Loire River
The Loire River is the longest river in France. It is 1,006 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.
| Loire River | |
|---|---|
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Length | 1,006 km (625 mi) |
| Mouth elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
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)
- The Loire river in ...
La Charité
Pont-canal de Briare
Gien
Sully-sur-Loire
Orléans
Meung-sur-Loire
Menars
Candes Saint-Martin
Saumur
Le Thoureil
- Loire bei Les Ponts-de-Cé-112-2008-gje.jpg
Les Ponts-de-Cé
- Saint-Nazaire le pont puis le chantier naval.JPG
Saint-Nazaire
Loire River Media
- Le Port de Roanne (1).jpg
The river port of Roanne
Confluence of the Allier and the Loire
- Loire river tribs map.png
Map of the Loire basin showing the major tributaries
The Loire spanned at Nantes
Loire at Bréhémont, Indre-et-Loire
Prunus domestica subsp. italica flowers.
Ventral side of a Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata). This juvenile specimen has been turned around by the author to demonstrate the coloration.