Notre-Dame-des-Landes (French pronunciation: [nɔtʁ(ə) dam de lɑ̃d] ; Breton: Kernitron-al-Lann) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France located about 20 km northwest of Nantes.

Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Commune
Coat of arms of Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Location of Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Map
Notre-Dame-des-Landes is located in France
Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Notre-Dame-des-Landes is located in Pays de la Loire
Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Notre-Dame-des-Landes
Coordinates: 47°22′54″N 1°42′32″W / 47.3817°N 1.7089°W / 47.3817; -1.7089
CountryFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
DepartmentLoire-Atlantique
ArrondissementChâteaubriant-Ancenis
CantonNort-sur-Erdre
IntercommunalityErdre et Gesvres
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Paul Naud[1]
Area
1
37.4 km2 (14.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
2,310
 • Density62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
44111 /44130
Elevation29–82 m (95–269 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The commune was the planned site of the new Aéroport du Grand Ouest, intended to replace Nantes Atlantique Airport. The €580 million project was approved in February 2008, with construction then expected to start in 2012 and an opening date in 2015. It was abandoned by the government of Emmanuel Macron on 17 January 2018 in the face of strenuous local opposition.[3]

In an ongoing week-long incident in April 2018 more than 2,500 riot police were deployed to remove the occupants of the fields in Notre-Dame-des-Landes that have been described as an anarchist utopia.

As in previous days, officers clashed with activists trying to maintain a camp that sprang up almost a decade ago and which they have named a Zone à Défendre (ZAD), or defence zone.[4]

Riot police officers used grenades[5] which hurt both inhabitants and journalists. Riot police officers came under a hail of stones and other projectiles and one was taken to hospital with wounds after being hit by a homemade explosive device. Journalists were prevented from filming the incidents by riot police.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1872 1,785—    
1901 1,814+0.06%
1926 1,525−0.69%
1946 1,403−0.42%
1962 1,187−1.04%
1968 1,127−0.86%
1975 1,112−0.19%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1982 1,274+1.96%
1990 1,527+2.29%
1999 1,649+0.86%
2007 1,875+1.62%
2012 2,008+1.38%
2017 2,184+1.69%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2017)[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Helen Massy-Beresford (20 February 2018). "France Faces Key Questions As It Shapes Future Airport Strategy". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  4. ^ "ZAD Battles Thousands of Police During Attempted Eviction of Autonomous Zone in France". Unicorn Riot. 9 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Les mensonges sanglants de M. Macron". 16 April 2018.
  6. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Notre-Dame-des-Landes, EHESS (in French).
  7. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE