History of Ain in Timeline

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Ain

Ain is a French department located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Situated on France's eastern edge, it shares a border with Switzerland (cantons of Geneva and Vaud). As of 2019, Ain had a population of 652,432.

1937: Construction of Barrage de Génissiat

In 1937, the construction of the Barrage de Génissiat started in the department.

1939: World War II impact

In 1939, World War II struck the department of Ain hard, resulting in the deportation of 600 people.

1945: End of World War II

By 1945, at the end of World War II, half of the 600 people deported from Ain did not return.

1979: Number of farms

In 1979, there were 14,600 farms in the department of Ain.

1988: Number of farms

In 1988, the number of farms in Ain was counted as 11,320.

1990: Population of Ain

In 1990, the population of the department of Ain was 471,019 inhabitants.

1992: Polytechnic university founded

In 1992, a polytechnic university was founded in Bellignat, focusing on plastics engineering and research.

1992: Alimentec technology platform founded

In 1992, the technology platform "Alimentec" was founded in Bourg-en-Bresse to focus on applied research and technical education in the agro-industrial sector.

2000: Number of farms

In 2000, the number of farms in Ain was 6,320.

2002: Tourism sector

In 2002, 2.7 million nights were spent in the department of Ain.

2003: Services sector employment

Since 2003, the services branch has employed more people than any other economic sector in Ain.

December 2006: Tourism employment

In December 2006, 2.9% of the employment in Ain was related to the tourist sector.

2006: Tourism sector

During the 2006 season, 2.5 million nights were spent in the department of Ain.

2006: Commercial Sector Enterprises

In 2006, the commercial sector in Ain comprised 5,861 enterprises, including wholesalers, distributors, automobile dealers, garages, retailers, and repair businesses.

2006: Employment in the Commercial Sector

In 2006, the commercial sector in Ain employed 22,973 employees and 9,000 self-employed persons.

September 2007: Timber industry employment

In September 2007, the timber industry in Ain employed approximately 4,500 workers.

2007: Winter sports activity

During the winter of 2006/2007, winter sports activity in Ain was strongly restrained by the lack of snow, with 238,000 daily skiing tourists.

2007: Roads transferred to the department

In 2007, former national roads were transferred to the department of Ain, adding to its already well-developed transport network.

2010: Opening of Ligne du Haut-Bugey

In 2010, the upgraded Ligne du Haut-Bugey was opened, reducing travel time between Paris and Geneva by 20 minutes.

2016: Average Population Density

In 2016, the average population density in Ain was 111 inhabitants/km.

2016: Population of Ain

In 2016, the population of the department of Ain grew to 638,425 inhabitants due to natural growth and a slightly positive migration balance.

2017: President of the Departmental Council

Jean Deguerry of The Republicans has been president of the Departmental Council of Ain since 2017.

2019: Most populous commune

As of 2019, Bourg-en-Bresse is the most populous commune in Ain.

2019: Population of Ain

In 2019, the department of Ain had a population of 652,432.

2021: Departmental election

In the 2021 departmental election, the Departmental Council of Ain was elected.