Loire-Atlantique is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a p…Loire-Atlantique is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population of 1,429,272 in 2019. Loire-Atlantique is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally, it was named Loire-Inférieure, but its name was changed in March 9, 1957 to Loire-Atlantique.