French geography - France
General information
- Official name : French Republic
- Region : Europe (northern hemisphere)
- Size : ca. 550,000 sq.Kms
- Population : 60,000,000
- Official language : French
- Capital : Paris
- Political regime : Republic, semi-presidential regime. Member of the European Union
- Head of the country: President : Jacques Chirac. Prime minister : Jean Pierre Raffarin
- National holiday : July 14
- National phrase : Freedom, Equality, Fraternity (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité)
- National currency : Euro (EUR)
- Change : 1 Euro = 6.55957 French Francs
- Average life expectancy : Male 74, Female 83
- Major exports : Manufactured goods (including cars), food, wine
- Climate : predominantly temperate
- Time : GMT + 1 hour (GMT for a short period in October)
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.
Wildlife
- Thanks for choosing GlobalWeb and please consider our commercial hostingThe wide range of climates and terrain in France means that it has a rich variety of plants and wildlife. France has a number of national parks, which have set up programmes to protect fragile species. These have been endangered due to intensive farming, the spread of towns and cities, and increasing levels of pollution. The Pyrénées National Park was created in 1967, and stretches for about 100km along the border with Spain. The park covers an area of 460 square km and contains forested areas, several lakes, rivers and brooks. Protected wildlife includes the brown bear, chamois (a goat-like, mountain animal), lynx, marmot, and endangered birds of prey such as the golden eagle and the bearded vulture.
There is an environmental movement in France which tends to concentrate on local-level campaigns, for example, protecting national parks, preventing new roads being built, and reducing pollution. However they tend not to take a stand on issues of national importance. 70% of France's energy is produced by nuclear power, and yet there is little awareness of the potential hazards of the nuclear industry, and green issues are not of primary concern amongst most French people.
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