Aisne

River of northern France which rises in the Meuse département and flows northwest and then west until it joins the River Oise near Compiègne; length 282 km/175 mi. The Aisne passes through the départements of Marne, Ardennes, Aisne, and Oise. The Aire and Vesle rivers are its main tributaries.

Over 160 km/100 mi of the Aisne is navigable; it is connected to the Meuse and Marne rivers by canals. The most important town the river passes through is Soissons, in the département of Aisne. During World War I the Aisne marked part of the front line of conflict. See Aisne, Battles of.

Aisne

Département in the Picardy region of France, area 7,378 sq km/2,849 sq mi; population (1999 est) 535,300. Aisne is an agricultural département, producing cereals, potatoes, sugar beet, vines, and livestock. The terrain is generally flat; wooded in the north and undulating in the south. About half the workforce is employed in the service sector and one-third in manufacturing industries, producing precision tools, electrical appliances, textiles, chemicals, and cosmetics. Three rivers flow through the region: the Marne, Oise, and Aisne. The administrative centre is Laon.

Aisne is divided into five districts: Chateau-Thierry, Laon, Saint-Quentin, Soissons, and Vervins. It is made up of 42 cantons, and a network of 816 municipalities, and is formed from parts of the former provinces of Picardy and Ile-de-France. The départment has a strong tradition of Gothic architecture, particularly in the towns of Laon and Soissons.