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Geography and Environment of France
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of France.
Overview
The landscape is varied; about two‑thirds flat plains or gently rolling hills, and the rest mountainous. A broad plain covers most of northern and western France from the Belgian border in the northeast to Bayonne in the southwest, and it rises to uplands in Normandy, Brittany, and the east. This large plain is bounded on the south by the steeply rising ridges of the Pyrénées, on the southeast by the mountainous plateau of the Massif Central, and on the east by the rugged Alps, the low ridges of the Jura, and the rounded summits of the densely forested Vosges. The principal rivers are the Rhône in the south, the Loire and the Garonne in the west, the Seine in the north, and the Rhine, which forms part of France’s eastern border with Germany.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
- Climate
- The west and north of France experience cool winters and mild summers, while southern France and Corsica have a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is frequent all year. The average yearly rainfall in Paris for the last 30 years is 26 inches.
- Weather Patterns
- http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/FRXX0076?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
- Highest Point
- 4807 — Mont Blanc 4,807 m
- Lowest Point
- -2 — Rhone River delta -2 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
- Border 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
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish
- Natural Hazards
- flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Environment and Land Use
- Current Environmental Issues
- some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
- International Agreements
- Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements