Meurthe-et-Moselle

Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the northeast of France named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.

History

Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French territory. The current boundary between Meurthe-et-Moselle and Moselle was the border between France and Germany from 1871 to 1919.

Geography

Meurthe-et-Moselle is part of the region of Lorraine and is surrounded by the departments of Meuse, Vosges, Bas-Rhin, and Moselle and by the nations of Luxembourg and Belgium.

Its extends from north to south for 130 kilometers and between 7 and 103 kilometers from west to east.

The important rivers are the following:

• Moselle
• Meurthe
• Chiers
• Vezouze

Economy

The economy was highly dependent on mining until the 1960s. There are iron, salt, and lime extraction sites.

The urban area around Nancy has a very dynamic economy based largely on services, research, and higher education.

Demographics

The inhabitants of the department are called Meurthe-et-Mosellans.

The area around Nancy has become highly urbanized, whereas the Santois in the south is quite rural.

See also

• Cantons of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department
• Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department
• Arrondissements of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department

External links

• Prefecture website
• General council website
• Meurthe-et-Moselle Tourism Guide
• Tourism website