Meurthe-et-Moselle is a département in the northeast of France named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.
History
Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of Franco-Prussian War from territories of the departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained to France.
The current boundary between Meurthe-et-Moselle and Moselle was the border of France and Germany from 1871 to 1919.
Geography
Meurthe-et-Moselle is part of the region of Lorraine and is surrounded by the departments of Meuse, Vosges, Bas-Rhin and Moselle and by Luxembourg and Belgium.
Its extends from north to south for 130 kilometers and between 7 and 103 kilometers from west to east.
The important rivers are the following:
- Moselle
- Meurthe
- Chiers
- Vezouze
Economy
The economy was highly dependent on mining until the 1960s. There are iron, salt, and lime extraction sites.
The urban area around Nancy has a very dynamic economy based largely on services, research, and higher education.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called Meurthe-et-Moselliens.
The area around Nancy has become highly urbanized, whereas the Santois in the south is quite rural.
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