Editing Lower Normandy

{{Short description|Former administrative region in France}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2024}}{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Lower Normandy
| native_name        = {{native name|fr|Basse-Normandie}}<br />{{native name|nrf|Basse-Normaundie}}
| image_map          = Basse-Normandie in France.svg
| image_flag         = Flag of Normandie.svg
| image_blank_emblem = Arms of William the Conqueror (1066-1087).svg
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[France]]
| extinct_title      = Dissolved
| extinct_date       = 2016-01-01
| seat_type          = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat               = [[Caen]]
| area_total_km2     = 17589
| area_footnotes     =
| population_total   = 1453000
| population_as_of   = 2007-01-01
| population_footnotes =
| population_demonym = 
| demographics_type1       = GDP
| demographics1_footnotes  = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00003/default/table?lang=en | title=EU regions by GDP, Eurostat|access-date=18 September 2023}}</ref>
|demographics1_title1     = Total
|demographics1_info1      = €44.466 billion (2022)
| demographics1_title2     = Per capita
|demographics1_info2      = €30,300 (2022)
| parts_type         = [[Departments of France|Departments]]
| parts_style        = list
| parts              = 3
| p1                 = [[Calvados (department)|Calvados]] (14)
| p2                 = [[Manche]] (50)
| p3                 = [[Orne]] (61)
| blank_name_sec2    = [[First level NUTS of the European Union#France|NUTS Region]]
| blank_info_sec2    = FR2
| iso_code           = FR-P
}}

'''Lower Normandy''' ({{langx|fr|Basse-Normandie}}, {{IPA|fr|bɑs nɔʁmɑ̃di, bas -|IPA|LL-Q150 (fra)-Benoît Prieur-Basse-Normandie.wav}}; {{langx|nrf|Basse-Normaundie}}) is a former [[regions of France|administrative region]] of [[France]]. On 1 January 2016, Lower and [[Upper Normandy]] merged becoming one region called [[Normandy (administrative region)|Normandy]].<ref name="reform law">{{cite French law|number or usual name=n° 2015-29|date in French=16 janvier 2015|full name=relative à la délimitation des régions, aux élections régionales et départementales et modifiant le calendrier électoral|language=French|lower case=|URL=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=9FECBA9D9314D1D2C093CF793C886ED5.tpdila21v_1?idSectionTA=JORFSCTA000030109623&cidTexte=JORFTEXT000030109622&dateTexte=29990101}}</ref>

==Geography==
The region included three [[Departments of France|departments]], [[Calvados (department)|Calvados]], [[Manche]] and [[Orne]], that cover the part of Normandy traditionally termed "Lower Normandy" lying west of the river [[Dives (river)|Dives]], the [[Pays d'Auge]] (except a small part remaining in Upper Normandy), a small part of the [[Pays d'Ouche]] (the main part remaining in Upper Normandy), the Norman [[Perche]], and part of the "French" [[Perche]]. It covers 10,857&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, 3.2 percent of the surface area of France.<ref>(Northcutt, 1996, p. 181)</ref>

The traditional districts of Lower Normandy include the [[Cotentin Peninsula]] and [[La Hague]], the Campagne de [[Caen]], the Norman [[Bocage]], the [[Bessin]], and the [[Avranchin]].

==History==
:''Regions relating to Lower Normandy: [[Gallia Lugdunensis]], [[Neustria]], and [[Normandy]].''

The traditional province of Normandy, with an integral history reaching back to the 10th century, was divided in 1956 into two regions: Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy.

During the Roman era, the region was divided into several different city-states. That of [[Vieux, Calvados|Vieux]] was excavated in the 17th century, revealing numerous structures and vestiges bearing testimony to the prosperity of the [[Caen]] region.

The region was conquered by the [[Franks]] in the 5th century.

In the 9th century, the [[Normans|Norman]] conquests devastated the region. Much of the territory of Lower Normandy was added to the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century.

In 1066, [[William I of England|Duke William Il of Normandy]] conquered [[England]]. He was buried in Caen. After his death, Normandy went to his eldest son and [[England]] went to his second son, separating the two possessions.
[[File:N cherbourg.jpg|thumb|[[Napoleon I of France]] and Marie Louise attending a [[Review (disambiguation)|naval review]] in [[Cherbourg]] in 1811]]
The victory of [[Battle of Tinchebray|Tinchebray]] in 1106 gave Normandy to the kings of [[England]] again. Nearly one hundred years later, in 1204, King [[Philip II Augustus]] of France conquered the region, apart from the [[Channel Islands]]. Then, during the [[Hundred Years' War]], it was regained by the [[Plantagenets]]. However, the French recovered the mainland part of the region between 1436 and 1450. By 1453, the [[French monarchy]] controlled much of modern France apart from [[Calais]], which remained in English hands.

During the [[World War II|Second World War]], the main thrust of [[Operation Overlord]] was focused on Lower Normandy. The beaches of Calvados were the site of the [[D-Day]] landings in June 1944. Lower Normandy suffered badly during the War, with many of its towns and villages being destroyed or badly damaged during the [[Invasion of Normandy|Battle of Normandy]].

==Economy==
[[File:Vauville Manche Basse-Normandie.JPG|thumb|Scenery of Lower Normandy]]
The region's economy is heavily agricultural, with livestock and dairy farming, textiles and fruit production among its major industries. The region is the leader in France in the sectors of butter, [[fromage frais]], soft cheeses, cider apples, cider, leeks, turnips, and flax. The region also breeds more horses than any other in France. The western part of the region is used mainly for farming, because of the prairies. [[Iron ore]] is mined near Caen. [[Tourism]] is also a major industry. The region has direct ferry links to [[England]] (via the port of [[Cherbourg]] and Caen [[Ouistreham]]).

==Culture==
In addition to [[French language|French]], Normandy has its own [[regional language]], [[Norman language|Norman]]. It is still in use today in Lower Normandy, with the dialects of the Cotentin more in evidence than others. Lower Normandy has also been the home of many well-known French authors, including [[Guy de Maupassant]], [[Marcel Proust]], [[Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly]]. Notable Norman language authors connected especially with Lower Normandy include [[Alfred Rossel]], [[Louis Beuve]], and [[Côtis-Capel]].

In terms of music, composer [[Erik Satie]] also hailed from this region. In the visual arts, [[Jean-François Millet]] was a native of La Hague. [[Eugène Boudin]] was born in Honfleur and [[Fernand Léger]] in [[Argentan]]. Important events include [[Deauville Asian Film Festival]] and [[Deauville American Film Festival]].

==Major communities==
[[File:Caen_France_(28).JPG|thumb|View of downtown [[Caen]] and the Abbey of St. Étienne]]
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Alençon]]
*[[Argentan]]
*[[Avranches]]
*[[Bayeux]]
*[[Caen]]
*[[Cherbourg-Octeville]]
*[[Deauville]]
*[[Flers, Orne|Flers]]
*[[Hérouville-Saint-Clair]]
*[[Lisieux]]
*[[Saint-Lô]]
*[[Tourlaville]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Portal|France}}
{{Reflist}}
*Northcutt, Wayne; ''The Regions of France, A Reference Guide to History and Culture''; 1996; Greenwood Press; {{ISBN|0-313-29223-X}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Lower Normandy}}
* [https://uk.france.fr/en/normandy Normandy] - Official French website (in English)
*{{Official website|http://www.cr-basse-normandie.fr}}
{{Regions of France|former}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Lower Normandy| ]]
[[Category:Geography of Normandy]]
[[Category:Former regions of France]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in France]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1956]]
[[Category:2015 disestablishments in France]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 2015]]