FRENCH GEOGRAPHY - FRANCE
Learn french in France - French language school - Course on the riviera

Physical geography

• France is the biggest country in Western Europe. It borders six other countries - from the north-east to the south-east, it borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy
• The south of France borders with Spain. France has over 3200km of coastline, with rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. In the north, the Channel Tunnel runs under the English Channel, connecting France with the UK. To the west is the Bay of Biscay, and the south coast of France is on the Mediterranean Sea. Major rivers include the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne, and the Rhône.

 

Mountains

The highest mountain ranges in France are the Alps which run along two-thirds of the eastern border down to the Mediterranean, and the Pyrénées in the south, on the border with Spain. The highest peak in France is Mont Blanc in the Alps, on the Italian border. It is 4807 metres high

Weather

• Because France is so big the weather varies enormously from one part of the country to another. In Brittany, on the north-west coast, it is often quite mild, with moist winds from the Atlantic Ocean bringing plenty of rain. The north-east has hot summers and cold winters. In the mountainous regions there is lots of snow in the winter, and this can stay on the tops of the mountains all year long. The south has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and hot summers. In the spring a very strong, cold wind known as Le Mistral blows down the Rhône valley. It can make life quite unpleasant, and it is sometimes said that people living in the region are bad-tempered at this time of year. Le Mistral is so strong that people have to put stones on their roofs to stop the tiles blowing off. Mischievous villagers sometimes tell foreign tourists that the wind was so strong it blew the stones on to the roof!
  

 

 

Industry

• France has many industries, including the production of iron and steel, machinery, aircraft, and chemicals. French people take a pride in the country’s innovative achievements in technology. France is the world's fourth-biggest car manufacturer, behind Japan, the USA, and Germany. It is also famous for its wine, perfume and fashion industries. Tourism is extremely important to the French economy: every year thousands of visitors flock to Paris and other cities, to the coastal resorts, and in the winter to the many ski resorts.

Vegetation

• Between one quarter and one fifth of France is forested, though much of this has been recently planted for commercial timber production. Most of the natural vegetation in France – deciduous woodlands in the north, and drier scrubland and pines in the south – has been cleared to make space for farming.
  

 

Farming

• Farming in France varies from place to place. Livestock farming is very important in the north-west, where the climate is cooler and wetter, and grass grows well. In the lowland areas of France, such as the Paris basin, crops such as maize, barley and wheat are grown in huge fields. Further south the warmer climate is suitable for growing fruit such as peaches, melons and cherries. Sunflowers are grown for their oil, which is also used to make margarine. In the south it is also common to see fields of purple lavender, which is used for making perfume. All over France grapes are grown on vineyards to make wine.