47°12N 1°33W, pop (2000e) 256 000. Manufacturing and commercial seaport, and capital of Loire-Atlantique department, W France; at head of Loire estuary, 171 km/106 mi W of Tours; seventh largest city in France; 16th18th-c centre of sugar and ebony trade; France's leading port in 18th-c; 19th-c decline, halted by construction of harbour at St-Nazaire and river dredging; major bomb damage in World War 2; railway; university (1962); oil refining, sugar refining, boatbuilding, tobacco, soap, textiles, food products, building materials; birthplace of Jules Verne; Gothic Cathedral, museum of fine arts, Château des Ducs (10th-c, rebuilt 1466), where Edict of Nantes was signed.
| Ville de Nantes | ||
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| Traditional city flag | City coat of arms | |
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Motto: Favet Neptunus eunti. (Latin: "Shall Neptune favour the traveller") |
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| Location | ||
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| Coordinates | 47°13′05″N, 01°33′10″W | |
| Time Zone | CET (GMT +1) | |
| Administration | ||
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| Country | France | |
| Région | Pays-de-la-Loire | |
| Département | Loire-Atlantique (44) | |
| Intercommunality |
Urban Community of Nantes |
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| Mayor |
Jean-Marc Ayrault (PS) (since 1989) |
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| City Statistics | ||
| Land area¹ | 65.19 km² | |
| Population² | 6th in France | |
| - 2004 estimate | 280,600 | |
| - Density | 4,304/km² (2004) | |
| Urban Spread | ||
| Urban Area | 476 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 544,932 (1999) | |
| Metro Area | 2,242.6 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 711,120 (1999) | |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > | ||
| ² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. | ||
Nantes (Breton: Naoned;
Main sights
Cathedral Saint-Peter Saint-Paul, Passage Pommeraye the new Palais de Justice, on the Île de Nantes, built in 2000, designed by Jean Nouvel the Museum and the native house of Jules Verne, the pioneer science fiction writer Musée des Beaux-arts (Arts museum) La Tour LU (LU Tower) - a picturesque tower guarding the entrance of a former Lefevre-Utile biscuit factoryGeography
The city has a total area of 65.19 km² (25.18 mi²).
Nantes is located on the banks of the Loire river, at the confluence of the Erdre and the Sèvre Nantaise, near the river's mouth, 55 km (35 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean.
Nantes is bordered by the cities of Basse-Goulaine, Bouguenais, Carquefou, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Couëron, Indre, La Montagne, Orvault, Rezé, Saint-Herblain, Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire, Saint-Jean de Boiseau, Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire and Vertou.
Demographics
As of the 1999 census, there were 270,251 inhabitants in the city (commune) of Nantes.
Colleges and universities
École Centrale de Nantes Audencia Nantes - École de Management (former École Supérieure de Commerce Nantes) École Polytechnique de l'Université de Nantes École des Mines de Nantes The Université de Nantes was created in 1460, but moved to Rennes in 1735. École d'Architecture de Nantes opened during the 70sTransport
Mass transit
The omnibus, the first organized public transit system within a city, appears to have been originated in Nantes in 1826 with tramway beginning operation in 1879, this tramway system closed in 1958.
Airport
Nantes has an international airport: Nantes Atlantique Airport.
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