is a
Département in west-central
France .
Mayenne-et-Loire was one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . The name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791. It was created from part of the former province of
Anjou . Its present name is drawn from the former province of
Maine and the
Loire River , which runs through it.
Maine-et-Loire is part of the current region of
Pays-de-la-Loire and is surrounded by the departments of
Ille-et-Vilaine ,
Mayenne ,
Sarthe ,
Indre-et-Loire ,
Vienne ,
Deux-Sèvres ,
Vendée , and
Loire-Atlantique .
It has a varied landscape, with forested ranges of hills in the south and north separated by the valley of the
Loire . The highest point is Colline des Gardes (689 feet/210m).
The area has many navigable rivers such as the Loire,
Sarthe ,
Mayenne ,
Loir , and
Authion .
The inhabitants of Maine-et-Loire are called ''Angevins'', from the former province of Anjou.
The horsemen of the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the
Chateaux of the Loire valley, and the royal abbey at
Fontevraud with its
Plantagenet tombs are all major attractions.
