is a ''
Département '' on the west coast of
France named after the
Charente River .
was one of the 83 original ''départements'' created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . On
September 4 ,
1941 , it was renamed Charente-Maritime.
The land area is
6864 Km2 .
Charente-Maritime is surrounded by the ''départements'' of
Gironde ,
Dordogne ,
Charente ,
Deux-Sèvres , and
Vendée .
The ''département'' includes the islands of
Île De Ré ,
Île D'Aix , and
Ile D'Oléron .
The important rivers are the
Charente and its affluents the Boutonne and the Seugne, the
Sèvre Niortaise , the Seudre, and the
Garonne in its downstream part which is the estuary of the
Gironde .
The climate is mild and sunny, with less than 900 mm of precipitation per year. Average temperatures vary from 20°C in summer to 5°C in winter.
The economy of Charente-Maritime is based on three major sectors: tourism, maritime industry, and manufacturing.
During the summer months, families flock from all over
Europe to bask in the sun and enjoy the local seafood.
Charente-Maritime is the headquarters of the major
Oyster producer Marennes-Oléron. Oysters cultivated here are shipped across Europe.
Rochefort is the site of shipbulding and a French naval base.
La Rochelle is a seat of major French industry. Just outside the city is a factory for the French engineering giant
Alstom , where the
TGV , the cars for the
Paris and other
Metro s are manufactured.
The inhabitants of the ''département'' are called ''Charentais-Maritimes''.
Popular destinations incude,
La Rochelle ,
Rochefort ,
Île De Ré and
Île D'Oléron .
The ''département'' is served by the
TGV at Surgères and La Rochelle. It can also be reached by motorway by the A10 (E5,
Paris -
Bordeaux ) and A837 (E602,
Saintes -
Rochefort ).
