Last modified: 2003-06-21 by ivan sache
Keywords: pays de la loire | fleur-de-lys (yellow) | ermine (black) | regional council | heart (red) | lion (white) | map |
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![[Pays de la Loire]](../images/f/fr-r-pl.gif)
by Philippe-Pierre Darras
See also:
Departments: Loire-Atlantique,
Maine-et-Loire,
Mayenne, Sarthe,
Vendée
Bordering Regions: Basse-Normandie,
Bretagne,
Centre,
Poitou-Charentes
Traditional provinces: Bretagne,
Anjou, Poitou,
Maine
Area: 32,082 km2
Population (1995): 3,139,800 inhabitants
Regional prefecture: Nantes
The Region Pays de la Loire is a geographical, historical and
political patchwork, which includes the
Breton county of Nantes (department of
Loire-Atlantique), lower
Poitou (department of
Vendée), and traditional provinces of
Maine (departments of
Mayenne and Sarthe)
and Anjou (department of
Maine-et-Loire).
The region includes 1/5th of the historical
Breton territory and 1/4th of the Breton population (the
rattachement of the department of Loire-Atlantique to the
Region Bretagne region is a permanent
political and popular revendication in the area).
Only two of the five departements (Loire-Atlantique and
Maine-et-Loire) are irrigated by the Loire river.
In 1976, the heraldist Hervé Pinoteau designed the Regional
flag, which was hoisted on the building of the General Council in
Nantes in October 1986.
The flag is vertically divided. The banner of arms of
Maine (d'azur fleurdeliseée
d'or, à la bordure de gueules, cantonnée d'un lion
d'argent ) is shown at hoist. The
Breton plain ermine is shown at fly,
with an ondulated border symbolizing the Loire river. In the middle
are placed the two interlaced hearts of
Vendée. Anjou is not
represented but its banner of arms (d'azur à trois fleurs
de lys d'or, à la bordure de gueules) is close