Meuse is a département in northeast France, named after the Meuse River.
History
Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the former province of Lorraine.
The department was one of the great battlefields of World War I. An important battle was fought in 1916 at Verdun.
Geography
Meuse is part of the current region of Lorraine and is surrounded by the French departments of Ardennes, Marne, Haute-Marne, Vosges, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Belgium on the north.
The important rivers are the following:
- Meuse
- Aire
- Chier
- Orlain
- Saulx
- Orge
- Oignon
- Vaise
Demographics
The population has decreased sharply since the 19th century, with the rural exodus to the cities.
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