Maine-et-Loire is part of the current region of Pays-de-la-Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Sarthe, Indre-et-Loire, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée, and Loire-Atlantique.
The region is cut from east to west by the Loire River. The Loire Valley is central to the region's economy and its cultural and educational activities.
It has a varied landscape, with forested ranges of hills in the south and north separated by the beautiful valley of the Loire worth the visit on its own.