Champagne-Ardenne

¹ French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers

Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 26 regions of France.

1 Geography
2 Economy
- 2.1 Businesses
- 2.2 Food-processing
3 Demographics
4 Tourism
5 Major communities
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Champagne-Ardenne is a region located in the northeast of France, bordering Belgium. It consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne.

Its rivers, all of which flow west, include the Seine, the Marne, and the Aisne.

The region has three autoroutes, totaling 460 km:

A4 connecting Paris and Strasbourg and serving the Reims metropolitan area
A5 connecting Paris and Dijon and serving Troyes and Chaumont
A26 connecting Calais and Dijon and serving Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne
A34 connecting Reims and the Belgian border and serving Charleville-Mézières

The rail network includes the Paris–Strasbourg line, which follows the Marne Valley and serves Épernay, Châlons-en-Champagne, and Vitry-le-François. The LGV Est TGV line also connecting Paris and Strasbourg opened in 2007 and serves Reims with a train station in the commune of Bezannes.

The region's canals include the canal lateral to the Marne and canal from the Marne to the Rhine, which connects to the Marne at Vitry-le-François. These are petit gabarit canals. It is famous for its sparkling white wine (champagne).

The Vatry International Airport, primarily dedicated to air freight, has a runway 3650 m long, yet it is often unused. The airport is in a sparsely populated area just 150 km from Paris. Some people say it is a good candidate for transformation into a third Parisian airport. Les verts (the French green party) supported such a move because the resulting noise pollution would affect fewer people than an airport closer to Paris.

[edit] Economy

61.4% of its land is dedicated to agriculture
1^st in France for the production of barley and alfalfa
2^nd in France for the production of beets, onions, and peas
3^rd in France for the production of tender wheat and rapeseed.
282.37 km² of vineyards
Champagne sales in 2001: 263 million bottles (4% increase from 2000) of which 37.6% were exported.
25% of French hosiery production
3^rd metallurgic region in France

[edit] Businesses

Verreries Mécaniques de Champagne
Produits Métallurgiques à Reims
Vallourec

[edit] Food-processing

Champagne-Céréales
France-Luzerne
Béghin-Say

[edit] Demographics

The population of Champagne-Ardenne has been in steady decrease since 1982 due to a rural exodus. With 1.3 million people and a density of 52/km², it is one of France's least populated regions.

[edit] Tourism

Champagne-Ardenne has the following:

291 approved tourist hotels offering 8,000 rooms
152 bed and breakfasts
19 museums
92 screens in local movie theatres
16 theatres
10 golf courses
650 km of waterways
8 lakes reserved for tourists, including the Lake Der-Chantecoq, the largest man-made lake in Europe

Visitors often go to Champagne because of its history and its world-famous wine. However, their itineraries diverge when they discover the region's cultural heritage and its cuisine: some visit Troyes and its ancient houses, others visit Langres and its walls, and still others visit Épernay, Reims, or Colombey-les-deux-Églises.

The region contains some magnificent forests and lakes where one can enjoy hiking and water sports.