It was created in 1956 from twodepartments:Seine-Maritime andEure, whenNormandy was divided intoLower Normandy and Upper Normandy. This division continued to provoke controversy, and many people continued to call for the two regions to be reunited. The two regions were finally merged on 1 January 2016. The nameUpper Normandy existed prior to 1956 and referred by tradition to territories currently included within the administrative region: thePays de Caux, thePays de Bray (not that ofPicardy), theRoumois, the Campagne ofLe Neubourg, the Plaine deSaint-André and the NormanVexin. Today, most of thePays d'Auge, as well as a small portion of thePays d'Ouche, are located in Lower Normandy.Rouen andLe Havre are important urban centers.
RouenThe Saint-Vincent neighborhood in Le HavreÉvreux
Rouen is the regional capital, historically important with many fine churches and buildings, including the tallest cathedral tower in France. The region's largest city, in terms of municipal population, isLe Havre, although Rouen is by far the most populousurban area andmetropolitan area. The region is twinned with theLondon Borough of Redbridge inEngland. Its economy is centered on agriculture, industry, petrochemicals and tourism.
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