Loire-Atlantique (Loer-Atlantiq in gallo, Liger Atlantel in Breton) is a french department named after the Loire, the main river that crosses the front to lead into the sea by an estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, its borders to the west. Created in 1790 under the name Lower-Loire, he kept this name until 1957. It bears the number 44 in the numbering départementale French.

Its capital is Nantes, also prefecture in the region Pays de la Loire.
Loire-Atlantique is one of five departments of Brittany historical language tradition Gallo was, as in the Haute-Bretagne, but in the region to the west Guérande department, Breton was spoken until recently.