Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne Big Joe Turner Category="Champagne-Ardenne"Category="Regions of France"

 Région Champagne-Ardenne
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(Région flag) (Région logo)
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CapitalChâlons-en-Champagne
Land area… 25,606 km²
Regional PresidentJean-Paul Bachy
(PS) (since 2004)
Population
 - Jan.1, 2004 estimate
 - March 8, 1999 census
 - Density		(Ranked 18th)
1,330,000
1,342,363
52/km² ( 2004)
Arrondissements15
Cantons146
Communes1,947
DépartementsAube
Ardennes
Haute-Marne
Marne
1 French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers

Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 26 régions of France.

History

During World War I and World War II, Champagne-Ardenne was a major combat zone. Among the battles that took place there were the First and Second Battles of the Marne, which saw extensive Trench warfare, the Battle of the Ardennes, and the Battle of the Bulge.

Since then, reconciliation with Germany has been important to the region. On July 8, 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer took part in a service at Notre-Dame de Reims to remember those who died in World War II.

Geography

Champagne-Ardenne is in the northeast of France, bordering Belgium. It consists of four départements: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne.

Its rivers, all of which flow west, include the Seine, the Marne, and the Aisne.

The region has three autoroutes, totaling 460 km:

The rail network includes the Paris–Strasbourg line, which follows the Marne Valley and serves Épernay, Châlons-en-Champagne, and Vitry-le-François. The LGV Est TGV line also connecting Paris and Strasbourg will open in 2006 and will serve Reims with a new train station in the commune of Bezannes.

The région 's canals include the canal lateral to the Marne and canal from the Marne to the Rhine, which connects to the Marne at Vitry-le-François. These are petit gabarit canals.

The Vatry International Airport, primarily dedicated to air freight, has a runway 3650 m long, yet it is often unused. The airport is in a sparsely populated area just 150 km from Paris. Some people say it is a good candidate for transformation into a third Parisian airport. Les verts (the French green party) supported such a move because the resulting Noise pollution would affect fewer people than an airport closer to Paris.

See also: Ardennes

Economy

Businesses

Food-processing

Demographics

The population of Champagne-Ardenne has been in steady decrease since 1982 due to a Rural exodus. With 1.3 million people and a density of 52/km², it is one of France's least populated régions.

Tourism

Champagne-Ardenne has the following:

Visitors often go to Champagne because of its history and its world-famous wine (but mostly the wine, wink wink!). However, their itineraries diverge when they discover the region's cultural heritage and its Cuisine: some visit Troyes and its ancient houses, others visit Langres and its walls, and still others visit Épernay, Reims, or Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.

The region contains some magnificent forests and lakes where you can enjoy walks and water sports.

External links

Régions of France [image]
Alsace | Aquitaine | Auvergne | Bourgogne | Bretagne | Centre | Champagne-Ardenne | Corsica | Franche-Comté | Île-de-France | Languedoc-Roussillon | Limousin | Lorraine | Midi-Pyrénées | Nord-Pas de Calais | Basse-Normandie | Haute-Normandie | Pays-de-la-Loire | Picardie | Poitou-Charentes | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Rhône-Alpes
Overseas Régions
Guadeloupe | Guyane | Martinique | Réunion