Manche

Manche
Coat of arms of the Manche department
Location
Administration
Department number:	50
Region:	Basse-Normandie
Prefecture:	Saint-Lô
Subprefectures:	Avranches Cherbourg-Octeville Coutances
Arrondissements:	4
Cantons:	52
Communes:	602
President of the General Council:	Jean-François Le Grand
Statistics
Population	Ranked 52nd
-1999	481,471
Population density:	81/km2
Land area¹:	5938 km2
¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2.

Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche ("the sleeve"), which is the French name for the English Channel.

History

Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the province of Normandie.

The first capital was Coutances until 1796, and it resumed that role after World War II because of the almost complete destruction of Saint-Lô during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. When Saint-Lô was rebuilt, it again became the capital.

Geography

The department includes the Cotentin Peninsula and the islands of Chausey. It is part of the region of Basse-Normandie and is surrounded on three sides by the English Channel, with 350km of coastline, and on the other by the departments of Calvados, Orne, Mayenne, and Ille-et-Vilaine. Geologically, the department is connected to the Massif Armoricain.

Climate

The climate is oceanic, with mild winters, temperatures rarely reaching below freezing, and temperate summers, around 25°C. Precipitation is substantial, but varies greatly by region, between 700mm on the coast and 1300mm in the southern central area.

The west coast benefits from the Gulf stream's influence, allowing the naturalization of many mediterranean and exotic plants (mimosas, palms, agaves...).

There is often a sea breeze on the coast, which combined with tides contributes to quick temperature changes over a single day.

Demographics

Inhabitants of the department are called Manchots or Manchois.

Sports

• Football : main clubs : AS Cherbourg, US Avranches, Saint-Lô, Granville, Villedieu, UST Équeurdreville-Hainneville...
• Cycling : the Tour de France has visited the department 21 times with stages ending at : Cherbourg (16), Avranches(2), Granville(1), Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët(1) and the Mont Saint-Michel(1).
• Sailing: the Solitaire du Figaro has come to Cherbourg several times.
• Thai boxing : Villedieu-les-Poêles
• Badminton : Two local clubs compete in the national championship (N3): St Hilaire du Harcouet and Hainneville.
• Golf: course: Granville, Bréhal, Coutainville, Cherbourg, Centre Manche, Fontenay, Côte des Isles

See also

• Cantons of the Manche department
• Communes of the Manche department
• Arrondissements of the Manche department
• Cotentinais, the Norman dialect of Manche.

External links

• (French) Prefecture website
• (French) General Council website
• (English) Manche at the Open Directory Project

• (French) A whole wiki about the Manche !
• (French) Comité départemental du tourisme de la Manche

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manche

Coordinates: 49°03′N 01°15′W / 49.05°N 1.25°W / 49.05; -1.25