Charente 84322 216954451 2008-06-03T23:34:59Z Wahrmund 4752225 Western, not central. {{Infobox_Department_of_France| department=Charente|number=16| region=[[Poitou-Charentes]]| prefecture=[[Angoulême]]| subprefectures=[[Cognac]]<br>[[Confolens]]| population=339,628|pop_date=1999|pop_rank=66th|density=57| area=5956|area_scale=9| arrond=3|cantons=35|communes=404| president=[[Michel Boutant]]|pres_party=[[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]| img_coa=blason16.PNG| }} '''Charente''' ([[Saintongeais]]: ''Chérente'', [[Occitan]]: ''T'Charanto'') is a [[departments of France|department]] in western [[France]] named after the [[Charente River]]. ==History== Charente is one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on [[March 4]], [[1790]]. It was created from the [[Provinces of France|former province]] of [[Angoumois]], west and south of [[Saintonge]]. ==Geography== The department is part of the current [[regions of France|region]] of [[Poitou-Charentes]]. It is surrounded by the departments of [[Vienne]], [[Haute-Vienne]], [[Dordogne]], [[Gironde]], [[Charente-Maritime]], and [[Deux-Sèvres]]. It contains part of the geographical regions of [[Poitou]] and [[Limousin (region)|Limousin]]. ==Demographics== The inhabitants of the department are called ''Charentais''. ==Economy== [[Cognac (drink)|Cognac]] and [[Pineau des Charentes|pineau]] are two of the major agricultural products. They also produce excellent butter. But the Charentaise slipper is the 2nd most well-known product (after cognac). ==See also== *[[Cantons of the Charente department]] *[[Communes of the Charente department]] *[[Arrondissements of the Charente department]] ==External links== * {{fr icon}} [http://www.charente.pref/gouv/fr/ Prefecture website] * {{fr icon}} [http://www.cg16.fr/ General Council website] * {{en icon}} [http://www.visitcharente.com Official Charente Tourist Board] {{Departments of France}} [[Category:Charente|*]] [[an:Charanta]] [[frp:Charente (dèpartement)]] [[br:Charente (departamant)]] [[ca:Charente]] [[cv:Шаранта (департамент)]] [[ceb:Charente]] [[cs:Charente]] [[cy:Charente]] [[da:Charente]] [[de:Charente (Département)]] [[es:Charente]] [[eo:Charente]] [[eu:Charente]] [[fr:Charente]] [[id:Charente]] [[it:Charente]] [[pam:Charente]] [[lad:Charente]] [[la:Carantonus (praefectura Franciae)]] [[lb:Departement Charente]] [[lt:Šarantas (departamentas)]] [[nl:Charente (departement)]] [[ja:シャラント県]] [[no:Charente]] [[nn:Charente]] [[oc:Charanta (departament)]] [[nds:Charente]] [[pl:Charente (departament)]] [[pt:Charente (departamento)]] [[ro:Charente]] [[ru:Шаранта]] [[sk:Charente (departement)]] [[sl:Charente (departma)]] [[sr:Шарант]] [[fi:Charente]] [[sv:Charente (departement)]] [[vi:Charente]] [[tg:Департаменти Шаранта]] [[uk:Шаранта]] [[vo:Charente]] [[zh:夏朗德省]]