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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > La Rochelle
La Rochelle
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and comprises various overseas islands and territories which are located in other regions. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. At 674,843 square kilometers, France is the world's 40th-largest country after Myanmar. France is a member of The European Union and Paris is the capital of this nation. The sole official language of France is French. Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions.
La Rochelle is a town and commune of western France and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department. The city is connected to the Ile de Re by a 2.9 kilometers bridge, completed in 1988. Its harbor opens into a protected strait, the Pertuis d'Antioche. Its population is 76,584 and density is 2,694 per square kilometer. Charente-Maritime is a department on the west coast of France named after the Charente River.
La Rochelle was founded during the 10th century, and became an important harbor from the 12th century. During the Renaissance, La Rochelle adopted Protestant ideas and from 1568 became a centre for the Huguenots, initiating a period of freedom and prosperity until the 1620s. Many Huguenots emigrated, founding such cities as New Rochelle in the vicinity of today's New York in 1689. La Rochelle became very active in triangular trade with the New World, dealing in the slave trade with Africa, sugar trade with plantations of the Antilles, and fur trade with Canada. This was a period of high artistic, cultural and architectural achievements for the city.
La Rochelle is a city known for its historic myths and traditions, scenic beauty, cooperative people and luxurious hotels and cottages. La Rochelle is one of the favorite holiday destinations for most of the vacation lovers.
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