Aube ( ) is a French department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. As with sixty departments in France, this department is named after a river: the Aube. It has 310,447 inhabitants (2023). The inhabitants of the department are known as Aubois or Auboises.
The department was constituted by a decree of the National Assembly of 15 January 1790.
Geography
Location
The Aube department is located in the southwest side of the Grand Est region. It borders the departments of Marne in the north (about 130 km long), Haute-Marne to the east (about 100 km long), Côte-d'Or in the southeast (about 45 km long), Yonne in the southwest (about 175 km long), and Seine-et-Marne in the west (about 45 km long).
Subregions of Aube
Within the department regions of natural or traditional countryside can be identified as follows: northwest quarter: Champagne crayeuse (chalky Champagne soil) northwestern tip: the Nogentais southwest of Troyes: the Othe region to the south: le Chaourçois to the northeast: the Briennois to the east: the Barrois between Troyes and Barrois: Champagne wetlands
Communes of Aube
Aube is divided into 431 communes. The most populous commune is the prefecture Troyes. As of 2023, there are 8 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:Populations de référence 2023: 10 Aube, INSEE
Commune Population (2023) Troyes 62,088 Romilly-sur-Seine 14,959 Saint-André-les-Vergers 12,806 La Chapelle-Saint-Luc 12,648 Sainte-Savine 10,289 Saint-Julien-les-Villas 6,760 Nogent-sur-Seine 5,537 Pont-Sainte-Marie 5,249
All of those communes, except Romilly-sur-Seine and Nogent-sur-Seine, are part of the agglomeration of Troyes.
Topography and geology + Altitude of the main towns of Aube Troyes Romilly-sur-Seine Bar-sur-Aube Nogent-sur-Seine Lowest Altitude 100 metres 67 metres 156 metres 60 metres Highest Altitude126 metres 112 metres 348 metres 113 metres Average Altitude 113 metres 90 metres 252 metres 87 metres Town Hall Altitude 107 metres 77 metres 165 metres 71 metres
Hydrography
There are 23 rivers throughout the department,The complete list can be found at Water Courses of Aube the four main rivers being the Seine, the Aube (tributary of the Seine), the Armance (tributary of the Armançon), and the Vanne (a tributary of the Yonne).
Forests and lakes
The department has 140,000 hectares of forests.Geographical Presentation of the Aube department , Aube prefecture website, consulted on 22 September 2010
Located in the Community of communes of Forests, lakes, and lands in Champagne, the Orient Forest Regional Natural Park was one of the first natural parks created in France.
In the same place, there is the Orient Lake and the Amance and Temple lakes where fishing, recreational water sports, and bathing are available. Each lake specialises in one or more of these activities.
Climate The climate is moderate without intense cold or excessive heat which represents a climate similar to continental and oceanic.
Between 1950 and 1985 the average annual temperature recorded in the department was 10.1 °CReadings from the Météo-France station at Barberey-Saint-Sulpice which is equivalent to the Paris basin and the cities of north-eastern France. The average sunshine hours per year is 1771.
Average annual rainfall is quite high (653.4 mm over 115 days of rain). In general there is more rain in autumn than in winter but rainfall is highest during spring. In contrast summer is the season when rainfall is lowest. There is, however, more rain in the south-east than the north-west.
Snow is relatively infrequent. Prevailing wind is from the west.
Channels of communication and transport
Road network The department has 150 km of autoroutes, 33 km of national roads, 4,517 km of departmental roads and 2,116 km of local roads.
Communal transport In the Agglomeration of Troyes TCAT (Transport for the Communes of Troyes) provides a transport network between communes. Unlike many networks that are provided by other operators, the agglomeration community of the city is the owner of the company. The network currently serves eleven communes including two outside the Troyes agglomeration. Other cities, including Romilly-sur-Seine, have no transport network.List of Networks in Aube department, Trans'bus, consulted on 20 September 2010
Aube also has intercity transport networks. 21 regular bus routes are operated between the major cities of the department. The use of these lines is entrusted to private coaches: Transdev – The Carriers of Aube has 15 routes, Keolis Sud Lorraine has 4 routes,Keolis Sud Lorraine Procars Champagne has 2 routes, Autocars Bardy has one route.
Rail network
Five railway stations are currently in operation. These are: Nogent-sur-Seine, Romilly-sur-Seine, Troyes, Vendeuvre-sur-Barse, Bar-sur-Aube.
Aube does not have a strong rail coverage. Only one main non-electrified line passes through Aube – the line that connects Paris-Est to Mulhouse.
Navigable waterways The department has 34.8 km of navigable waterways.Aube and its budget, General Council of Aube, 2011, consulted on 14 May 2011 The city of Nogent-sur-Seine has two river ports for grain., Aube Développement, consulted on 21 September 2010
History
Early history The first inhabitants of Aube were the Tricasses and Lingones with a substantial human settlement around the year 400 BC.
Saints Potentian and Savinian, Greek priests from Samos, came to preach the gospel from the middle of the 3rd century. Saint Patroclus was one of the first martyrs of the new faith in the year 259. Shortly after Saint Jule and some notables of the city of Tricasses also suffered martyrdom. Nevertheless, as elsewhere, the Christian community became large enough to accommodate a bishop. Saint Amateur was the first in 340. In the year 286 the Bagaudae ravaged the land which forms Aube. Emperor Julian came to Troyes with his army and rescued it.
The territory making up Aube was first attached to France in 843, following the Treaty of Verdun.
The 12th century and the monasteries
Two important monasteries were founded in the department: one at Clairvaux in 1114, created by Bernard of Clairvaux, the other was the Abbey of the Paraclete near Nogent-sur-Seine, by his illustrious rival, Pierre Abélard and of which Héloïse d'Argenteuil was the first abbess. Bernard of Clairvaux was noted for his eloquence at the Council of Troyes and his preaching of the Second Crusade which had no result and whose outcome was disastrous.
The reunion of Champagne with the kingdom of France was finalised in 1361. Yet people wanted absolutely the incorporation of Champagne but in 1328 King Philip VI gave the city of Bar-sur-Seine to Philippe de Croy. The inhabitants, however, ransomed him to return it to the king on the condition that it become inalienable.
Definitive reunion with Kingdom of France
The decree of the National Assembly of 15 January 1790 formally established the department of Aube. Its first president was Augustin-Henri-Marie PicotGenealogical and Heraldic History of the peers of France, Volume 8, Jean Baptiste Pierre Jullien de Courcelles, 1827 and his first deputy was Louis Antoine Joseph Robin. Jacques Claude Beugnot was elected attorney-general and also MP.
After the victory of the allies in the battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815, the department was occupied by Russian troops from June 1815 to November 1818.
In 1911, following the revolt of the vineyards of Champagne, large riots broke out in the department.
In 1919, a decree allowed Aube department to produce champagne for the first time.Regions-Tourism-Arkantz, 2007, consulted on 19 September 2010
In 1932, Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Aube and signed a friendship treaty with France there on 4 July 1938.Foreign Policy Of Atatürk
Heraldry
Politics and administration
Departmental council The departmental council of Aube is located in Troyes. Its president is Philippe Pichery (Miscellaneous right). It includes the 34 councillors of the 17 cantons of Aube. Of these, 32 are from the Right (mainly the UMP), the others are from the Miscellaneous left.
Aube returns three Deputies to the National Assembly, two of whom are from The Republicans (LR), and two Senators: one UMP and one right-wing independent.
Presidential elections 2nd round ElectionWinning candidateParty%2nd place candidateParty%2022Emmanuel MacronLREM48.32Marine Le PenRN51.68 2017 Emmanuel Macron LREM 54.15 Marine Le Pen FN 45.85 2012 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 57.37 François Hollande PS 42.63 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy UMP 61.70 Ségolène Royal PS 38.30 2002 Jacques Chirac RPR 76.87 Jean-Marie Le Pen FN 23.13 1995 Jacques Chirac RPR 55.30 Lionel Jospin PS 44.70
Current National Assembly Representatives
ConstituencyMemberParty Aube's 1st constituency Jordan Guitton National Rally Aube's 2nd constituency Valérie Bazin-Malgras The Republicans Aube's 3rd constituency Angélique Ranc National Rally
+Seats in the Departmental Council by Political Party Party Abbrev. No. Members Left Wing Socialist Party PS 2 Communist Party PCF 2 Miscellaneous left DVG 1 Europe Ecology – The Greens EELV 1 Right Wing Democratic Movement MoDem 1 New Centre NC 2 Miscellaneous right DVD 10 Union for a Popular Movement UMP 13 Independent Independent SE 1 President of the General Council
Demography
Aube is inhabited by 311,000 people with 45% (140,000 inhabitants) living in the Troyes agglomeration (2022).
Demographic change
Distribution of age groups
Breakdown of population by socio-professional categories +Population of 15 years or more by sex, age, and socio-professional categorysocio-professionnel category201720071999Nb%Nb%Nb%Total Farmers and Farm workers1.72.12.3Artisans, shopkeepers, business managers3.02.93.2Executives and Intellectuals5.55.14.0Intermediate Professions12.011.710.6Employees16.216.314.9Workers15.317.820.2Retirees29.927.724.8Others without occupation16.316.320.0 Source : INSEE Census 2017
Economy
General The economy of Aube has focused on the textile industry since the 19th century. This sector is now in crisis due to the department being in an area of real economic change.
In 2017, the departmental workforce totalled 137,774 with 114,530 persons in employment and 23,244 people unemployed. Men accounted for 51.4% of the active population and women 48.6%.
The Aube department has a high rate of feminization in employment. Nearly half of people with active jobs (48.1% in 2017) are women. The main areas affected by the feminization are trade, transport, textiles, utilities, education, and health. Women are slightly more affected than men by unemployment (51.3% of the unemployed in 2017). This is mainly due to layoffs in the textile sector.
Employment by sector Distribution of Employment by Industry sector (2015) AgricultureIndustryConstructionCommerceIncluding transport and servicesPublic AdministrationIncluding education, health, and social workersAube 3.4% 17.9% 6.7% 39.6% 32.4%Source: INSEEDossier complet: Département de l'Aube (10), INSEE. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
Main economic sectors
Industry + Large Industrial Companies No. of Employees Petit Bateau (Textiles) Devanlay (Textiles) Soufflet (Cereals) 874 Kléber (Pneumatics) 790 Vachette (Locks) 600 Mefro Roues (Wheel rims) 584 Valco (Furniture) 575 Petitjean (Public lighting) 567 Jacquot (Chocolate) 550
Tourism + Accommodations No. Establishments Hotels 66 rooms Camping 23 places Holiday Cottages 310 places
Agriculture
The utilized agricultural area is 379,720 hectares. Aube is the largest producer of hemp; the 2nd largest producer of champagne, cabbage for sauerkraut, medicinal poppies, and alfalfa; the 6th largest producer of potatoes; the 8th largest producer of cereals; and the 9th largest producer of beet in France.
Population and society
Education
Primary and secondary In 2010 elementary and secondary education consisted of: