Vienne

Vienne is a department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne.

History
Established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution, Vienne is one of the original 83 departments. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou, Touraine, and Berry, the latter being a part of the Duchy of Aquitaine until the 15th century.

The original Acadians, who settled in and around what is now Nova Scotia, left Vienne for North America after 1604. Kennedy (2014) argues that the emigrants carried to Canada their customs and social structure. They were frontier peoples, who dispersed their settlements based on kinship. They optimized use of farmland and emphasized trading for a profit. They were hierarchical and politically active.

Politics
Édith Cresson, France's first woman Prime Minister from 1991-1992, was a deputy (MP) for the department.

It has three arrondissements : Poitiers, the prefecture, and the subprefectures Châtellerault and Montmorillon.

Religion
The capital Poitiers is the see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers, which pastorally serves the department.

Tourism and sights
The most famous tourist sites include the Futuroscope theme park, Poitiers (city of Art and History), the Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe, a UNESCO world heritage site, the animal parks of Monkey's Valley in Romagne & the Crocodile Planet in Civaux.

Economy
Goat cheese making is an important industry of Vienne.

International relations
Vienne has a partnership relationship with: