Has Loire-Atlantique become a city-department? Almost. How else can we analyze the fact that nine of the ten most populated municipalities in Loire-Atlantique now belong to the Nantes conurbation, with only Saint-Nazaire, which appears in second position, now in the Top 10?
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This classic phenomenon today of the attraction of a metropolis is however a fairly recent movement, which began in the 1960s. At the end of the Second World War, this was not at all the case, the the balance of the territory being much more respected, around historic towns like Châteaubriant or the phenomenon of development of the country of Saint-Nazaire.
Read also: Demography: Loire-Atlantique is still attractive, but fewer households are settling there
Guérande, 2nd city in 1793
And if we go back a little further in time, with the exception of Nantes of course, which continues to grow, we notice that the population is much better distributed across the territory. Guérande, the second town in the department in 1793, was already in decline. Maritime activities suffered from the British blockades and the local salt trade was also in decline.
The population of Guérande, estimated at a third of that of Nantes in the 16th century, is now ten times smaller. The country of Guérande has become impoverished with a population of sardine fishermen, weavers and farmers who are suffering economically.
Loroux-Bottereau ravaged by the Republicans
Third most populated commune at that time: Le Loroux-Bottereau. Located on the Marches de Bretagne, today along the border with Maine-et-Loire, the town was then part of the military Vendée. And during the French Revolution, the population of Loroux-Bottereau mostly fell into the camp of the royalist and Catholic Vendéens. The men of the Loroux-Bottereau sector form a small army called “les Gars du Loroux”, which is part of the Great Catholic and Royal Army.
In 1793, Le Loroux-Bottereau had 7,200 inhabitants. But, in February and March 1794, the ninth incendiary column of General Étienne Cordellier-Delanoüe ravaged the country, killing thousands and leaving few buildings intact. The population is fleeing, so that the demographics will be affected for a long time. In 1800, there were only 2,996 inhabitants…
Read also: IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES. The Bretons, chouans or leaders of the Revolution?
The 10 largest cities in Loire-Atlantique according to the era
Here through the ages, and in particular from the first census of 1793 organized by Jean-Dominique Cassini, director of the Paris Observatory, is the list of the ten most populated towns in the department in 1793, then one hundred and fifty years later, in 1946, and today (latest census in 2021).
Read also: MAP. Has your municipality gained or lost residents? Here are the new figures from INSEE
During the Revolution (in 1793)
1 – Nantes: 83,719
2 – Guérande: 7,236
3 – Le Loroux-Bottereau : 7 200
4 – Dances: 5,880
5 – Vertou: 5,200
6 – Paimbœuf : 4 509
7 – Rezé: 4,466
8 – Pornic : 4 253
9 – Blain : 4 085
10 – Couëron: 3,834
At the end of World War II (in 1946)
1 – Nantes: 200,265
2 – Rezé: 16,395
3 – La Baule-Escoublac: 15,205
4 – Saint-Nazaire: 11,802
5 – Couëron: 9,954
6 – Châteaubriant: 9,276
7 – Vertou: 7,985
8 – Pornichet: 7,604
9 – Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire: 6,637
10 – Pornic : 6 615
Today (2021 figures)
1 – Nantes: 323,204
2 – Saint-Nazaire: 72,057
3 – Saint-Herblain: 49,537
4 – Rezé: 42,998
5 – Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire: 28,283
6 – Orvault : 27 872
7 – Vertou: 26,002
8 – Couëron: 23,057
9 – Carquefou: 20,510
10 – Châteaugiron: 10,518
Population change over 50 years
The attraction of the Nantes metropolis has considerably increased the population of some municipalities in the conurbation, particularly to the north of it. Here are the ten municipalities which present the most significant multiplications of their population over a period running from 1968 to 2021.
La Chapelle-sur-Erdre: multiplied by 7.06
Sautron: 6.39
Treillières: 5.96
Carquefou: 5.48
Thouaré-sur-Loire: 5.46
Grandchamps-des-Fontaines: 5.24
Buoy: 5.07
Saint-André-des-Eaux: 4.43
Sucé-sur-Erdre: 4.34
Malville : 4,24
2024-04-11 10:54:41
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