Eure (/ɜːr/ UR; French pronunciation: [œʁ]; Norman: Eure or Eûre) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2023, Eure had a population of 602,714.

History

Eure is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Normandy. The name in fact is taken from the Eure river flowing mainly in this department.

Eure in 1790

After the allied victory at Waterloo, Eure was occupied by Prussian troops between June 1815 and November 1818.

In the wake of Louis-Napoléon's December coup of 1851, Eure was one of the departments placed under a state of emergency in order to avert resistance to the post-republican régime. In the event fewer than 100 government opponents in Eure were arrested.

Geography

Eure is part of the current region of Normandy and is surrounded by the departments of Seine-Maritime, Oise, Val-d'Oise, Yvelines, Eure-et-Loir, Orne, and Calvados. It also has a short coastline within the Atlantic Ocean across the Seine estuary. It is the only Normand department to border the region of Île-de-France.

The department is a largely wooded plateau intersected by the valleys of the river Seine and its tributaries. The altitude varies from sea level in the north to 248 metres (814 feet) above it in the south.

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Évreux, the prefecture. As of 2023, there are 6 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:

CommunePopulation (2023)
Évreux49,360
Vernon25,290
Louviers18,705
Val-de-Reuil13,245
Gisors12,410
Pont-Audemer10,023

Demographics

YearPop.±% p.a.
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.1791385,206—1801402,796+0.45%1806421,344+0.90%1821416,178−0.08%1831424,248+0.19%1841425,780+0.04%1851415,777−0.24%1861398,661−0.42%1872377,874−0.49%1881364,291−0.41%1891349,471−0.41%1901334,781−0.43%1911323,651−0.34%1921303,159−0.65%YearPop.±% p.a.1931305,788+0.09%1936303,829−0.13%1946315,902+0.39%1954332,514+0.64%1962361,943+1.07%1968383,385+0.96%1975422,952+1.41%1982462,254+1.28%1990513,818+1.33%1999541,054+0.58%2007572,105+0.70%2012591,616+0.67%2017601,843+0.34%2023602,714+0.02%
1791385,206
1801402,796+0.45%
1806421,344+0.90%
1821416,178−0.08%
1831424,248+0.19%
1841425,780+0.04%
1851415,777−0.24%
1861398,661−0.42%
1872377,874−0.49%
1881364,291−0.41%
1891349,471−0.41%
1901334,781−0.43%
1911323,651−0.34%
1921303,159−0.65%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1931305,788+0.09%
1936303,829−0.13%
1946315,902+0.39%
1954332,514+0.64%
1962361,943+1.07%
1968383,385+0.96%
1975422,952+1.41%
1982462,254+1.28%
1990513,818+1.33%
1999541,054+0.58%
2007572,105+0.70%
2012591,616+0.67%
2017601,843+0.34%
2023602,714+0.02%
Sources:

Politics

The President of the Departmental Council is Sébastien Lecornu of La République En Marche!.

Partyseats
Socialist Party12
Union for a Popular Movement11
Miscellaneous Left7
French Communist Party4
Miscellaneous Right4
New Centre3
Left Radical Party2

Presidential elections 2nd round

ElectionWinning candidateParty%2nd place candidateParty%
2022Emmanuel MacronLREM48.62Marine Le PenRN51.38
2017Emmanuel MacronLREM54.35Marine Le PenFN45.65
2012Nicolas SarkozyUMP52.45François HollandePS47.55
2007Nicolas SarkozyUMP57.37Ségolène RoyalPS42.63
2002Jacques ChiracRPR78.22Jean-Marie Le PenFN21.78

Current National Assembly Representatives

ConstituencyMemberParty
Eure's 1st constituencyChristine LoirNational Rally
Eure's 2nd constituencyKatiana LevavasseurNational Rally
Eure's 3rd constituencyKévin MauvieuxNational Rally
Eure's 4th constituencyPhilippe BrunSocialist Party
Eure's 5th constituencyTimothée HoussinNational Rally

Tourism

The main tourist attraction is Giverny 4 km (2½ miles) from Vernon) where Claude Monet's house and garden can be seen, as well as other places of interest (see external links, below).

The Abbey of Bec and the Château-Gaillard near Les Andelys are other important tourist attractions.

The Château of Buisson de May was built by the royal architect Jacques Denis Antoine from 1781 to 1783.

See also

External links

  • (in French)
  • (in French)
  • (in English)