Marne

Marne, a department in the north-east of France, formed out of the old province of Champagne, is traversed by the river Marne, and to a less extent by the Seine and the Aisne. Area, 3159 sq. m.; pop. (1891) 434,692. It is in the dry and chalky soil of the north that the best varieties of Champagne Wine (q.v.) are grown, of which two-fifths are exported. The rearing of sheep is an important industry, and extensive woollen manufactures are carried on. Cereals, beetroot, and potatoes are grown; honey and wax are produced; building stone is quarried; and metal works, tanneries, &c., are in operation. Marne is divided into the five arrondissements of Châlons-sur-Marne (the capital), Épernay, Rheims, Sainte-Ménéhould, and Vitry-le-François.