-level ne ungenare is the nts. But ployment F. Some ave their work in d- buld Le Puy LOIRE-INFERIEURE LOMBARD LOIRE-INFÉRIEURE (ang-fa-ryur'), century. By some, Walter Lollard, who a maritime department of the W. of France, formed out of the S. portion of the old province of Brittany, and comprising the arrondissements of Nantes, Ancenis, Paimbœuf, Châteaubriant, and St. Nazaire, with Nantes for its capital; area, 2,693 square miles; pop. 620,000.

It has a coastline of 78 miles. The Loire flowing W. intersects it and forms a wide estuary; the Vilaine skirts its N. W. boundary. In the S. of the department lies the lake of Grand-Lieu, 26 square miles in extent. The interior is on the whole flat, and the soil fertile, producing cereals, potatoes, beet roots, hemp, and fodder. Bees are kept. There are fine oak and pine forests. Salt marshes are numerous along the shore. The vineyards yield annually about 30,000,000 gallons of wine, and the orchards some 4,500,000 gallons of cider. Granite, slate, and limestone are quarried. The industrial establishments include iron works, sugar refineries, glass works, factories for tinning fruits and sardines , etc. St. Nazaire has grown into an important seaport, having taken the place formerly occupied by Nantes. Shipbuilding is carried on at Nantes. The coast fisheries and general export trade are extensive.