Editing Indre

{{short description|Department of France}}
{{About|the French department}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Indre
| native_name             = 
| native_name_lang        = fr<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| type                    = [[Departments of France|Department]]
| image_skyline           = Châteauroux - Préfecture - 1.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]] building of the Indre department, in Châteauroux
| image_flag              = Drapeau_département_fr_Indre.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Blason_département_fr_Indre.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Indre-Position.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of Indre in France
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|46|46|N|1|36|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd_scale:1000000|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = France
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of France|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Centre-Val de Loire]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| seat_type               = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat                    = [[Châteauroux]]
| parts_type              = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[Le Blanc]]<br>[[La Châtre]]<br>[[Issoudun]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = [[Union of Democrats and Independents|UDI]]
| leader_title            = [[President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name             = Marc Fleuret<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_magnitude          = 
| area_footnotes          = {{ref|area|1}}
| area_total_km2          = 6791
| area_note               = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| elevation_min_m         = 
| elevation_max_m         = 
| population_total        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_as_of        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
| population_rank         = [[List of French departments by population|88th]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 36
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[arrondissements of the Indre department|4]]
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[cantons of the Indre department|13]]
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = [[communes of the Indre department|241]]
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = 
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude [[estuary|estuaries]], and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km<sup>2</sup>
}}

'''Indre''' ({{IPA|fr|ɛ̃dʁ|-|Fr-Paris--Indre.ogg}}); is a [[departments of France|department]] in central France named after the river [[Indre (river)|Indre]]. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; {{IPA|fr|ɛ̃dʁijɛ̃|pron}}) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; {{IPA|fr|ɛ̃dʁijɛn|}}). Indre is part of the current [[regions of France|administrative region]] of [[Centre-Val de Loire]]. The region is bordered by the departments of [[Indre-et-Loire]] to the west, [[Loir-et-Cher]] to the north, [[Cher (department)|Cher]] to the east, [[Creuse]] and [[Haute-Vienne]] to the south, and [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] to the southwest. The [[Prefectures in France|préfecture]] (capital) is [[Châteauroux]] and there are three [[Subprefectures in France|subpréfectures]] at [[Le Blanc]], [[La Châtre]] and [[Issoudun]]. It had a population of 219,316 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep36.pdf Populations légales 2019: 36 Indre], INSEE</ref> It also contains the geographic centre of [[Metropolitan France]].

==History==

Indre is one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on 4 March 1790, by order of the [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]].<ref name=Schama/> The new departments were to be uniformly administered and approximately equal in size and population to one another. The department was created from parts of the former provinces of [[Berry, France|Berry]],<ref name=Schama>{{cite book|author=Schama, Simon |author-link=Simon Schama |title=Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution |location=New York |publisher=Knopf |year=1989}}</ref> [[Orléanais]], [[County of La Marche|La Marche]] and [[Touraine]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Indre |volume=14 |page=501}}</ref>

Before the Roman conquest, the Celtic [[Bituriges Cubi|Bituriges]] tribe occupied an area that included Indre, Cher, and part of [[Limousin]]. Their capital was Avaricum ([[Bourges]]), and another important settlement was at [[Argenton-sur-Creuse]]. The area then became part of [[Roman Gaul]] after its conquest by [[Julius Caesar]] around 58 BC, and enjoyed a period of stability. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, the Frankish tribes living in Gaul were united under the [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingians]], and succeeded in conquering most of the country in the sixth century AD. From this time, the [[Francia|Franks]] controlled most of Gaul and the [[Carolingian Empire]] was the last stage of their rule. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak with the crowning of [[Charlemagne]] and after his death in 814, it began to fragment. The Carolingian territories were divided into three sections in 843 at the [[Treaty of Verdun]], and the area that is now the department of Indre, became part of [[West Francia]]. In 869, the king of [[Middle Francia]] died without leaving a legitimate heir, and eventually part of that kingdom was added to West Francia to effectively form the medieval [[Kingdom of France]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Nelson, Janet L. |title=The Frankish World, 750–900|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lRptZg8opYAC&pg=PA133 |year=1996 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-85285-105-7 |pages=133–144}}</ref>

A castle was built at Châteauroux in the late tenth century. In the eleventh century, the lords of Châteauroux were powerful in the region; their "principality" covered two thirds of the current Department of Indre and they had their own coinage.<ref>Archives départementales de l’Indre, ''Berry médiéval : à la découverte de l’Indre au Moyen Âge'', catalogue d’exposition, Châteauroux, Archives départementales de l’Indre, 2009.</ref>

==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/>

==Demographics==
{{historical populations|align=none|cols=2|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/36his.html|title=Historique de l'Indre|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-36|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom|11=1791|12=229,768|13=1801|14=205,628|15=1806|16=204,721|17=1821|18=230,273|19=1831|20=245,289|21=1841|22=253,076|23=1851|24=271,938|25=1861|26=270,054|27=1872|28=277,693|29=1881|30=287,705|31=1891|32=292,868|33=1901|34=288,788|35=1911|36=287,673|37=1921|38=260,535|39=1931|40=247,912|41=1936|42=245,622|43=1946|44=252,075|45=1954|46=247,436|47=1962|48=251,432|49=1968|50=247,178|51=1975|52=248,523|53=1982|54=243,191|55=1990|56=237,510|57=1999|58=231,139|59=2006|60=232,959|61=2011|62=230,175|63=2016|64=223,505}}

===Principal towns===

The most populous commune is [[Châteauroux]], the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Châteauroux]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 43,122
|-
| [[Issoudun]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 11,477
|-
| [[Déols]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 7,609
|-
| [[Le Blanc]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 6,250
|-
| [[Le Poinçonnet]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 5,820
|}

==Politics==
The President of the Departmental Council is Marc Fleuret of the [[Union of Democrats and Independents]].

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Party || seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous Right}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Miscellaneous Right]] ||align="right"| 9
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Union for a Popular Movement]] ||align="right"| 8
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
|[[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] ||align="right"| 7
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|New Centre}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[New Centre]] ||align="right"| 2
|-
|}

===Current National Assembly Representatives===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/|title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français|first=Assemblée|last=Nationale|website=Assemblée nationale}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|En Marche!}}" |
| [[Indre's 1st constituency]]
| [[François Jolivet]]
| [[La République En Marche!]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| [[Indre's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Nicolas Forissier]]
| [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]
|}

==Tourism==
Châteauroux, the capital of the department, is a historic town. It was originally called "Château Raoul", the present day château which now houses the préfecture being built on the site of a castle constructed in the tenth century by Raoul le Large, lord of [[Déols]]. In 1188 the castle was held by Philippe Auguste who was concerned in protecting the drapery business centred in the town and along the banks of the River Indre from fraud. From 1612 to 1736 it was a duchy of the [[Princes of Condé|House of Condé]] and from 1742 to 1744 was under the control of the Marquise de la Tournelle.<ref name=Scholastic>{{cite book|author=Scholastic Library Publishing|title=Encyclopedia Americana: Cathedrals to Civil War|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaamer20scho |url-access=registration|year=2005 |publisher=Scholastic Library Pub. |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaamer20scho/page/334 334] |isbn=978-0-7172-0138-9}}</ref> 
The Indre department has two villages which have been classified among the [[Les Plus Beaux Villages de France|most beautiful villages of France]]: [[Saint-Benoît-du-Sault]] and [[Gargilesse-Dampierre]].
<gallery>
File:Châteauroux rue des Pavillons 3.jpg|[[Châteauroux]]
File:Saintbenoitdusault1.JPG|[[Saint-Benoît-du-Sault]]
File:Gargilesse - Ensemble.JPG|[[Gargilesse-Dampierre]]
File:Le Blanc chateau Naillac.JPG|[[Le Blanc, Indre|Le Blanc]]
File:Argenton-sur-Creuse bords de Creuse 08.jpg|[[Argenton-sur-Creuse]]
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Cantons of the Indre department]]
*[[Communes of the Indre department]]
*[[Arrondissements of the Indre department]]

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Indre (department)}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.indre.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.indre.fr/ Departmental Council website]
<!-- please keep this link: Dmoz page holds a Wikipedia back link -->
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.indrenature.net/ Indre Nature]

{{Departments of France}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Indre| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Centre-Val de Loire]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]