Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of theFranco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments ofMoselle andMeurthe which remained French territory.
The current boundary between Meurthe-et-Moselle and Moselle was the border between France andGermany from 1871 to 1919 and again between 1940 and 1944. The only subsequent change took place in 1997 and involved the incorporation, for administrative reasons, of the little commune ofHan-devant-Pierrepont which had previously fallen within theMeuse department.[4]
The economy was highly dependent on mining until the 1960s. There are iron, salt, and lime extraction sites. The urban area aroundNancy has an economy based largely on services, research, and higher education.
The department is served byMetz–Nancy–Lorraine Airport which provides scheduled air service to several cities in France and some North African countries. However, other airports such asLuxembourg Airport andStrasbourg Airport are also used by air travellers from the department.
The inhabitants of the departmentare known asMeurthe-et-Mosellans. The area around Nancy has become highly urbanized, whereas the Saintois in the south is quite rural.
