Ain

Ain
Depairtment
Prefectur biggin o the Ain depairtment, in Bourg-en-Bresse
Banner Coat airms
Location o Ain in Fraunce
Coordinates: 46°5′N 5°20′E / 46.083°N 5.333°E / 46.083; 5.333
Kintra	Fraunce
Region	Rhône-Alpes
Prefectur	Bourg-en-Bresse
Subprefecturs	Belley Gex Nantua
Govrenment
• Preses o the General Cooncil	Rachel Mazuir (PS)
Area 1
• Total	5762 km2 (2,225 sq mi)
Population  (2007)[1]
• Total	574,377
• Rank	42nt
• Density	100/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Depairtment nummer	01
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	43
Communes	419
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, an lochs, ponds, an glaciers lairger than 1 km2

Ain (French pronunciation: ​[ɛ̃]; Arpitan: En) is a depairtment named efter the Ain River on the eastren edge o Fraunce. Bein pairt o the region Rhône-Alpes an bordered bi the rivers Saône an Rhône, the depairtment o Ain enjoys a privileged geografic situation. It haes an excellent transport network (TGV, highways) an benefits frae the proximity tae the internaitional airports o Lyon an Geneva.

Ain is componed o fower geografically different auries (Bresse, Dombes, Bugey an Pays de Gex) which – each wi its awn characteristics – contreibute tae the diversity an the dynamic economic development o the depairtment. In the Bresse agricultur an agro-industry are dominatit bi the cultivation o cereals, cattle breedin, milk an cheese production as well as poultry fairmin. In the Dombes, piscicultur assumes greater importance as daes wine makin in the Bugey. The heich diversification o the depairtment's industry is accompanied bi a strang presence o the plastics sector in an aroond Oyonnax (sae-cried "Plastics Valley").

Due tae its diverse industrial character an the cooperation o smaa an medium enterprises, Ain ranks amang the depairtments wi the fastest growin economy in the kintra. Its unemployment rate lies far beneath the naitional an regional average. Besides the export-orientit SME's, several muckle enterprises, wi a prominent poseetion on naitional an internaitional mercats, hae settled in the depairtment.

Awtho leukin ahead, Ain attaches nevertheless great importance tae its historical an cultural heritage as illustratit bi its gastronomy (restaurant o Georges Blanc in Vonnas), its annual poultry competitions in the Bresse ("the three glorious") an its tourism (346 clessifee'd monuments such as the famous kirk o Brou in Bourg-en-Bresse, 14 museums o Fraunce, eco-tourism an ski tourism).

Wikimedia Commons haes media relatit tae Ain.

• (in French) Prefectur wabsteid Archived 2006-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
• (in French) General Cooncil wabsteid Archived 2006-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
• (in French) Ain Chamber o Commerce an Industry
• (in Inglis) Tourism steid