an arrondissement of the department of Vendée, in France, extending 1116 square miles. It is divided into eleven cantons, and subdivided into 161 communes, and contains 117,524 houses. The capital is a city called Fontenay Le Comte, situated in a valley through which the Vendée runs. It is an ill-built, old-fashioned town, distinguished only by its lofty tower on the mother church, which is 294 feet in height, and very beautiful. It contains 1485 houses, and 6615 inhabitants. It has some trade in linen and woollen goods. It has not yet recovered from the effects of the revolution. Long. 2. 3. W. Lat. 36. 40. N.