Mayenne

The department of Mayenne [ majɛn ] is a French department of order number 53 It is in the northwest of the country in the Pays de la Loire and is named after the Mayenne River. Capital of the department is Laval.

Geography

The Mayenne is bordered to the north by the department of Manche and Orne, Sarthe to the east, south to Maine -et -Loire and west of Ille -et -Vilaine.

The department is hilly country which is its internal structure according predominantly expected to Brittany, and how these granite, slate and Palaeozoic sandstones is.

The most important river is the Mayenne, which crosses the department from north to south. At her are also the two largest cities, Laval and Mayenne. The river valleys of Mayenne, Sarthe and Vilaine are little cut deep and wide, the soil is mostly fertile.

Coat of arms

Description: Blue with red board and full-length white Wellenhermlinpfahl two golden lilies under a golden lion.

History

The department was formed from the western part of the former province of Maine and the northern part of Anjou.

The population amounted in 1861 to around 375,000 in 1886, there were already only 340,000.

Cities

The most densely populated municipalities in the department of Mayenne:

Administrative divisions

• List of cantons in the department of Mayenne
• List of municipalities in the department of Mayenne

Partnerships

Since 1997, a partnership with the Bavarian region of Swabia.