centre

/sen"teuhr/, n., v., centred, centring. Chiefly Brit.

center.

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(as used in expressions)

gravity centre of

Pompidou Centre

Beaubourg Centre

community centre

shopping centre

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▪ county, Pennsylvania, United States

      county, central Pennsylvania, U.S., located in both the Allegheny Plateau and the Appalachian Ridge and Valley regions and roughly bisected by the Allegheny Mountains. Centre county, named for its location as the geographic centre of the state, is bounded to the west by Moshannon Creek and the West Branch Susquehanna River. Other waterways include Foster Joseph Sayers Lake and Beech, Penns, Bald Eagle, and Black Moshannon creeks. The county also contains Bald Eagle, Nittany, and Tussey mountains, as well as a number of state parks and state forests.

      Centre county was created in 1800. It was a national iron-making centre until the mid-19th century. Adjoining the borough of State College, University Park is the seat of Pennsylvania State University (founded 1855). Boalsburg contains the Pennsylvania Military Museum. The county seat is Bellefonte. The main economic activities are retail trade, health care and research services, glass and electronics manufacture, bituminous coal mining, and agriculture. Area 1,108 square miles (2,869 square km). Pop. (2000) 135,758; (2007 est.) 144,658.

▪ district, Belgium

      industrial district in Hainaut province, southwestern Belgium. It lies in the upper valley of the Haine River and is centred on the town of La Louvière between Mons and Charleroi. The coal mines that gave rise to the district are now closed, but heavy industry continues in the form of blast furnaces and steelworks at La Louvière, a petroleum refinery at Felay, and an automobile assembly plant at Seneffe-Manage. The Centre Canal serves the district and has antique canal lifts of archaeological interest. At Mariemont, north of Morlanwelz, the 16th-century castle built by Mary of Hungary, Charles V's sister, is open to the public.

▪ region, France

also called  Centre-Val-de-Loire 

 région of France encompassing the central départements of Cher, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, and Eure-et-Loir. Centre is bounded by the régions of Haute-Normandie and Île-de-France to the north, Burgundy (Bourgogne) to the east, Auvergne and Limousin to the south, Poitou-Charentes to the southwest, Pays de la Loire to the west, and Basse-Normandie to the northwest. The capital is Orléans.

      Centre lies in the Paris Basin and is bisected by the Loire River, which flows east to west. Other important rivers include the Loir, Eure, Indre, and Creuse rivers. The southern edge of the Beauce Plain, France's main granary, extends into the northern part of the région. Mount Saint-Marien in Cher reaches an elevation of 1,653 feet (504 metres) and is the highest point in the région. For the most part, the climate is mild.

      The région is sparsely populated. Its population declined by more than one-tenth between 1891 and 1946, a population loss not uncommon in rural France at the time. Since that period, however, demographic growth has been strong, much of it due to an inflow of migrants to major towns such as Orléans, Tours, Chartres, Dreux, and Blois, as well as throughout the northern départements neighbouring Paris, such as Loiret, Eure-et-Loir, and Loir-et-Cher. In terms of economic development, this northern area has proved more dynamic than the south of the région.

      Agriculture is dominated by arable farming. Cereals are cultivated on large farms that are highly mechanized. Wheat and corn (maize) are the principal grains, with corn more important in the north than in the south, while rapeseed and sunflowers are also widely grown, particularly in the south. The raising of beef cattle is important along the southern borders, while dairying prevails along the western fringe. The major river valleys are where flowers, apples, and grapes are cultivated. Viticulture is particularly prevalent in the Loire valley. Notable wines include the reds of Chinon and the whites of Vouvray and Sancerre.

      Centre has numerous industries but relatively few manufacturing plants of any great size. In the 19th century, leading industries (textiles, metallurgy, and ceramics) developed mainly in southern areas, whereas modern growth has been in the north, especially along the Orléans-Tours corridor. Today, industries include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, rubber, machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, and automobile components. The région is also an important producer of nuclear power, with several reactors located in the Loire valley.

 Though employment growth in the early 21st century was in the service sector, proximity to the capital and the absence of a large urban centre has limited Centre's development. Tourism is centred in the Loire valley, the major attraction of which is its many historic châteaus. Another major tourist draw is Chartres Cathedral, one of the finest examples of High Gothic architecture in France.

      Centre has made considerable investments in improving the transportation infrastructure. A number of major motorways pass through the région, linking it with cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, and Toulouse. Tours is on the Paris-Bordeaux high-speed train (train à grande vitesse; TGV) route. Because the région is so close to Paris it has no major regional airport. Area 15,116 square miles (39,151 square km). Pop. (1999) 2,440,329; (2006 est.) 2,505,000.

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