is a
French Département in
Normandy named after '''La Manche''' ("the sleeve"), which is the
French name of the
English Channel .
Manche was one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . It was created from part of the province of
Normandie .
The first capital was
Coutances until
1796 , and it resumed that role after
World War II because of the almost complete destruction of Saint-Lô during the
D-Day invasion of Normandy. When Saint-Lô was rebuilt, it again became the capital.
The department includes the
Cotentin Peninsula and the islands of
Chausey . It is part of the region of
Basse-Normandie and is surrounded on three sides by the English Channel and on the other by the departments of
Calvados ,
Orne ,
Mayenne , and
Ille-et-Vilaine .
Inhabitants of the department are called ''Manchots'' or ''Manchois''.
