Nièvre
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Nièvre | |
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Coat of arms of the Nièvre department | |
Location | |
Administration | |
Department number: | 58 |
Region: | Bourgogne |
Prefecture: | Nevers |
Subprefectures: | Château-Chinon Clamecy Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire |
Arrondissements: | 4 |
Cantons: | 32 |
Communes: | 312 |
President of the General Council: | Marcel Charmant |
Statistics | |
Population | Ranked 83rd |
-1999 | 225,198 |
Population density: | 33/km² |
Land area¹: | 6817 km² |
¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
Nièvre is a department in the center of France named after the Nièvre River.
Contents |
[edit] History
Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the former province of Nivernais.
[edit] Geography
Nièvre is part of the current region of Bourgogne, although historically it was not part of the province of Burgundy, and it is surrounded by the departments of Yonne, Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, Allier, Cher, and Loiret.
[edit] Wines
Nièvre is also well known for its white wine, Pouilly Fumé. The vineyards are scattered around villages including Pouilly-Sur-Loire, which lends its name to the appellation, Tracy sur Loire, Boisgibault, Saint Andelain. The word fumé is French for "smoke," and it's said the name comes from the smoky or flinty quality of these wines. The only grape allowed in the Pouilly-Fumé AC is Sauvignon Blanc, which produces wines that are generally crisp, tart, and somewhat grassy.
[edit] See also
- Cantons of the Nièvre department
- Communes of the Nièvre department
- Arrondissements of the Nièvre department
[edit] External links
- (French) Prefecture website
- (French) General council website
- (English) Nievre at the Open Directory Project