Editing Indre (section)

==Geography==
Indre is a department in central France and is part of the region of [[Centre-Val de Loire]]. The capital and largest town in the department is [[Châteauroux]]. To the north of Indre lies [[Loir-et-Cher]], to the east [[Cher (department)|Cher]], to the south lies [[Creuse]] and [[Haute-Vienne]], to the southwest lies [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]], and to the northwest lies [[Indre-et-Loire]]. Most of the department is relatively level plains in the broad Loire Valley.<ref name=Philips>{{cite book |title=Philips' Modern School Atlas |year=1973 |publisher=George Philip and Son, Ltd. |isbn=0-540-05278-7 |pages=42–43 }}</ref>

The area of the department is {{convert|5880|km2|abbr=on}} and it is some {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} from north to south and some {{convert|90|km|abbr=on}} wide. The land is undulating and slopes gently towards the northwest. The main rivers are the [[Creuse (river)|Creuse]], the [[Claise (river)|Claise]] and the [[Indre (river)|Indre]].<ref name=Britannica>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopædia Britannica, or, Dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTQhAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA377 |year=1856 |publisher=Adam & Charles Black |pages=376–377}}</ref> The Creuse, a tributary of the [[Vienne (river)|Vienne]], is {{convert|264|km|mi}} long and has been impounded in several places; at the time it was built in 1926, the [[Éguzon Dam|Eguzon Dam]] was the largest dam in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecole-buissonniere.tm.fr/b%26b-creuse/eguzon.htm |title=Eguzon: Creuse's River Valley |publisher=L'Ecole Buissonniaire |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=2 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802024813/http://www.ecole-buissonniere.tm.fr/b%26b-creuse/eguzon.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Claise is {{convert|88|km|mi}} long and is a tributary of the Creuse. The Indre is a longer waterway and flows centrally through the department from south to north, through the major towns of [[La Châtre]], [[Châteauroux]] and [[Loches]]. It is a tributary of the [[Loire]], joining it at [[Chinon]] in the neighbouring department of Loir-et-Cher.<ref name=Britannica/>

Indre is divided into four natural regions; North Boischaut is undulating land with an altitude between {{convert|80|and|215|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} and occupies the northeast of the department, South Boischaut is hilly and lies in the south and southeast, a marshy tract of land known as Brenne is in the southwestern part of the department, and the flat, dry, flinty limestone plateau of Champagne berrichonne is in the east and continues into Cher. The highest point of the department is near the town of [[Pouligny-Notre-Dame]] where the land rises to {{convert|459|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above sea level.<ref name=Philips/> The department is made up of {{convert|680910|ha|abbr=on}} of land of which {{convert|401535|ha|abbr=on}} are under arable cropping, {{convert|85305|ha|abbr=on}} are grassland, {{convert|67423|ha|abbr=on}} are woodland, {{convert|18110|ha|abbr=on}} are under grapes and {{convert|18273|ha|abbr=on}} are gardens and orchards. The remaining land is heathland, urban land and waterways.<ref name=Britannica/>

The economy is mostly agricultural. In the past many sheep were raised in the department and woollen yarn was the main manufactured product. There is also a linen industry as well as the manufacture of hosiery and paper. The department has some minerals in the form of coal, iron, stone, marble and clay.<ref name=Britannica/>