Noirmoutier 3.55

Noirmoutier is an island off the Atlantic coast of France in the Vendée department.GeographyThe island comprises ten localities and four distinct Communes of France. Its length is approximately 25 kilometres, and its width varies from 500 metres to 15 kilometres. Its area of 4,877 hectares.Noirmoutier is referred to as the Island of Mimosas, due to the temperateness of its climate, which allows for the flowering of Acacia debealta (mimosa) year-round. The island is predominantly salt marsh and salt banks, sand dunes and evergreen oak forests.The communes of the island are grouped into a communauté de communes. The communes are: Barbâtre L'Épine La Guérinière Noirmoutier-en-l'Île The island has been a site of uninterrupted human inhabitation since prehistoric times, and is a popular tourist destination.Parts of the island have been reclaimed from the sea. In 2005 it served as the finish of the Tour de France prologue.