Geography
The Riviera is an international playground of great beauty. A visitor to these parts can
sample all altitudes,
from mountains to charming hill towns down to a coastal plain and sandy beaches. Marseille,
France's chief seaport,
and the tiny independent country of Monaco are in Riviera, as are the renowned resort cities of
Nice and Cannes.
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Awesome Roman ruins, medieval buildings, ancient olive groves, and even bullfight arenas mark the inland region of
Provence. Many famous French artists have tried to capture Riviera luminous daylight.
Alps
The Alps and Jura Mountains boast many ski resorts. Mountain streams have been harnessed to bring
hydroelectric power to farms and industries. A range of Alpine peaks known as the Massif du Mont Blanc soars
above 13,000 feet (3,960 m), crowned by the highest peak, Mont Blanc.
France is blessed with fertile soil and a pleasant climate. A great diversity of
land forms exist: snowcapped mountain ranges, broad plains, dense forests, windblown seacoasts, extinct
volcanic cones, ancient underground caves, and sunny Mediterranean beaches.
The country is roughly
hexagonal and covers 212,918 square miles (551,458 sq. km). It is about (600 miles (965 km) long and 600
miles (965 km) across at its widest point. Corsica, southeast of the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea,
accounts for 3,367 square miles (8,721 sq. km) of the total land area.
France's bordering neighbors are
Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east and southeast,
Andorra to the south, and Spain to the southwest.
Most of France's boundaries are natural the
Atlantic Ocean Bay of Biscay to the west, the English Channel to the northwest (separating France from England),
and the Mediterranean Sea to the southeast. On the mainland, the Pyrenees Mountains lead into Spain,
the Alps and lura Mountains border Switzerland, and more Alpine peaks act as a barrier between France
and Italy. The Rhine River flows between France and Germany. Where no natural barriers exist, France in
the past has been vulnerable to invasion by foreign armies.
Main Land Regions
The widely varied landscapes of mainland France can be divided into nine different regions, each with its
particular beauty.
The Brittany Normandy Hills lie in northwestern France across the eroded remains of ancient rock. Low hills
and rolling plains are covered with relatively infertile soil. The rugged coastline is dotted with many bays
and is home to both tiny fishing villages and the major seaports of Le Havre and Cherbourg.
Important products of this region include apples, used to make cider and an alcoholic drink called Calvados,
dairy foods such as Camembert cheese and Normandy butter, and fish.
Brittany, with the highest percentage of Catholic churchgoers of any French region, also has a small group of
extremist Bretons who want to separate from the rest of the country. The ancient Celtic language is still spoken
here, and mysterious standing stones recall the ancestors.
The Northern France Planis include the capital city of Paris, the cultural and intellectual center of all France.
In one sense, it is also a geographical center because all distances in France are measured from the square in front
of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Surrounding Paris is the Paris Basin, also known as the Ile-de-France. Its rich farmland and major industries
support a dense population.
Formerly important industries in this part of France include textiles in the northern city of Lille and coal mining
near the Belgian border. The metropolitan area of Lille- Roubaix-Tourcoing is one of France's largest provincial
centers, with a population of about 959,000 people.
The Northeastern Plateaus include the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. These plateaus are crossed by the Ardennes
and Vosges mountain ranges. Farms and vineyards dominate the lower slopes and valleys. Rich iron ore deposits
and heavy forests brought lumbering and iron and steel production to the area, although mining is now in decline.
The Rhone-Saone Valley is dominated by the city of Lyon, which, like Lille and Marseille, is home to roughly 1 million
people. Lyon has been famous for many centuries for its tradition of great cooking and its silk and synthetic fabric
production.
The Massif Central is the largest of France's geographic sections, covering one sixth of the country. High granite
plateaus are cut in many places by deep gorges. Extinct volcanic cones known as puys ("PWE"), some topped with
chapels or religious statues, are a striking feature of the area. At Vichy, natural hot mineral springs have led to
the development of health spas. Its bottled mineral water is exported to distant countries.
The soil is poor in most of the Massif Central, and it is thinly populated. In recent years, many people from
this part of France have moved to Paris to look for jobs.
The Pyrenees Mountains separate France and Spain in a sparsely populated region of the southwest. Many of the
mountain peaks top 10,000 feet (3,047 m). Farmers raise cattle and sheep in this area. The Pyrenees town of
Lourdes attracts millions of Roman Catholic pilgrims, who are drawn by its reputation for miraculous cures.
The Aquititanian Lowlands region is known for its fruit orchards, the Bordeaux wine industry, oil and natural
gas fields, steel mills, and chemical factories. The seaport of Bordeaux and the aerospace industry center of
Toulouse are here. Famous brandies originate in towns of the same name: Cognac and Armagnac are two examples.
Extensive forests, rolling plains, huge sand dunes, and beaches are characteristic features of this area.
Extract from “Cultures Of The World France”, Written by Etbel Caro Gofen.
Times Editions Pte Ltd, Singapore: 1999.
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