Totalising 8.575 km2, the Saône-et-Loire department ranks 7th among the French departments with 544 893 inhabitants (64 inhabitants per km²).
It is located in the south of the Burgundy region, and is surrounded with 7 departments (Rhône, Ain, Jura, Côte d’Or, Nièvre, Allier and Loire).
The highest hills are located in the Morvan: the Haut Folin (902m), the Brulé (882m), the Mont Beuvray (821m).
57 districts "cantons" 573 towns and villages including :
524 in rural area
34 in hilly area
44 inter-town boards 5districts
Mâcon
Chalon-sur-Saône
Autun
Louhans
Charolles
14 183 km of road network including :
8 635 km of country lanes,
5 017 km of secondary roads,
414 km of main routes
120 km motorways
300 km of navigable waterways 7 850 Km of trails 90 Km of green ways 2 gares TGV stations 2 port understructures
1st exporting department in the Burgundy Region 3rd department in France for its agricultural ground 5th department in France for the size of its cattle 7th biggest department in France
524 510 cultivated hectares 13 160 hectares of vines, with 13 056 registered in AOC 656 150 bovines
22 086 companies 186 750 employees
53 public secondary schools and 12 private secondary schools 32 000 pupils conveyed every day to their school 97 685 children provided with schooling 112 369 sport permits
9 331 A.P.A recipients 6 922 minimum wages recipients 1 863 accomodations for disabled people
57 districts "cantons"
524 in rural area
