Oise

Oise, a department in the north of France, separated from the English Channel by Seine-Inférieure; area, 2261 sq. m.; pop. (1881) 404,555; (1891) 401,835. The principal rivers are the Oise, a tributary of the Seine, 150 miles in length, with the Aisne and Therain, affluents of the Oise. The soil is in general fertile, and agriculture advanced. The products are the usual grain-crops, with an immense quantity of vegetables, which are sent to the markets of the metropolis. There are extensive iron manufactures; porcelain, paper, chemicals, beet-root sugar, woollens, cottons, and lace (at Chantilly) are also made. The department is divided into the four arrondissements of Beauvais, Clermont, Compiègne, Senlis; capital, Beauvais.