Ardennes

Hilly, wooded plateau in northeast France, southeast Belgium, and northern Luxembourg, cut through by the River Meuse. The area gives its name to the region of Champagne-Ardenne and the département of the Ardennes in France. The highest hills are about 590 m/1,936 ft. Cattle and sheep are raised and the area is rich in timber and minerals, but relatively sparsely populated. There was heavy fighting here in both world wars, notably in the Battle of the Bulge (1944–1945, also known as the Ardennes offensive). In World War I it was the route of the main German advance in 1914.

Known as the Arduenna Silva to the Romans, the Ardennes was formerly the name given to the vast forest that lay between the Sambre River in Belgium and the Rhine in Germany. The principal cities, Liege and Namur, are in the Meuse valley. Tourism is an important contributor to the economy.

Ardennes

Département in the Champagne-Ardennes region of France, bordering on Belgium; area 5,218 sq km/2,105 sq mi; population (1999 est) 1,290,100. It is wooded and hilly: the Forest of Ardennes covers about one-third of the département. The west and the valleys of the rivers Aisne and Meuse are fertile. Livestock farming and cereal production are important. There is a nuclear power station, located 6 km/3.7 mi south of Givet, car manufacturing, and a growing service sector. The administrative centre is Charleville-Mézières (population (2001 est) 55,400).

Ardennes was formed from parts of the former provinces of Lorraine, Hainaut, and Champagne. Other towns include Sedan, Vouziers, and Rethel.