Descartes, Indre-et-Loire
| Descartes | ||
|---|---|---|
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Town hall | ||
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  Descartes | ||
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Location within Centre-Val de Loire region  Descartes | ||
| Coordinates: 46°58′28″N 0°41′55″E / 46.9744°N 0.6986°ECoordinates: 46°58′28″N 0°41′55″E / 46.9744°N 0.6986°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Centre-Val de Loire | |
| Department | Indre-et-Loire | |
| Arrondissement | Loches | |
| Canton | Descartes | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Jacques Barbier | |
| Area1 | 38.08 km2 (14.70 sq mi) | |
| Population (2009)2 | 3,817 | |
| • Density | 100/km2 (260/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 37115 / 37160 | |
| Elevation | 37–121 m (121–397 ft) | |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | ||
Descartes is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is approximately 13 miles east of Richelieu and about 24 miles east of Loudun, on the banks of the Creuse River.
History
Initially called La Haye en Touraine, the town was the birthplace of the philosopher René Descartes (1596–1650), although his family home was in nearby Chatellerault. Descartes left La Haye in approximately 1606 to attend the College Henri IV at La Flèche.[1] The town was renamed La Haye-Descartes in 1802 in his honour, and then renamed again to Descartes in 1967.
Population
See table at left.
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1793 | 997 | — |
| 1800 | 850 | −14.7% |
| 1806 | 943 | +10.9% |
| 1821 | 1,123 | +19.1% |
| 1831 | 1,293 | +15.1% |
| 1836 | 1,393 | +7.7% |
| 1841 | 1,459 | +4.7% |
| 1846 | 1,592 | +9.1% |
| 1851 | 1,633 | +2.6% |
| 1856 | 1,532 | −6.2% |
| 1861 | 1,620 | +5.7% |
| 1866 | 1,609 | −0.7% |
| 1872 | 1,722 | +7.0% |
| 1876 | 1,735 | +0.8% |
| 1881 | 1,608 | −7.3% |
| 1886 | 1,694 | +5.3% |
| 1891 | 1,806 | +6.6% |
| 1896 | 1,786 | −1.1% |
| 1901 | 1,622 | −9.2% |
| 1906 | 1,638 | +1.0% |
| 1911 | 1,697 | +3.6% |
| 1921 | 1,702 | +0.3% |
| 1926 | 1,670 | −1.9% |
| 1931 | 1,570 | −6.0% |
| 1936 | 1,537 | −2.1% |
| 1946 | 1,477 | −3.9% |
| 1954 | 1,466 | −0.7% |
| 1962 | 1,679 | +14.5% |
| 1968 | 4,267 | +154.1% |
| 1975 | 4,446 | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 4,357 | −2.0% |
| 1990 | 4,120 | −5.4% |
| 1999 | 4,015 | −2.5% |
| 2006 | 3,855 | −4.0% |
| 2009 | 3,817 | −1.0% |
Personalities
The town is notable in Acadian genealogy as the birthplace of the Heberts.
See also
References
- ↑ "Editor's Preface" in Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett: 1998)
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