Manche

This article is about the French administrative department. For the Prison Break character, see Manche Sanchez. For the former Maya people, see Manche Ch'ol.
Manche
Department

Prefecture building of the Manche department, in Saint-Lô

Coat of arms

Location of Manche in France
Coordinates: 49°03′N 01°15′E / 49.050°N 1.250°ECoordinates: 49°03′N 01°15′E / 49.050°N 1.250°E
Country France
Region Basse-Normandie
Prefecture Saint-Lô
Subprefectures Avranches
Cherbourg-Octeville
Coutances
Government
 • President of the General Council Jean-François Le Grand
Area1
 • Total 5,938 km2 (2,293 sq mi)
Population (2007)
 • Total 495,153
 • Rank 52nd
 • Density 83/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 50
Arrondissements 4
Cantons 52
Communes 602
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Manche (French pronunciation: ​[mɑ̃ʃ]) is a French department in Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie), named for the sea (La Manche, literally "the sleeve") that borders its north and west shores and part of its east shore (what English speakers call the English Channel).

History

Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the province of Normandie.

The first capital was Coutances until 1796, and it resumed that role after World War II because of the almost complete destruction of Saint-Lô during the battle of Normandy following D-Day. When Saint-Lô was rebuilt, it again became the capital.

Geography

Carteroute50

The Department includes the Cotentin Peninsula down to the famous Mont St Michel; though of the off-shore Channel Islands only Chausey forms part of the territory of the department.

Manche borders the Lower Normandy departments of Calvados to the east and Orne to the southeast. Mayenne, a department of the Pays de la Loire, is to the south-east, and Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany is to the south-west.

The region is lush and green with sandy beaches, remaining very rural and farming oriented. The peninsula was originally joined as a single land mass to Cornwall and Dorset in England, meaning that their countrysides are very similar. Flat marsh areas are known for their bird watching. The region and around St Lo is the horse capital of France, where the cooler climate compared to the south is ideal for breeding and training.

France's first EPR reactor is near completion at Cherbourg and the TGV fast trains are planned for Paris to Caen and Cherbourg for 2020.

Climate

The climate is oceanic, with relatively mild winters temperatures can go below zero for a few days occasionally. Temperate summers, around 20 °C, can occasionally reach 35 °C in direct sun light. Precipitation is substantial, and varies greatly by region, between 700mm on the coast and 1300mm in the southern central area. Highly localised, not life-threatening flash flooding has been experienced over the last few years in the spring period.

The west coast benefits from the Gulf stream's influence, allowing the naturalization of many Mediterranean and exotic plants (mimosas, palms, agaves...).

There is often a sea breeze on the coast, which combined with tides contributes to quick temperature changes over a single day. Sea temperatures can be very pleasant for swimming between July and October.

Demographics

Inhabitants of the department are called Manchots or Manchois.

Sports

A neighborhood in Saint-André-de-l'Épine

Tourism

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manche.