Champagne-Ardenne

Champagne-Ardenne (ʃɑ̃paɲaʁdɛn) is a former administrative region of France, located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium. Mostly corresponding to the historic province of Champagne, the region is known for its sparkling white wine of the same name. The administrative region was formed in 1956, consisting of the four departments Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. On 1 January 2016, it merged with the neighboring regions of Alsace and Lorraine to form the new region Grand Est, thereby ceasing to exist as an independent entity. Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the Seine, the Marne, and the Aisne. The Meuse flows north. A4 connecting Paris and Strasbourg and serving the Reims metropolitan area A5 connecting Paris and Dijon and serving Troyes and Chaumont A26 connecting Calais and Troyes and serving Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne A34 connecting Reims and the Belgian border and serving Charleville-Mézières The rail network includes the Paris–Strasbourg line, which follows the Marne Valley and serves Épernay, Châlons-en-Champagne, and Vitry-le-François. The LGV Est TGV line also connecting Paris and Strasbourg opened in 2007 and serves Reims with a train station in the commune of Bezannes. The region's canals include the Canal latéral à la Marne and Marne-Rhine Canal, the latter connecting to the Marne at Vitry-le-François. These are petit gabarit canals. The Vatry International Airport, primarily dedicated to air freight, has a runway long. The airport is in a sparsely populated area just from Paris. 61.4% of its land is dedicated to agriculture 1st in France for the production of barley and alfalfa 2nd in France for the production of beets, onions, and peas 3rd in France for the production of tender wheat and rapeseed. 282.37 km2 of vineyards Champagne sales in 2001: 263 million bottles (4% increase from 2000) of which 37.6% were exported. 25% of French hosiery production 3rd metallurgic region in France Verreries Mécaniques de Champagne Produits Métallurgiques à Reims Vallou Champagne-Céréales France-Luzerne Béghin-Say The population of Champagne-Ardenne has been in steady decrease since 1982 due to a rural exodus.