Indre

Indre, the name of a department, a river, and a town of France. The first covers an area of 2,624 square miles between the departments of Indre-et-Loire and Loire-et-Cher to the N., Cher to the E., Vienne and Indre-et-Loire to the W., and Creuse, Haute-Vienne, and Vienne to the S. Sloping from N. to S., the surface consists of a tableland only broken by hills at its lower extremity. Two-thirds of the country are covered with scattered woods, where cattle and horses are bred in numbers; but tillage only prospers in the river valleys. Fruit, beet, colza, potatoes, and garden produce are plentiful, but the vine does not thrive. Iron, limestone, marble, lithographic stone, and granite are worked profitably, and there are manufactories of paper, woollen fabrics, pottery, and tobacco. Chateauroux is the capital, Le Blanc, Issoudun, and Le Chatre being towns of some importance. The river from which it takes its name flows through the department from S.E. to N.W., receiving on its way the Creuse, Claise, and Vienne, and joining the Loire between Tours and Saumur. The town of Indre is situated in Loire-Inferieure, five miles W. of Nantes, and is only remarkable for extensive ironworks.