Geography of France

France is located in Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain in the north to the south, southeast of the UK; bordered to the south-east by the Mediterranean Sea and on the east by Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg.

Surface

The total area of France, including the islands in Europe, but without the overseas territories is 547,030 km ², of which 545,630 km ² of land area and 1,400 km ² water surface. France is thus the largest state by area in Western Europe and as intercontinental state with overseas departments the second largest country in Europe after Russia.

Borders

Neighboring countries:

  • Andorra 56.6 km
  • Belgium 620 km
  • Germany 451 km
  • Italy 488 km
  • Luxembourg 73 km
  • Monaco 4.4 km
  • Spain 623 km
  • Switzerland 573 km

Outside Europe, France also has borders with:

  • The Kingdom of the Netherlands (10 km) on the Caribbean island of Saint- Martin,
  • Brazil ( 673 km ) and
  • Suriname (510 km) in the Overseas Territory of French Guyana.

Coastline:

3427 km on the Atlantic and Mediterranean

See, the list of French port cities / locations with commercial ports in the sequence of coastline from north to west or south etc.

Climate

France is mostly in the temperate zone, the South East is already subject to the Mediterranean climate. While there mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers prevail, the climate in most of France is dependent on location and relief. Overall, the French climate is almost everywhere relatively mild. The annual average temperature is between 10 ° C ( north, Lorraine, Jura, the Alps also below) and 16 ° C ( Mediterranean coast, Corsica also above). The precipitates below the Paris basin and in some coastal strip of the Mediterranean 600 mm, the driest place is Colmar in Alsace with less than 600 mm. Otherwise the values ​​are mostly between 700 and 1000 mm. On the west side of the mountains they are partly overwhelmed ( more than 1500 mm in the Alps, the Cevennes, Jura, Vosges ). These precipitates can be very unevenly distributed. Under 60 days of rain in the Rhône delta are in marked contrast to more than 200 days in the Orne (Normandy). The sunshine duration is the climate zone in the Mediterranean according to the highest, followed by the Atlantic coast. The fewest hours of sunshine applies a broad strip of Brittany to the Northern Vosges. Even Paris is one of many cloudy days.

Climatically, the following metropolitan areas can be separated:

The Northwest, especially Normandy and Brittany, oceanic influenced to very oceanic. The rainfall reached here in most areas heights of 1000 mm and - especially on the coast and on the weather side of the hill country - more. It is dominated by westerly winds, winters are mild and often free of snow. The summers are relatively cool and moist.

The North East has much to kontinentalere trains. Especially in the harsh climates of Lorraine and the Vosges winters can be very cold, the high surfaces ( eg, the plateau of Langres ) are particularly disadvantaged. The river valleys of the Rhine and Moselle are, however, already for viticulture.

Central France with the Paris Basin and the Loire Valley as a whole is relatively low precipitation. In terms of hours of sunshine and average temperature, the region is in the middle, but it can certainly extreme weather conditions occur. The 2003 heat wave was just here particularly pronounced because over the broad, flat land no moderating effects by winds or water were possible. In Auxerre held, for example, the daily maximum temperature 8 days above 40 ° C. Overall, the differences between summer and winter temperatures are still significantly lower than in Eastern Europe; only there can one really speak of a continental climate. Much cooler and more humid the air in the Massif Central, which can rise up to 1800 m.

In the southwest Atlantic climate prevails, which has a total moist but already relatively warm and sunny. Precipitation maxima are found particularly in the vicinity of the Pyrenees. According to the classification of E. Neef is, the climate on the Atlantic coast " maritimes west side Air " and belongs to the temperate zone; by the influence of the Azores high is there, however, the summers, relatively dry; the maximum rainfall is in autumn or winter.

The Mediterranean region in the southeast is already in the rainy winters, so here's another plant world already prevails ( Garrigue, summer dry forest ). In the summer droughts and forest fires may occur. Cooling gives there especially in the catchment area of ​​the Rhône Mistral, an occasional strong, cold, dry north- north-westerly wind, which can kindle the fires.

A high mountain climate is naturally found in the higher elevations of the Alps and Pyrenees.

  • Climate diagrams

Paris

Marseilles

Relief

French landscape characterize mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west. The remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in the southwest, the Massif Central and the Alps in the southeast.

Extreme altitude:

Lowest point: Les Moëres ( Dunkerque ) -4 m

Highest point: Mont Blanc 4,810 m

The main rivers of France are:

  • The Loire, which flows only through France
  • The Seine, also a purely French river
  • The Garonne rises in Spain, but after a few kilometers flows through France
  • The Rhone rises in Switzerland, flows across Lake Geneva to France and flows into the Mediterranean at Marseille
  • The Meuse (Maas ) originates in France and changes after prolonged course in the country to Belgium and the Netherlands
  • The Rhine forms the border river in Alsace to Germany
  • The Escaut ( Scheldt )
  • Oyapock, the Mana and Maroni in French Guiana
  • The Mosel

See also: List of rivers in France Category: River in France

Natural Resources

Coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potassium, nickel

Land use

Irrigated land:

16,300 km ² (estimate 1995)

Environmental problems

One of the weightiest problems is water pollution - mostly by urban waste water - but especially where agriculture is intensive ( over-fertilization) (especially Brittany ) or water is scarce (Midi - va southern Massif Central ). The protection of the coasts ( Littoral ) is an important issue. Air pollution from industrial and transport ( Ozone exposure in bright sunlight ) is another problem, (some ) forests are damaged by acid rain, but this problem is not so much come to fruition, such as in Central or Northern Europe. However, the emission consequences of energy production not so much because of the high proportion of nuclear energy in the French electricity production. However, This results in intensified again - especially because France also acts as a European center for the nuclear industry - the usual problems of difficult to be detected effects of low-level radiation and unresolved disposal. Is especially clear this problem in the case of the French plant for processing nuclear fuel at La Hague in Normandy. The environmental debate in France makes repeatedly in symbolic major projects determined - after (in addition to other nuclear power plants ) breeder reactor in Creys - Malville in the seventies, this was in the eighties the ( stopped ) project of a dam on the upper Loire ( Serre de la Fare ) and in the nineties was the construction of a tunnel under the Pyrenees ( tunnel du Somport, Vallée d' Aspe ) and a project to connect the Rhine and the Rhone by a large channel. In the new millennium, the exploration of a final repository for nuclear waste was added in Südlothringen (near Domremy- la -Pucelle, birthplace of Joan of Arc ) in plutonic rock in Bure.

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