ANJOU, from its ancient inhabitants the ANDES or ANDEGAV1, formerly a province of France, but now a portion of the department of the Mayenne and Loire. It is about 70 miles long, and 60 broad, and is bounded on the north by Le Maine, on the east by Touraine ; on the south by Poitou, and on the west by Bretagne. An jou is reckoned one of the finest and most fertile pro vinces of France. The tracts of land along the banks of the Loire, and the other rivers which traverse the country, are particularly rich ; but the most fertile can tons are Les Manges, and the valley of Beaufort Anjou.
The productions of the soil are wheat, rye, barley, oats, peas, beans, flax, hemp, nuts, sweet almonds, chesnuts, fruits and wines. A part of the wine is sent to Nantes. The rest is distilled for brandy, a great part of which is carried to Nantes, and the rest to Paris, by the canal of Breare. The coal mines in the province are very
numerous ; but as the strata dip much, and never be come horizontal, they arc wrought at great expense. In the mines of Montrelais, they work at a depth of 600 feet.
The principal manufactures of Anjou, are at Voiles, which bring in an annual revenue of 310,000 francs. About 5000 reams of paper are manufactured every year. The Lannan et ?urs produce 100,000 francs an nually.
The province is watered by no fewer than 49 rivers, five of which are navigable, viz. the Loire, the Mavenne, the Sarthe, the Loir, and the Oudon. The climate is mild and salubrious, and the appearance of the country is diversified with hills, vallies, and forests, of which there are S3 of oak and of beech. Angers is the capi tal of the province. Population, 92,829 families. See 1\IAYENNE. (yr)