Eure-et-Loir
—  Department  —
Coat of arms
Location of Eure-et-Loir in France
Coordinates: 48°20′N 01°25′E / 48.333°N 1.417°E / 48.333; 1.417Coordinates: 48°20′N 01°25′E / 48.333°N 1.417°E / 48.333; 1.417
Country	France
Region	Centre
Prefecture	Chartres
Subprefectures	Châteaudun Dreux Nogent-le-Rotrou
Government
• President of the General Council	Albéric de Montgolfier (UMP)
Area1
• Total	5,880 km2 (2,270 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	423,559
• Rank	56th
• Density	Bad rounding here72/km2 (Bad rounding here190/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Department number	28
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	29
Communes	403
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Eure-et-Loir (French pronunciation: ​[œ.r‿e.lwaʁ]) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers.

History [edit]

Eure-et-Loir is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790 pursuant to the Act of December 22, 1789. It was created from parts of provinces of Orléanais (Beauce), Maine (Perche), but also Île-de-France (Drouais, Thimerais, Valley Avre Hurepoix).

The current department corresponds to the central part of the land of the Carnutes who had their capital at Autricum (Chartres). The Carnutes are known for their commitment, real or imagined, to the ancient Druidic religion. A holy place in the "Forest of the Carnutes" used to host the annual Druidic assembly. In the north of the department another pre-Roman people, the little-known Durocasses, had their capital at Dreux.

Geography [edit]

Eure-et-Loir comprises the main part of the region of Beauce, politically it belongs to the current region of Centre (Val de Loire) and is surrounded by the departments of Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Essonne, Yvelines, Eure, Orne, and Sarthe.

Demographics [edit]

The inhabitants of the department are called Euréliens.

Economy [edit]

The Eure-et-Loir is a department of agricultural tradition (Beauce), but also at the forefront in three economic sectors :

Agriculture [edit]

The department is a major economic player in the production of grain and oilseed in France.^[1] Its agricultural economy is still heavily dependent on economic and regulatory environment of the markets for crops. The Eure-et-Loir is the first French grain. He is also the national leader in the production of rapeseed and peas. Wheat production is by far the iconic department. Thus, nearly 40% of farmland in the department are devoted to the cultivation of wheat, which generated an average of 29% of commercial agricultural production department during the past 5 years. The Agriculture Department is also promoted by the Cluster AgroDynamic, a reclamation of agricultural resources department set up in different sectors: agro-energy, agribusiness, agricultural materials, Agrohealth.

Industries [edit]

• Around Chartres, Cosmetic Valley cluster, which is the first pole of the French beauty industry and well-being (perfumes / cosmetics), with big names such as Guerlain, Paco Rabanne, Lolita Lempicka, JC Castelbajac, Jean-Paul Gaultier ... The Cosmetic Valley represents 2.5 billion euros of turnover, includes 200 companies, working in collaboration with the Universities of Orleans and Paris, employing more than 30,000 employees.
• the pharmaceutical industry, and around Dreux Polepharma. Created in 2002 under the leadership of CODEL^[2] Polepharma is a cluster of French pharmaceutical production which includes companies like Ipsen, Novo Nordisk, Laboratoires Expanscience, Leo Pharma, Ethypharm Famar, Norgine, Nypro, Synerlab / Sophartex, Seratec .. . The cluster represents 50% of the drug in France and 30,000 jobs. The Pole Pharma is also one of the creator of the inter-regional alliance that regoupe Pharma Valley among its three networks partners: Polepharma, CBS and Grepic Technopole. By itself, the alliance has 50% of the drug in France, 60% of the production sites located in France and 2.5 billion euros of turnover.
• the food industry, promoted by Agrodynamic (rural center of excellence), with two major companies in the sector: Ebly Chateaudun and a subsidiary Andros Auneau.
• industry and woodcraft and furniture around the association Perchebois.
• the rubber and plastics, through the cluster Elastopole.
• Engineering industry width Octea

Energy [edit]

The department also has the lead in renewable energy. Already ranked second nationally in terms of power generation through its wind farms located in particular in the Beauce region of Eure-et-Loir in 2012 will be the largest producer of electricity with photovoltaic French original creation on the airbase NATO disused Crucey-Villages near Brezolles in the region's natural Thymerais, the largest photovoltaic park in France. Given in February 2011 by the General Council to the operator, EDF Energies Nouvelles, the park will cover 245 ha of the military base and produce the equivalent output of 160 wind turbines.

Politics [edit]

The President of the General Council is Albéric de Montgolfier of the Union for a Popular Movement.

Tourism [edit]

• The most important tourist attraction is the cathedral of Chartres, with its magnificent stained-glass windows.
• Church: Saint-Pierre of Dreux, Saint-Denis (Toury)
• Chapelle Royale of Dreux
• Beffroi of Dreux
• Abbaye Saint-Florentin (Bonneval)
• Castle of Anet, of Chateaudun, of Maillebois, of Maintenon, of Montigny (Cloyes-sur-Loir), of Montigny-sur-Avre, of Charbonnières (Authon-du-Perche), Castle Saint-John (Nogent-le-Rotrou), Castle of Villepion (Orgères-en-Beauce), Castle of Reverseaux (Voves)
• Regional parc of the Perche

• 

  Chartres

• 

  Chartres Cathedral

• 

  Nogent-le-Rotrou

• 

  Châteaudun

• 

  Bonneval Abbey

Notable people [edit]

Middle Ages [edit]

• Hasting, viking chief who was Count of Chartres (882-892)
• Hugues Capet (deceased en Eure-et-Loir near Voves)
• Lords of Puiset
• Fulbert de Chartres bishop founder of l'École de Chartres
• John of Salisbury (1115-1180), student of Abélard and of Fulbert de Chartres. British intellectual, friend of Thomas Becket. Bishop of Chartres from 1176 to 1180.
• Bernard of Tiron, founder of the monastic order of Tiron and of the abbey of Thiron-Gardais.
• Jean II of France, who signed the Treaty of Brittany during the Hundred Years War at Sours, Brittany
• Philippe VI of France died at the Abbey of Notre-Dame of Coulombs, near Nogent-le-Roi

Renaissance [edit]

• Rémy Belleau (1526-1577) poet of the Pléiade
• Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette, Duc d'Épernon, minion of Henri III of France.
• Henri IV of France entombed in Chartres Cathedral
• Maximilien de Béthune, duke of Sully-sur-Loire died at the château Villebon (Eure-et-Loir), buried at Nogent-le-Rotrou)
• Jeanne of France (1464-1505), born in Nogent-le-Roi, wife of Louis XII of France, canonised by the Pope Pius XII in 1950.
• Diane de Poitiers

19th and 20th century [edit]

• Chaïm Soutine
• Émile Zola, who was inspired by Romilly-sur-Aigre for his novel La Terre
• Marcel Proust spent time during his youth in the town Illiers-Combray where his aunt lived
• Lolita Lempicka, perfumier who lives in Berchères-sur-Vesgre

Media [edit]

The media in Eure-et-Loir include the following:

• Daily newspapers: L'Écho Républicain, La République du Centre
• Weekly newspapers: Horizon (agricultural journal), L'Action Républicaine, Le Perche, L'Écho de Brou
• Local radio and TV stations: Radio Intensité (Châteaudun), RTV (Dreux), Radio Grand Ciel

See also [edit]

• Cantons of the Eure-et-Loir department
• Communes of the Eure-et-Loir department
• Intercommunalities of the Eure-et-Loir department
• Arrondissements of the Eure-et-Loir department

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eure-et-Loir

• (French) General Conseil website
• (French) Prefecture website
• (English) Eure-et-Loir at the Open Directory Project
• (French) Tourism website