Marne

River in France which rises in the plateau of Langres and joins the Seine at Charenton near Paris; length 525 km/326 mi. It gives its name to the départements of Marne, Haute-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, and Val-de-Marne, and to two battles of World War I (see Marne, Battles of the).

From its rising, the river flows northwest and west past Chaumont-en-Bassigny, St-Dizier, Châlons-sur-Marne, Epernay, Château-Thierry, and Meaux. It is navigable to St-Dizier, is joined to the Rhine, Rhône, and Aisne by canal, and has a lateral canal from Vitry-le-François to Epernay. It crosses Champagne and also the rich country of the Ile-de-France.

Marne

Département in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France; area 8,163 sq km/3,152 sq mi; population (1999 est) 565,200. The River Marne crosses the département from southeast to northwest. The best varieties of the champagne vines are grown in the dry and chalky soil of the north. Other industries include tanning, iron and copper founding, brewing, pottery, and tourism. The rearing of sheep is important, and woollen goods are manufactured. The administrative centre is Châlons-sur-Marne. Other important towns are Epernay, Reims, Sainte-Menehould, and Vitry-le-François.

The soil is very fertile in the south; in the centre the land is undulating, but level at the boundaries. Marne is formed out of the former province of Champagne.