Ain
| Ain | |||
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| Department | |||
Prefecture building of the Ain department, in Bourg-en-Bresse
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 Location of Ain in France |
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| Coordinates: 46°5′N 5°20′E / 46.083°N 5.333°ECoordinates: 46°5′N 5°20′E / 46.083°N 5.333°E | |||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | ||
| Prefecture | Bourg-en-Bresse | ||
| Subprefectures |
Belley Gex Nantua |
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| Government | |||
| • President of the Departemental Council | Damien Abad (PS) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 5,762 km2 (2,225 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 433 m (1,421 ft) | ||
| Highest elevation | 1,720 m (5,640 ft) | ||
| Lowest elevation | 170 m (560 ft) | ||
| Population (2013) | |||
| • Total | 619,497 | ||
| • Rank | 40th | ||
| • Density | 110/km2 (280/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Department number | 01 | ||
| Arrondissements | 4 | ||
| Cantons | 23 | ||
| Communes | 410 | ||
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |||
Ain (French pronunciation: [ɛ̃]; Arpitan: En) is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation. It has an excellent transport network (TGV, highways) and benefits from the proximity to the international airports of Lyon and Geneva.
Ain is composed of four geographically different areas (Bresse, Dombes, Bugey and Pays de Gex) which – each with its own characteristics – contribute to the diversity and the dynamic economic development of the department. In the Bresse agriculture and agro-industry are dominated by the cultivation of cereals, cattle breeding, milk and cheese production as well as poultry farming. In the Dombes, pisciculture assumes greater importance as does wine making in the Bugey. The high diversification of the department's industry is accompanied by a strong presence of the plastics sector in and around Oyonnax (so-called "Plastics Valley").
Due to its diverse industrial character and the cooperation of small and medium enterprises, Ain ranks among the departments with the fastest-growing economy in the country. Its unemployment rate lies far beneath the national and regional average. Besides the export-oriented SME's, several large enterprises, with a prominent position on national and international markets, have settled in the department.
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