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France Cites with Hotels
 France (French République Française), republic in western Europe, bounded on the north by the English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and the North Sea (which separate it from Great Britain); on the northeast by Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany; on the east by Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; on the southeast by Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by Spain and Andorra; and on the west by the Bay of Biscay (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean).
France is approximately hexagonal in shape, with an extreme length from north to south of about 965 km (about 600 mi) and a maximum width of about 935 km (about 580 mi). The republic of France includes ten overseas possessions. These include the overseas departments of French Guiana, in South America; Martinique and Guadeloupe, in the West Indies; and Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. Territorial collectivities and dependencies include Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. The total area of metropolitan France, which also includes the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, is 543,965 sq km (210,026 sq mi). The capital and largest city is Paris.
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France
Land and Resources
The chief physiographic features of France are its natural eastern and southern boundaries, a south central plateau, and, contiguous to the plateau, a vast region of rolling plains. A series of massive mountain ranges, including a number of ranges of the Alps and the Jura, form natural boundaries at the Franco-Italian and most of the Franco-Swiss borders. With flanking chains and foothills, these ranges dominate the area east of the south central plateau. Many of the Alpine mountains extending across and along the French border are more than 4000 m (more than 13,000 ft) above sea level; Mont Blanc (4807 m/15,771 ft) is the second highest peak on the continent. The Jura, which reach an elevation, on the Franco-Swiss boundary, of about 1700 m (about 5600 ft), delineate the eastern frontier of France from the eastern extension of the Rhône River Valley to the Belfort Gap, the broad depression linking the basins of the Rhine and the Saône rivers. From the edge of the Belfort Gap to the northeastern corner of France, the Franco-German border is formed by the Rhine River. The Vosges Mountains, extending north from the Belfort Gap, dominate the region between the Moselle and the Rhine rivers. The highest elevation in the Vosges Mountains is 1424 m (4671 ft). The Pyrenees, which extend along the Franco-Spanish frontier from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay, form the other mountain boundary of France. Pic de Vignemale (3298 m/10,820 ft) is the highest French peak in the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees are traversed by few passes, a circumstance that has traditionally hampered commerce between France and Spain. The Alpine and other ranges in the east are, however, broken by gaps and passes, notably the passes of Saint Bernard.
The south central plateau, known as the Massif Central, is separated from the eastern highland region by the valley of the Rhône River. This elevated region has an irregular relief and conformation. The plateau, rising gradually from the plains region on the north and west, is characterized by volcanic outcroppings; by deeply eroded limestone tablelands to the south of the region of extinct volcanoes; and, farther to the south, by the Cévennes, a series of highlands rising from the Mediterranean coastal depressions.
The plains region, by far the most extensive section of the terrain of France, is a projection of the Great Plain of Europe. Except for a few hilly outcroppings, chiefly in the west central portion, the French plains consist of gently undulating lowlands, with an elevation of about 200 m (about 650 ft) above sea level. The outstanding features of the plains region, the most fertile in France, are the valleys of the Seine, Loire, and Garonne rivers. Together with numerous tributaries, these rivers drain the Atlantic watershed of France. The Rhône River is the largest in the country in terms of volume of discharge. With its tributaries, particularly the Saône, Isère, and Durance rivers, it drains the French Alpine region. Among the principal tributaries of the Seine River, which is the main artery of the national inland waterway system, are the Aube, Marne, Oise, and Yonne rivers. Nearly all of the French streams, totaling more than 200, are commercially navigable for varying distances. France has only a few lakes. Lake Geneva (also known as Lake Leman), situated astride the Franco-Swiss frontier, lies mainly in Switzerland.
The coastline of mainland France, about 2783 km (about 1730 mi) long, has relatively few natural harbors. The northern coast, along the English Channel and the North Sea, is broken by a number of promontories, river estuaries, and minor indentations, few of which provide safe anchorages. The harbor at Le Havre is the one outstanding exception. As at Cherbourg, a number of harbors have been formed in this region by the construction of breakwaters. From the Brittany peninsula to the Gironde, the Atlantic coastline of France is irregular in outline, and, except in Brittany, is low and sandy. The principal harbors on this part of the coast are those of Brest, Lorient, and Saint-Nazaire. Bordeaux is inland on the Gironde. Southward of the Gironde, the coastline consists of an almost continuous stretch of dunes, bordered by arid moors. The best natural harbors of France, including the harbors of Marseille, Toulon, and Nice, are on the Mediterranean. A major part of the French Mediterranean coast is bounded, however, by rocks or shallow water.
Climate
The climate of France is generally temperate, but wide regional contrasts occur, as in the Mediterranean coastal area, where semitropical conditions prevail, and in the plateau and eastern highlands regions, where the climate is generally continental. Temperatures along the Atlantic seaboard are equalized by ocean currents and the prevailing southwestern winds. In the interior, particularly the northeastern region, severe winters and hot summers are normal. The average daily temperature range in Paris is 1° to 6° C (34° to 43° F) in January and 15° to 25° C (58° to 76° F) in July. At Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast, the daily average is 2° to 10° C (35° to 50° F) in January and 17° to 29° C (63° to 84° F) in July. Average precipitation is 620 mm (24 in) per year in Paris, and 550 mm (22 in) annually in Marseille. Weather throughout much of France can be changeable at all times of year. Regional variations in precipitation range between about 1400 mm (about 55 in) annually in the mountainous areas and about 250 mm (about 10 in) annually in certain northern lowland areas. One of the meteorological peculiarities of southern France is the mistral, a strong northern wind of the Mediterranean region, originating in the central plateau region.
"France," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
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