Geography of La Rochelle
La Rochelle, France, the capital of Charente-Maritime department. It is on an inlet of the Bay of Biscay in southwestern France. La Rochelle, with its many Renaissance buildings, is a tourist center. It is a major fishing port, and it manufactures automobiles and aircraft. Rochelle salt, used in medicine, was first produced here in 1672.
In the 16th century, La Rochelle became a stronghold of the Huguenots (French Protestants) and was France's main port for trade with and emigration to the New World. In 1572–73 the city withstood a siege by Catholic forces. Cardinal Richelieu had the city besieged again, in 1627–28. His troops built a mole, a kind of breakwater, to cut the city off from the sea and the defenders finally surrendered when faced with starvation.
Population: 73,744.