Saône-et-Loire Facts for Kids

Saône-et-Loire is a department in the centre of France. It is in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It is named after the Saône and the Loire rivers. The largest city in the department is Chalon-sur-Saône. The prefecture (capital) is the smaller city of Mâcon.

History
Geography
- Climate
Administration
- Administrative divisions
Demographics
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History

Saône-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Mâcon as its capital. It was formed from combined parts of the old provinces of southern Burgundy and Bresse, uniting lands which have no true geographical unity.

It was divided in seven districts: Autun, Bourbon-Lancy, Chalon-sur-Saône, Charolles, Louhans, Mâcon and Semur-en-Brionnais. That same year, the name of the district Semur-en-Brionnais was changed to Marcigny.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the seven districts were changed into five arrondissements: Mâcon, Autun, Chalon-sur-Saône, Charolles and Louhans.

After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Austrian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

On 10 September 1926, the arrondissement of Louhans was eliminated but in 1942 it became again an arrondissement of the department.

Geography

Map of Saône-et-Loire.

Saône-et-Loire is part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It has an area of 8,574.7 km² (3,311 sq mi); the seventh largest department of France.

The department borders with 7 other departments:

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Côte-d'Or (north)
- Nièvre (nortwest)
- Jura (east)
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Ain (southeast)
- Rhône (south)
- Loire (southwest)
- Allier (west)

Nièvre	Côte-d'Or
Allier		Jura
	Saône-et-Loire

Loire	Rhône	Ain

There are five natural regions in the department:

Autunois, to the northwest; it is the region around Autun.
Charolais, to the southwest and around the commune of Charolles.
Chalonnais, to the north with Chalon-sur-Saône as the main city.
Mâconnais, to the south and around the commune of Mâcon.
Bresse, to the east of the Saône river with Louhans as the main city.

The main rivers in the department are the Loire, that makes most of the western border of the department and that flows to the north, into the Atlantic Ocean; and the Saône, in the eastern part of the department and that flows to the south and joins the Rhône river at Lyon.

Climate

The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Charnay-lès-Mâcon is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype "Cfb".

The average temperature for the year in Charnay-lès-Mâcon, to the west of Mâcon and where is the local airport, is 11.7 °C (53.1 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 21.1 °C (70.0 °F). The coolest month, on average is January, with an average temperature of 2.8 °C (37.0 °F).

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Charnay-lès-Mâcon is 866.1 mm (34.10 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is October with 96.5 mm (3.80 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of 50.8 mm (2.00 in).

Administration

Saône-et-Loire is managed by the General Council of Saône-et-Loire in Mâcon. The department is part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

Administrative divisions

There are 5 arrondissements (districts), 57 cantons and 573 communes (municipalities) in Saône-et-Loire.

Arrondissement	Capital	Population (2011)	Area (km²)	Density (Inh./km²)	Cantons	Communes
Autun	Autun	88,316	1,900.3	46.5	11	83
Chalon-sur-Saône	Chalon-sur-Saône	198,850	1,726.0	115.2	15	151
Charolles	Charolles	100,359	2,500.3	40.1	13	136
Louhans	Louhans	55,220	1,248.5	44.2	8	79
Mâcon	Mâcon	113,254	1,199.6	94.4	10	124
Total		555,999	8,574.7	64.8	57	573

Antun Cathedral.

Cantons of the arrondissement of Autun

Autun-Nord
Autun-Sud
Couches
Le Cruesot-Est
Le Cruesot-Ouest
Épinac
Issy-l'Évêque
Lucenay-l'Évêque
Mesvres
Montcenis
Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray

Chalon-sur-Saône and the Saône river.

Cantons of the arrondissement of Chalon-sur-Saône

Buxy
Chagny
Chalon-sur-Saône-Centre
Chalon-sur-Saône-Nord
Chalon-sur-Saône-Ouest
Chalon-sur-Saône-Sud
Givry
Montceau-les-Mines-Nord
Montceau-les-Mines-Sud
Montchanin
Mont-Saint-Vincent
Saint-Germain-du-Plain
Saint-Martin-en-Bresse
Sennecy-le-Grand
Verdun-sur-le-Doubs

Cows outside of the Maison du Charolais, Charolles.

Cantons of the arrondissement of Charolles

Bourbon-Lancy
Charolles
Chauffailles
La Clayette
Digoin
Gueugnon
La Guiche
Marcigny
Palinges
Paray-le-Monial
Saint-Bonnet-de-Joux
Semur-en-Brionnais
Toulon-sur-Arroux

Market in Louhans.

Cantons of the arrondissement of Louhans

Beaurepaire-en-Bresse
Cuiseaux
Cuisery
Louhans
Montpont-en-Bresse
Montret
Pierre-de-Bresse
Saint-Germain-du-Bois

La Bourbonne river near Lugny.

Cantons of the arrondissement of Mâcon

La Chapelle-de-Guinchay
Cluny
Lugny
Mâcon-Centre
Mâcon-Nord
Mâcon-Sud
Matour
Saint-Gengoux-le-National
Tournus
Tramayes

Demographics

The inhabitants of Saône-et-Loire are known, in French, as Saône-et-Loiriens (women: Saône-et-Loiriennes).

Saône-et-Loire had a population, in 2011, of 555,999, for a population density of 64.8 inhabitants/km². The arrondissement of Chalon-sur-Saône, with 198,850 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

The cities with more than 9,000 inhabitants in the department are:

City	Population (2011)	Arrondissement
Chalon-sur-Saône	44,847	Chalon-sur-Saône
Mâcon	33,730	Mâcon
Le Creusot	22,620	Autun
Montceau-les-Mines	19,124	Chalon-sur-Saône
Autun	14,426	Autun
Paray-le-Monial	9,094	Charolles