INDRE-ET-LOIRE, a department of central France, consisting of parts of the old provinces Touraine, Orkanais, Anjou, and Marche, is bounded N. by the departments of Sarthe and Loir-et-Cher, E. by Loir-et-Cher and Indre, S. and S.W. by Vienne, and W. by Maine-et-Loire. It lies between 46' 45' and 47' 43' N. lat., and between 0' 4' and 1° 18' E. long., being 70 miles in length from north to south and 59 in breadth from east to west. It derives its name from the Loire and its tributary the Indre, which flow through it. The other chief affluents of the Loire in the department are the Loir, Cher, and Vienne. Indre-etLoire is generally level, and conveniently divides itself into the following districts, according to the characteristics of the soil : the Gatine, a flat sterile region to the north of the Loire, with some forests ; the Varenne, a rich and fertile district between the Loire and Cher ; the Cham peigne, a chain of vine-clad slopes, separating the valleys of the Cher and Indre ; the Veron, between the Loire and Vienne, the most highly cultivated district, but subject to inundation by the former river ; the plateaus of SainteMaure, a bare hilly region, the most unproductive of the department ; and the Brenne, between the Claise and Creuse, forming part of the marshy territory which extends under the same name into Indre. The valley of the Loire in this department, from its beauty and fertility, receives the name of the Garden of France. The climate of Indreet-Loire is singularly agreeable and equable, avoiding extremes of both heat and cold. About two-thirds of the entire area is suited for cultivation, but the south far exceeds the north in fertility. Cereals of all kinds are grown in greater abundance than is required by the inhabitants. Vines are cultivated to a considerable extent, and yield excellent white and red wines, exported chiefly to Holland and Belgium. Vegetables, potatoes, fruits (plums especially being cultivated for the trade in pruneaux de Tours), hemp, liquorice, coriander, anise, truffles, walnuts, and mulberries are also produced. Owing to the deficiency of well-watered pasture, domestic animals are few. Agriculture has been for some time in a backward state, from the conservative adherence to old systems and implements by the small peasant proprietors, who hold much of the land. The mineral resources of the department are unimportant. Iron, marble, limestone, millstone, lithographic stone, and various kinds of marl are worked. Copper, though found, is not worked. The presence of clay, suitable for bricks and pottery, has encouraged the manufacture of these articles. The chief industry is the manufacture of gunpowder at Ripaut near Tours. Silk-weaving, formerly very flourishing, is again beginning to revive. The refining of beetroot sugar and the preserving of fruits occupy many hands. Cloth, carpets, files, woollen goods, paper, and basket work are made in the department ; and there is a considerble trade in many of the manufactured articles. lndreet-Loire is divided into the arrondissements of Tours, Loches, and Chinon, with 24 cantons and 282 communes. The chief town is Tours. The total area is 2360 square miles, and the population in 1866 was 325,193, and in 1876 324,875