Niort

Niort
Niàu (Poitevin–Saintongeais)
Prefecture and commune
Coat of arms of Niort
Coat of arms
Location of Niort
Map
Niort is located in France
Niort
Niort
Niort is located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Niort
Niort
Coordinates: 46°19′33″N 0°27′38″W / 46.3258°N 0.4606°W / 46.3258; -0.4606
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentDeux-Sèvres
ArrondissementNiort
Canton3 cantons
IntercommunalityCA Niortais
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jérôme Baloge[1]
Area
1
68.20 km2 (26.33 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[2]
60,074
 • Density880/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
79191 /79000
Elevation2–77 m (6.6–252.6 ft)
(avg. 28 m or 92 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Niort (French pronunciation: [njɔʁ] ⓘ; Poitevin: Niàu; Occitan: Niòrt; Latin: Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres.

The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area.[3]

Geography

The town is located on the river Sèvre Niortaise and is a centre of angelica cultivation in France. Near Niort at Maisonnay there is one of the tallest radio masts in France (height: 330 metres).

Transport

Niort has a railway station on the TGV route between Paris and La Rochelle, Gare de Niort. Direct TGV to Paris Montparnasse station takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. Niort is a road and motorway junction, connected to Paris and Bordeaux by the A10 motorway, with Nantes by the A83, and with La Rochelle by the N11. It is the largest French city to offer free mass transit.[4]

Population

The population data in the table and graph below refer to the commune of Niort proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Niort absorbed the former commune of Souché in 1964, Sainte-Pezenne in 1965, Saint-Florent in 1968 and Saint-Liguaire in 1971.[5]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 11,515—    
1800 15,028+3.88%
1806 15,066+0.04%
1821 15,499+0.19%
1831 17,000+0.93%
1836 18,197+1.37%
1841 18,739+0.59%
1846 18,604−0.14%
1851 18,727+0.13%
1856 20,037+1.36%
1861 20,831+0.78%
1866 20,775−0.05%
1872 21,344+0.45%
1876 20,923−0.50%
1881 22,254+1.24%
1886 23,015+0.67%
1891 23,225+0.18%
1896 23,674+0.38%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 23,897+0.19%
1906 23,329−0.48%
1911 23,775+0.38%
1921 23,559−0.09%
1926 25,721+1.77%
1931 25,935+0.17%
1936 27,830+1.42%
1946 32,752+1.64%
1954 33,167+0.16%
1962 37,512+1.55%
1968 48,469+4.36%
1975 62,267+3.64%
1982 58,203−0.96%
1990 57,012−0.26%
1999 56,663−0.07%
2007 58,576+0.42%
2012 57,607−0.33%
2017 58,707+0.38%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE (1968–2017)[6]

Economy

The Hôtel de Ville

Niort is the French capital of mutual insurance and bank companies, with the headquarters of MAAF, MAIF, MACIF, SMACL and regional branches of national mutual companies such as Groupama, Banque Populaire. Despite its small size, Niort is a main financial centre of France (ranked fourth after Paris, Lyon and Lille). Chemistry and aeronautics are the other main industries.

Niort is a major administrative and commercial centre. There has been a covered market in the town since at least the 13th century.[7] The present-day Halles de Niort, a steel and glass pavilion atop a vaulted stone base building, opened in 1871 and has been listed as a monument historique since 1987.[8]

The Hôtel de Ville was completed in May 1901.[9]

Notable people

Niort is the birthplace of the following people:

Fictional works

Niort is featured or mentioned in the following fictional works:

Sports

The football team is Chamois Niortais, which plays in National, the third-highest league in French football. Rugby team Stade Niortais celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. The city also is home to a professional basketball club named ASN Niort. The team plays at the second highest league in French basketball. The team celebrated its 100th birthday in 2021.

Education

The old keep of Niort

Upper secondary schools:[10]

  • Lycée Jean Macé
  • Lycée général, technologique et professionnel Paul Guérin
  • Lycée de la Venise Verte
  • Lycée professionnel Gaston Barré
  • Lycée professionnel Thomas Jean Main
  • Lycée de l'horticulture et du paysage
  • Lycée Saint-André / Notre-Dame (private)

There is a post-secondary institution, Pôle universitaire de Niort.[11]

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Niort is twinned with:

Climate

Climate data for Niort (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.5
(77.9) 		29.8
(85.6) 		32.4
(90.3) 		40.1
(104.2) 		41.0
(105.8) 		40.1
(104.2) 		36.6
(97.9) 		31.1
(88.0) 		22.9
(73.2) 		19.2
(66.6) 		41.0
(105.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 8.9
(48.0) 		10.3
(50.5) 		13.8
(56.8) 		16.7
(62.1) 		20.4
(68.7) 		24.0
(75.2) 		26.3
(79.3) 		26.4
(79.5) 		23.0
(73.4) 		18.1
(64.6) 		12.7
(54.9) 		9.5
(49.1) 		17.5
(63.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.9
(42.6) 		6.4
(43.5) 		9.1
(48.4) 		11.4
(52.5) 		15.0
(59.0) 		18.4
(65.1) 		20.4
(68.7) 		20.4
(68.7) 		17.4
(63.3) 		13.8
(56.8) 		9.1
(48.4) 		6.3
(43.3) 		12.8
(55.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2.8
(37.0) 		2.4
(36.3) 		4.3
(39.7) 		6.1
(43.0) 		9.6
(49.3) 		12.8
(55.0) 		14.6
(58.3) 		14.4
(57.9) 		11.8
(53.2) 		9.5
(49.1) 		5.6
(42.1) 		3.2
(37.8) 		8.1
(46.6)
Record low °C (°F) −16.0
(3.2) 		−13.3
(8.1) 		−10.7
(12.7) 		−4.8
(23.4) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		3.1
(37.6) 		5.1
(41.2) 		4.4
(39.9) 		2.5
(36.5) 		−3.3
(26.1) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−10.5
(13.1) 		−16.0
(3.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 81.9
(3.22) 		64.1
(2.52) 		63.4
(2.50) 		66.7
(2.63) 		66.5
(2.62) 		58.8
(2.31) 		52.0
(2.05) 		53.4
(2.10) 		61.7
(2.43) 		88.4
(3.48) 		92.3
(3.63) 		97.4
(3.83) 		846.6
(33.33)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.8 10.4 10.3 10.0 10.0 8.1 7.3 6.8 7.6 11.1 12.3 12.3 117.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 76.0 108.3 159.5 187.4 219.1 240.7 257.2 247.8 206.5 133.6 92.7 77.2 2,005.8
Source: Meteociel[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
  3. ^ Comparateur de territoire Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Niort (063), INSEE
  4. ^ "Niort devient la plus grosse agglomération à proposer la gratuité des transports en commun". lemonde.fr. 1 September 2017.
  5. ^ a b Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Niort, EHESS (in French).
  6. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ^ Le Roux, Xavier (16 July 2021). "Les Halles de Niort célèbrent leurs 150 ans en cette année 2021". lanouvellerepublique.fr (in French). La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  8. ^ Base Mérimée: Halles, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
  9. ^ "XXe et XXIe siecles". Vivre à Niort. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Enseignement secondaire". Municipality of Niort. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Enseignement supérieur". Municipality of Niort. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Normales et records pour Niort (79)". Meteociel. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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