Niort (nyôr), city (1990 pop. 58,660), capital of Deux-Sèvres dept., W France, in Poitou. An old agricultural marketplace, it now has plywood, chemical, metallurgy, clothing, tobacco, and printing industries. Niort was originally a Gallo-Roman town called Novioritum. During the 16th and 17th cent. it was a stronghold of the Huguenots. Of the old fortress (12th-13th cent.), two huge towers remain; there are also several fine Renaissance buildings, including a town hall (16th cent.) and a church (15th-17th cent.).
Niort
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Coordinates: 46°19′33″N 0°27′38″W / 46.3258333333°N 0.460555556°W
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Commune of Niort |
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 Donjon de Niort and market hall |
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| Location | |
  Niort
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Poitou-Charentes |
| Department | Deux-Sèvres |
| Arrondissement | Niort |
| Canton | Chi |
| Intercommunality | Niort |
| Mayor | Geneviève Gaillard (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 2–77 m (6.6–250 ft) (avg. 28 m/92 ft) |
| Land area1 | 68.20 km2 (26.33 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 60,486 (2006) |
| - Density | 887 /km2 (2,300 /sq mi) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 79191/ 79000 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.
The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.
The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 125,000 people live in the urban area.
Near Niort at Maisonnay there is one of the tallest radio masts in France (height: 330 metres).
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Geography
The town is located on the Sèvre Niortaise River and a centre of angelica cultivation in France.
Economy
Niort is the French capital of mutual insurance and bank companies, with the headquarters of MAAF, MAIF, MACIF, SMACL and regional branches of national mutual companies such as Groupama, Banque Populaire. Niort is a main financial centre of France (fourth ranked after Paris, Lyon and Lille). Chemistry and aeronautics are the main industries.
Niort is a major administrative and commercial centre.
Transport
Niort has a railway station on the TGV route between Paris and La Rochelle. Direct TGV to Paris Montparnasse station takes 2 hours and 15 minutes Niort is a road and motorway junction, connected to Paris and Bordeaux by the A10 motorway, with Nantes by the A83, and with La Rochelle by the N11.
Sports
The football team is Chamois Niortais who play in the National, the third-highest league in French football. Rugby team Stade Niortais celebrated their 100 year anniversary in 2009. The Dragons baseball team plays in the Regional League.
People
Niort was the birthplace of:
- Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (1635–1719), second wife of Louis XIV
- Jacques de Liniers (Santiago de Liniers y Remond) (1753–1810)
- Louis-Marcelin, marquis de Fontanes (1757–1821), poet and politician
- Montaubry (1826-98), tenor associated with opéra comique and operetta
- Henri-Georges Clouzot (1904–1977), film director
International relations
Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in France
Twin towns — Sister cities
Niort is twinned with:
Atakpamé, Togo (1958)
Coburg, Germany (1974)
Wellingborough, United Kingdom (1977)- Springe, Germany (1979)
Tomelloso, Spain (1981)- Gijon, Spain (1982)
Biała Podlaska, Poland (1995)
See also
References
External links
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Learn More
 | Deux-Sèvres (department, France) |
| Deux-Sèvres |
| Poitou (region, former province, France) |
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 | What is the distance from Niort by Motorway to Nantes? |
| What is the distance by road from Roscoff in France to Niort in France? |
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 | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Niort". Read more |
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Answer these
- What is the distance from Niort by Motorway to Nantes?
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Mentioned in
- Deux-Sèvres (department, France)
- Deux-Sèvres
- Poitou (region, former province, France)
- (Albert) Jean Gorin (art)
- Ludovic Piette (art)
- (Marius-Jean-)Antonin Merci? (art)
- Groupe Rougier SA
- Gare de Niort
- Cantons of the Deux-Sèvres department
- TV Mast Niort-Maisonnay
- Henri-Georges Clouzot (Director, Writer, Actor, Drama/Thriller)
- Stade René Gaillard
- Guyenne et Gascogne
- Donjon de Niort
