- Allier
Infobox_Department_of_France
department = Allier
number = 03
region = Auvergne
prefecture = Moulins
subprefectures =Montluçon Vichy
population = 344,721
pop_date = 1999
pop_rank = 63rd
density = 47
area = 7340
area_scale = 9
arrond = 3
cantons = 35
communes = 320
president =Jean-Paul Dufregne
pres_party = PCF
img_coa = Blason_dpt_fr_Allier.svgAllier (
Occitan : "Alèir") is a department in south-centralFrance named after theAllier River .History
Allier is one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution onMarch 4 ,1790 . It was created from parts of the former provinces of Auvergne andBourbonnais .In 1940, the government of Marshal
Philippe Pétain chose the town ofVichy as its capital.Geography
The department belongs to the region Auvergne and is surrounded by the following French departments: Cher,
Nièvre ,Saône-et-Loire ,Loire ,Puy-de-Dôme , andCreuse .The following rivers run through Allier:
*Allier
*Loire
*Cher
*Besbre
*Sioule
*Aumance Economy
Allier is the most productive agricultural area of the Auvergne. Vichy has long been known for its water, which is exported worldwide.
Demographics
Montluçon ,Vichy , and Moulins are the principal cities. The rest of the department consists of smaller towns, mostly along the rivers. In general, the department is sparsely populated. The population increased until the end of the 19th century because of the growth of industry in Montluçon and Moulins and development of the thermal resources at Vichy. At that time the department had over 420,000 inhabitants. After the losses ofWorld War I , the population stagnated, with a small increase in the 1960s. Since then, it has decreased slightly from 386,533 in 1968 to 344,721 in 1999.ee also
*
Communes of the Allier department
*Cantons of the Allier department
*Arrondissements of the Allier department External links
* [http://www.allier.pref.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* [http://www.cg03.fr/ General council website]
* ODP|Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Auvergne/Allier|Allier
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