Angoulins

Angoulins

Seashore at Angoulins

Coat of arms
Angoulins

Coordinates: 46°06′18″N 1°06′31″W / 46.105°N 1.108611°WCoordinates: 46°06′18″N 1°06′31″W / 46.105°N 1.108611°W
Country France
Region Poitou-Charentes
Department Charente-Maritime
Arrondissement La Rochelle
Canton Aytré
Intercommunality La Rochelle
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Daniel Vailleau
Area1 7.86 km2 (3.03 sq mi)
Population (2009)2 3,720
 • Density 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 17010 / 17690
Elevation 0–17 m (0–56 ft)
(avg. 4 m or 13 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Angoulins is a French commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region of southwestern France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Angoulinois or Angoulinoises[1]

Geography

Angoulins is located in the northwest of the department of Charente-Maritime some 8 km south-east of La Rochelle and 5 km north of Châtelaillon-Plage in the former province of Aunis. It is a coastal commune on the Atlantic ocean. Access is by the E602 (D137) highway from La Rochelle continuing south-east with an exit in the commune just east of Angoulins town. There is also the D202 from Salles-sur-Mer in the east turning south and continuing to Chatelaillon-Plage. Access to the town is by the D111E1 from the D202 on the southern border continuing through the town and turning east to the motorway exit.

Angoulins town has a large urban area occupying almost 50% of the commune with farmland to the north, east, and west.[2]

Geology

The entire commune is located on Jurassic terrain which completely covers the plain of Aunis. Jurassic Marl and limestone outcrops appear on the surface of the commune and the relief is slightly rolling.

The coastal strip of Angoulins, which corresponds to the last extremity of the plain of Aunis, is relatively varied. It alternates between low sandy and marshy shores and high limestone cliffs.

Low-lying coasts, which were formerly salt marshes, have today been transformed into oyster beds (at the marsh north of Chay Point) and are derived from Quaternary sedimentary deposits of marine origin - from the last Flandrian transgression. The sandy coast is situated in a small cove formed naturally by the phenomena of marine erosion and ocean currents (Angoulins beach, south of the Chay point).

Chay Point at Angoulins-sur-Mer, a popular place for geologists

The coastal cliffs are located all around the Chay Point and form a limestone peninsula - a sharp promontory jutting into the ocean. Layers of alternating beds of oolitic marl and limestone can be seen on the cliffs that line the coast from La Rochelle to Angoulins-sur-Mer. They are highlighted by thick layers of white rocks alternating with layers of very friable sand and mud, formed during glacial periods, also with layers containing various corals from tropical periods. Chay Point, about five kilometres south of La Rochelle, contains many fossils of marine animals and is an especially famous place of palaeontological studies.

The limestone thus formed is widely used as a building material in traditional houses in the region.

Transport

Railway Stations and Halts

Airports and Aerodromes

Neighbouring communes and villages[2]

 Atlantic Ocean Aytré La Jarne
Atlantic Ocean Salles-sur-Mer
   Angoulins  
Atlantic Ocean Chatelaillon-Plage Saint-Vivien

Heraldry

 Blazon:

Azure, a carrack of Or, sailed in Argent, top castle the same, in chief Gules charged with three mullets of Or.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[3]

From To Name Party Position
1965 1983 Albert Denis PCF
1983 1989 Robert Cassagnes
1989 2001 Claude Grenier SE
2001 2014 Marie-Claude Bridonneau PRG
2014 2020 Daniel Vailleau

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2009 the commune had 3,720 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.[Note 1]

Evolution of the Population (See database)
1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851
1,647 515 514 617 758 752 753 813 832
1856 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896
824 854 848 733 807 916 1,127 1,175 1,437
1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954
718 767 817 706 883 1,084 1,034 1,132 1,579
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2009 -
1,917 2,126 2,149 2,441 2,908 3,501 3,647 3,720 -

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

According to the INSEE census in 2007, Angoulins had a population of 3,695 (an increase of 6% compared to 1999). The commune was the 2,708th largest at national level, while it was 2,672nd in 1999 and 27th at the departmental level out of 472 communes.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The rate of people above the age of 60 years (30.8%) is higher than the national rate (21.6%) and the departmental rate (28.1%). As at the national and departmental levels, the female population of the commune is higher than the male population. The percentage (52.3%) is of the same order of magnitude as the national rate (51.6%).

Percentage Distribution of Age Groups in Angoulins and Charente-Maritime Department in 2009

Angoulins Angoulins Charente-M Charente-M
Age Range Men Women Men Women
0 to 14 Years 15.7 13.8 17.2 15.1
15 to 29 Years 16.2 13.1 16.5 14.4
30 to 44 Years 16.2 15.7 18.7 17.9
45 to 59 Years 24.3 23.8 21.0 20.8
60 to 74 Years 19.1 20.2 17.2 17.8
75 to 89 Years 8.2 11.6 9.0 12.4
90 Years+ 0.3 1.7 0.5 1.5

Sources:

Economy

There are 12 enterprises in industry, 24 in construction, 83 shops, 37 service enterprises, 2 farms, and 1 shellfish farm. Angoulins is best known for its shopping area.

Sites and Monuments

The Church of Saint-Peter (15th century) is registered as an historical monument.[4] There remains the Machicolations on the walkway that connects the three Bartizans located in the north-east corner and the two corners of the apse. The west façade forms a bell tower wall in a fortified triangle. The Chevet preserves the structure of the walkway between the two Bartizans. The nave is Gothic with arched ribs.[5] The church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:

Notable people linked to the commune

Local associations

See also

External links

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002 , the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" which allow, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force in 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

  1. ↑ Inhabitants of Charente-Maritime (French)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Google Maps
  3. ↑ List of Mayors of France
  4. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00104591 Church of Saint Peter (French)
  5. ↑ Gothic Architecture in Saintonge and Aunis, Yves Blomme, éditions Bordessoules, ISBN 2-903504-33-4 (French)
  6. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM17000011 Pulpit (French)
  7. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM17000010 Bronze Bell (French)
  8. ↑ Colette Besson and the values in life for which sport must be the guarantor (French)
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