Indre (department)

Indre is a department in the centre of France in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is named after the Indre river, the most important river in the department.

Indre
Department
Prefecture building of the Indre department
Prefecture building of the Indre department, in Châteauroux
Flag of Indre
Flag
Coat of arms of Indre
Coat of arms
Location of Indre in France
Location of Indre in France
Coordinates: 46°46′N 1°36′E
CountryFrance
RegionCentre-Val de Loire
Département4 March 1790
PrefectureChâteauroux
SubprefecturesLe Blanc, La Châtre, Issoudun
Government
[1]
 • PresidentSerge Descout
Area
[2]
 • Total6,790.6 km2 (2,621.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)[3]
 • Total226,175
 • Density33/km2 (86/sq mi)
DemonymIndriens
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeFR-36
Arrondissements4
Cantons13
Communes243
WebsiteOfficial website

Its prefecture is Châteauroux.

History

The department is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was created from part of the former province of Berry.

The new department had six districts: Issoudun, Châteauroux, Argenton, Le Blanc, La Châtre and Marennes. The capital (now prefecture) was Châteauroux.[4]

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the six districts were changed into four arrondissements: Saintes, Châteauroux, Le Blanc, La Châtre and Issoudun.[4]

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Issoudun was eliminated but in 1942 it was made again an arrondissement.[4]

Geography

Indre is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of 6,790.6 km2 (2,622 sq mi).[2]

The highest point of the department is Terrior Randoin (46°27′7″N 1°58′59″E), in the commune of Pouligny-Notre-Dame, and that is 457 m (1,499 ft) above sea level.[5]

The department is bordered by the 6 departments in 2 regions:

The main rivers are:

  • Creuse, a tributary of the Vienne, is 264 kilometres (164 mi) long.
  • Claise, 88 kilometres (55 mi) long and a tributary of the Creuse.
  • Indre, that 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.

Climate

The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Châteauroux is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype Cfb.[6]

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Châteauroux is 736.6 mm (29.0 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is May with 73.7 mm (2.9 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of 48.3 mm (1.9 in).

The average temperature for the year in Châteauroux is 11.8 °C (53.2 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 20.2 °C (68.4 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 4.2 °C (39.6 °F).

Administration

The department is managed by the Departmental Council of the Indre in Châteauroux. Indre is part of the region of Centre-Val de Loire.

Administrative divisions

There are 4 arrondissements (districts), 13 cantons and 243 communes (municipalities) in Indre.[7]

INSEE
code		ArrondissementCapitalPopulation[8]
(2014)		Area[9]
(km²)		Density
(Inh./km²)		Communes
361Le BlancLe Blanc31,8211,760.818.157
362ChâteaurouxChâteauroux126,4282,524.350.186
363La ChâtreLa Châtre32,9621,323.224.951
364IssoudunIssoudun34,9641,182.329.649

The following is a list of the 13 cantons of the Indre department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:[10]

  1. Ardentes (3601)
  2. Argenton-sur-Creuse (3602)
  3. Le Blanc (3603)
  4. Buzançais (3604)
  5. Châteauroux-1 (3605)
  6. Châteauroux-2 (3606)
  7. Châteauroux-3 (3607)
  8. La Châtre (3608)
  9. Issoudun (3609)
  10. Levroux (3610)
  11. Neuvy-Saint-Sépulchre (3611)
  12. Saint-Gaultier (3612)
  13. Valençay (3613)

Demographics

The inhabitants of Indre are known, in French, as Indriens (women: Indriennes).[11]

Indre has a population, in 2014, of 226,175,[3] for a population density of 33.3 inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Châteauroux, with 126,428 inhabitants, is by far the largest.[8]

Evolution of the population in Indre

The main cities in the department are:

City Population[8]
(2014)		 Arrondissement
Châteauroux44,479Châteauroux
Issoudun12,270Issoudun
Déols7,744Châteauroux
Le Blanc6,602Le Blanc
Le Poinçonnet5,880Châteauroux
Argenton-sur-Creuse5,007Châteauroux
Buzançais4,473Châteauroux
La Châtre4,278La Châtre
Ardentes3,886Châteauroux
Saint-Maur3,522Châteauroux
  • Châteauroux
    Châteauroux
  • Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
    Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
  • Le Blanc
    Le Blanc
  • Argenton-sur-Creuse
    Argenton-sur-Creuse

References
  1. "Institution" (in French). Conseil Départemental de l'Indre. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  2. "Département de L'Indre (36) - Résumé statistique". Publications et statistiques pour la France ou les régions (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  3. "Populations légales 2014 des départements et des collectivités d'outre-mer" (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  4. "Historique de l'Indre". Le SPLAF (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  5. "Terrior Randoin, France". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  6. "Chateauroux, France - Köppen Climate Classification". Weatherbase. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  7. "Département de l'Indre (36)". Géographie administrative et d'étude (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  8. "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  9. "Département de l'Indre (36)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  10. "Décret n° 2014-178 du 18 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département de l'Indre" (in French). Legifrance.gouv.fr. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  11. "Indre (36)" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 12 September 2016.

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