Charentes is a region covering the departments of Charentes and Charentes-Maritime in the west of France, with its coast on the Bay of Biscay. the same area as the provinces of Saintonge and Aunis. It is an agricultural area, providing cereals and fodder crops and there is some dairy farming. Wines and Cognac are produced and there are extensive oyster and mussel beds at Marennes, just south of Rochefort.
