Limousin

/lee mooh zaonn"/, n.

1. a former province in central France.

2. one of a breed of hardy French beef cattle, now popular in the U.S.

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Historical and government region, central France.

Covering 6,541 sq mi (16,942 sq km), the modern administrative region of Limousin (pop., 1999: 710,939) is roughly coextensive with the region when it held provincial status. The capital is Limoges (pop., 1999: 133,960). Originally inhabited by the ancient Gallic tribe of Lemovices, the region was conquered by Rome с 50 BC. Under the Carolingians, it was part of Aquitaine. On Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to King Henry II of England in 1152, it passed to English control. Subsequently fought over by England and France, it was finally annexed to the French crown under the French king Henry IV.

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▪ region, France

Introduction

      région of France encompassing the central départements of Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, and Creuse. Limousin is bounded by Centre to the north, Auvergne to the east, Midi-Pyrénées to the south, Aquitaine to the southwest, and Poitou-Charentes to the west. The capital is Limoges. Area 6,541 square miles (16,942 square km). Pop. (1999) 710,939; (2006 est.) 725,000.

Geography

      Limousin belongs to the Massif Central. In the south the Plateau de Millevaches, where many points rise above 3,000 feet (900 metres), separates the basin of the Loire and Garonne rivers. Farther north are the Blond Mountains, which rise above the Limoges Plateau to more than 1,600 feet (500 metres), and the Ambazac Mountains, which rise to more than 2,300 feet (700 metres). Important rivers include the Creuse, Dordogne, Corrèze, Vienne, Gartempe, Maulde, and Taurion. Winters are harsh in the higher elevations, but summers are for the most part pleasant and warm. Annual precipitation is high, ranging from 30 to 50 inches (750 to 1,200 mm).

      Average population density is one of the lowest in France. In the 20th century, Limousin lost nearly one-third of its inhabitants. Initially, this was due largely to out-migration, leading to a progressive aging of the remaining population and a fall in birth rates. Now Limousin has a positive migrational balance, although overall its population continues to fall as deaths outnumber births. Nearly half the inhabitants still live in rural areas, although there is a continuing movement of population toward the main towns and particularly to the villages that lie on their peripheries. In isolated rural zones population losses are often heavy and densities extremely low.

      Agriculture is dominated by cattle raising. Over one-third of the région is given over to permanent pasture. Even the cultivation of cereals or root crops is intended frequently to provide animal feed. Throughout much of the départements of Creuse and Corrèze, economic activities include the raising of calves and the rearing and fattening of beef cattle. In the northern part of Haute-Vienne, sheep raising is common. Afforestation is widespread and increasing, which has stimulated the timber and timber-related industries.

      Although the région is not heavily industrialized, Limousin features a broad range of industrial activity dispersed over a wide area. Well-represented industries include food processing, paper, leather, and ceramics. After World War I the manufacture of armaments developed as a result of decentralizations from the Paris region, and there is a large armaments factory at Tulle. Other industrial activities include metallurgy and the manufacture of clothing and electrical appliances. Limousin is also well known for its enamelware.

      Tourism is developing. The picturesque old towns of Guéret, which has a museum with a collection of Limoges painted enamels, and Aubusson, which is famous for its tapestries, are among the région's tourist destinations. Tourists also visit the thermal baths at Évaux-les-Bains. Historic sites of interest include the Romanesque abbey at Solignac and the church at Saint-Julien. The construction of a motorway that links Paris to Toulouse has greatly improved accessibility to Limousin.

History

      Limousin took its name from the tribe of the Lemovices, under whom the area formed a civitas, or tribal association, of Gaul. Controlled by the Romans from about 50 BC, the civitas was a part of the province of Aquitania. Under the Merovingians (6th–8th centuries AD), the pagus Lemovicinus (i.e., the district of the Lemovices) was disputed by rival kings; under the Carolingians (8th–10th centuries), it was included in the kingdom of Aquitaine. From the Merovingian period to the 12th century, its monasteries, especially Saint-Martial at Limoges, were major cultural centres.

      In the 10th century Limousin was divided into a number of feudal units. The northern part was set up as the county of Marche; other sections were annexed by the neighbouring counts of Auvergne, Angoulême, and Poitou. By the mid-11th century the viscounts of Limoges, Comborn, Turenne, and Ventadour had control of the remaining territory and recognized the overlordship of the duke of Aquitaine.

      From the 12th to the 15th century, Limousin was one of the areas disputed between the English and the French. The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the future Henry II of England (1152) brought suzerainty over Limousin to the English, but Philip II Augustus recovered the province in the early 13th century. During the course of the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), Limousin was ceded to the English by the Treaty of Calais (1360) and reconquered by the French king Charles V from 1370 to 1374. After further disruptions during the war, Limousin remained under the suzerainty of the French kings. Royal control became direct when the viscounty of Limoges was added to the domain (1607) and when Turenne was purchased in 1738.

      The gouvernement of Limousin, organized in the 17th century, was much reduced in size from the original province, including only the territory of the four medieval viscounties. The three départements of the area, dating from the French Revolution, joined in the 1960s to form the région of Limousin.

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