1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Briouze (French pronunciation:[bʁijuz]ⓘ) is a commune in the Orne department of Normandy in northwestern France. It is considered the capital of the pays d'Houlme at the western end of the Orne in the Norman bocage.[3]
The name Briouze probably comes from an older Norman form of the word "boue", or "mud".
Geography
The commune is made up of the following collection of villages and hamlets, La Bougonnière,La Grivagère, Saint-Gervais and Briouze.[4]
The commune has 9 watercourses running through it, the rivers Rouvre and the Val du Breuil, plus 7 streams. The seven streams are known as the Maufy, the Roussieres, la Haie, the Arthan, la Prevostiere, the Lange and la Source Philippe.
Briouze also has the largest marsh in the Orne department, shared with Bellou-en-Houlme at 167.41 Ha, called the Grand-Hazé.[5]
The arms of Briouze are blazoned : Azure, in base 2 clasped hands Or, and in chief a bird argent on waves couped sable from which issue reeds argent; all within a bordure argent semy of lozenges gules and ermine spots sable.
^Louis de La Roque, Catalog historique des généraux français, connétables, maréchaux de France, lieutenants généraux, maréchaux de camp. Connétables et maréchaux de France depuis les premiers temps de la monarchie jusqu'à la fin du règne de Louis XIV (Paris, A. Desaide, 1896-1902), p.25.
