(formerly '''Loire-Inférieure''') is a
''
Département '' on the west coast of
France named after the
Loire River and the
Atlantic Ocean .
Loire-Inférieure was one of the original 83 ''départements'' created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . It was renamed in 1957. It was originally part of
Brittany , and contains what many people consider to be Brittany's capital,
Nantes . There is a popular campaign to have it reintegrated in Brittany.
Loire-Atlantique is part of the current region of
Pays-de-la-Loire and is surrounded by the ''départements'' of
Morbihan ,
Ille-et-Vilaine ,
Maine-et-Loire , and
Vendée , with the Atlantic on the west.
The
Breton Language is an important issue, with many supporting bilingual education.
