a department of France, so called from the river of that name by which it is watered, is bounded north by the departments of Indre and Cher, west by that of Haute-Vienne, south by that of Corrèze, and east by those of Puy-de-Dôme and Allier. Area 2150 square miles. The surface is mostly mountainous, with a general inclination from south to north. Along its S. and S.E. boundaries is a range of mountains sending off branches to the interior of the department. The rivers are numerous, but none of them are navigable. The largest is the Creuse, which rises on the southern frontier, has a general north by west direction through the department, dividing it into two nearly equal parts, and falls into the Vienne after a course of about 150 miles. The climate is cold and moist, and the winter long and rigorous. The soil, except in the valleys, is sandy and of little fertility, so that the corn produced is not sufficient for home consumption. The rearing of cattle principally occupies the attention of the people. Among the mineral productions are iron, lead, copper, manganese, and antimony; coal mines are worked; granite and building stone are quarried; and potters' clay of good quality is raised. From 20,000 to 28,000 labourers annually emigrate to other parts of the kingdom in search of employment, during certain months of the year. The chief manufacture is that of carpets.

The department is divided into four arrondissements, as follows:

| Arrondissements | Cantons | Communes | Pop. in 1851 | |-----------------|---------|----------|-------------| | Aubusson | 10 | 104 | 106,619 | | Bourganeuf | 4 | 41 | 42,673 | | Bosma | 4 | 46 | 39,497 | | Guéret | 7 | 75 | 98,886 |

The chief town of the department is Guéret.