It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the province are called Angevins or, more rarely, Angeriens.
Angers proper covers For centuries, Angers was an important stronghold in northwestern France. Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers, the Mayenne , the Sarthe , and the Loir , all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire.
Their confluence, just north of Angers, creates the Maine , a short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometres south. In addition, the Angers metropolitan area is a major economic centre in western France, particularly active in industry and tourism.
The city is first mentioned by Ptolemy around AD in his Geography. The name is a compound of the Latin name Julius probably in reference to Julius Caesar and the Celtic magos , "market". Similar town dedications were common in Roman Gaul , and toponyms often kept a Gallic element. When the location needed to be distinguished from other Juliomagi, it was known as Juliomagus Andecavorum "Juliomagus of the Andecavi " , in reference to the principal Gallic tribe in and around the city.
Around AD , the city came to be referred to as the civitas Andecavorum " tribal capital of the Andecavi". It is successively mentioned as Andecava civitas 6th century , Andecavis AD , [ 10 ] Andegavis - , Angieus in and Angeus in The form Angiers appeared during the 12th century [ 15 ] and was later corrupted to "Angers".
