Vienne


Vienne is a department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne.

History

Established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution, Vienne is one of the original 83 departments. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou, Touraine, and Berry, the latter being a part of the Duchy of Aquitaine until the 15th century.
The original Acadians, who settled in and around what is now Nova Scotia, left Vienne for North America after 1604. Kennedy argues that the emigrants carried to Canada their customs and social structure. They were frontier peoples, who dispersed their settlements based on kinship. They optimized use of farmland and emphasized trading for a profit. They were hierarchical and politically active.

Politics

, France's first woman Prime Minister from 1991-1992, was a deputy for the department.
It has three arrondissements : Poitiers, the prefecture, and the subprefectures Châtellerault and Montmorillon.

Current National Assembly Representatives

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Religion

The capital Poitiers is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers, which pastorally serves the department.

Tourism and sights

The most famous tourist sites include the Futuroscope theme park, Poitiers, the Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, a UNESCO world heritage site, the animal parks of & the .

Economy

Goat cheese making is an important industry of Vienne.

International relations

Vienne has a partnership relationship with:

  • Shenzhen, China, since 1993
  • Udine, Italy
  • Velenje, Slovenia

    • Gallery