Born in 1790 under the name of Loire-Inférieure, the department of Loire-Atlantique belongs to the Pays de la Loire region. Its capital, Nantes, was the capital of the Dukes of Brittany.
Born in 1790 under the name of Loire-Inférieure at the creation of the departments, Loire-Atlantique belongs to the Pays de la Loire region. The capital of the Dukes of Brittany, Nantes, is its prefecture. The department also has two sub-prefectures, Châteaubriant and Saint-Nazaire.
Geographically, Loire-Atlantique is bounded to the west by its Atlantic coastline. The department also borders Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Maine-et-Loire and the Vendée on its southern flank. The Loire, a true natural artery, crosses the whole department to finally flow into the Atlantic Ocean at Saint-Nazaire.
With about 1,500,000 inhabitants, the population of Loire-Atlantique has grown steadily since the end of the Second World War, having almost tripled since that time. Its economic dynamism makes the department the 15th in France in terms of GDP per capita. Among the leaders of the food-processing industry at the European scale, Loire-Atlantique is also the leading national centre in the field of shipbuilding.
Independent until the Middle Ages, Nantes was finally conquered by the Bretons in 851. The city then became the capital of the Dukes of Brittany. One of the illustrious occupants of the Land of Briord, Pierre Landais, was treasurer then receiver general of Brittany, a very close counsellor of Duke Francis II of Brittany.
In 1941, the Vichy government separated Loire-Inférieure from Brittany. On 9 March 1957, the department took the name of Loire-Atlantique. Today, the debate rages between supporters and opponents of the attachment of Loire-Atlantique to the Brittany region.