Tonneins

Tonneins is a town in the Lot-et-Garonne department of south-western France. It stands above the river Garonne, between Marmande to the west and Agen to the east, and is the first major town below the confluence of the Lot and Garonne Rivers after which the department is named.

Tonneins
Commune
The Garonne river at Tonneins
Coat of arms
Location of Tonneins
Tonneins Show map of France Tonneins Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 44°23′26″N 0°18′33″E
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Lot-et-Garonne
Arrondissement	Marmande
Canton	Tonneins
Intercommunality	CA Val de Garonne
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Pierre Moga
Area 1	34.78 km2 (13.43 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	9,069
• Density	260/km2 (680/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	47310 /47400
Elevation	21–166 m (69–545 ft) (avg. 39 m or 128 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Until the early 2000s, it was the tobacco capital of France. It is known for its quays alongside which the tobacco barges were previously moored. When the tobacco factory closed down in 2004 and production moved to Spain, the town was badly affected economically with the loss of more than 500 jobs. The surrounding countryside still contains many wooden sheds, known locally as 'sechoirs', formerly used to dry the tobacco leaves. The commune of Tonneins is largely agricultural, the principal crops now being maize, rapeseed and sunflowers.