Centre-Val de Loire the name was criticized as being too dull and nondescript. Proposed names for the region included after the Loire Valley (the main feature of the region) or (i.e. "Heart of Loire"). On 17 January 2015, as part of the reorganization of French regions, the region's official name was changed to . is associated with positive images of the Loire Valley, such as the , the gentle and refined lifestyle, the wine, and the mild and temperate climate, all of which attract many tourists to the region. A new logo was also created. Centre-Val De Loire comprises 6 departments : Cher,
Loire lower Loire found its source upstream of Orléans in the region of Gien, flowing westward along the present course. At a certain point during the long history of uplift in the Paris Basin, the lower, Atlantic Loire captured the "palaeo-Loire" or "Loire séquanaise" ("Seine Loire"), producing the present river. The former bed of the "Loire séquanaise" is occupied by the Loing. The Loire Valley has been inhabited since the Middle Palaeolithic period from 40–90 ka. Neanderthal man used stone tools to fashion boats out of tree trunks and navigated the river. Modern man inhabited the Loire valley around 30 ka.