Loire River facts for kids
The Loire River is the longest river in France. It is 1,013 km long. It originates in the Massif Central. Its mouth is near Nantes by the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire gives its name to 6 French departments. For years, the Loire was very important for France's commerce. When the railway developed in the 19th century, it put an end to its importance.
Tributaries
The Loire's tributaries include the following rivers, in order going upstream:
- Acheneau (near Le Pellerin)
- Sèvre Nantaise (in Nantes)
- Erdre (in Nantes)
- Layon (in Chalonnes-sur-Loire)
- Maine (near Angers)
- Mayenne (near Angers)
- Sarthe (near Angers)
- Loir (near Angers)
- Ernée (in Saint-Jean-sur-Mayenne)
- Braye (in Pont-de-Braye)
- Aigre (near Cloyes-sur-le-Loir)
- Yerre (near Cloyes-sur-le-Loir)
- Conie (near Châteaudun)
- Ozanne (in Bonneval)
- Huisne (in Le Mans)
- Thouet (near Saumur)
- Dive (near Saint-Just-sur-Dive)
- Losse (near Montreuil-Bellay)
- Argenton (near Saint-Martin-de-Sanzay)
- Thouaret (near Taizé)
- Cébron (near Saint-Loup-sur-Thouet)
- Palais (near Parthenay)
- Viette (near Parthenay)
- Vienne (in Candes-Saint-Martin)
- Creuse (north of Châtellerault)
- Gartempe (in La Roche-Posay)
- Clain (in Châtellerault)
- Indre (east of Montsoreau)
- Cher (in Villandry)
- Sauldre (in Selles-sur-Cher)
- Arnon (near Vierzon)
- Yèvre (in Vierzon)
- Auron (in Bourges)
- Beuvron (in Chaumont-sur-Loire)
- Loiret (in Orléans)
- Allier (near Nevers)
- Sioule (near Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule)
- Dore (near Puy-Guillaume)
- Allagnon (near Jumeaux)
- Ance (in Monistrol-d'Allier)
- Nièvre (in Nevers)
- Acolin (near Decize)
- Aron (in Decize)
- Besbre (near Dompierre-sur-Besbre)
- Arroux (in Digoin)
- Furan (in Andrézieux-Bouthéon)
Images for kids
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The river port of Roanne
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The Loire spanned at Nantes
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Greengage blossom
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The Loire as it flows through Blois.
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Château de Montsoreau (1453) is the only Château of the Loire Valley to be built directly in the Loire riverbed.
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Amboise on the banks of the Loire
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Château de Blois interior façades in Gothic, Renaissance and Classic styles (from right to left).
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Scène of the Loire, by J. M. W. Turner.
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La source de la Loire, by Gustave Courbet.
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The Loire at Montsoreau, J. M. W. Turner, 1832, Château de Montsoreau-Museum of Contemporary Art.
See also
In Spanish: Río Loira para niños