Indre

Indre, a department of France, formed principally out of the western portion of the old province of Berri, lies immediately south of the department of Loir-et-Cher. Area, 2623 sq. m., of which about four-fifths are in tillage and pasture. Pop. (1872) 277,693; (1886) 296,147; (1891) 292,868. It is quite flat, and well watered by the Indre (which flows, from the department of Creuse, 152 miles north-westward to the Loire) and the Creuse. It contains three well-marked districts—a stony, woody region with sandy soil in the south, a fertile agricultural region in the east, and in the north-west a region of moors, marshes, and ponds, interspersed with forests. The more notable products are wheat, oats, potatoes, turnips, fruits, and wine. The sheep are excellent as food, and produce first-rate wool. Much poultry is reared. The principal industries are ironworks and manufactures of cloth, paper, leather, and porcelain. The department is divided into four arrondissements—Châteauroux, Le Blanc, Issoudun, and La Châtre. The capital is Châteauroux.