Water pollution, air pollution, agricultural runoff, acid rain
Exclusive economic zone
In Europe: 334,604 km2 (129,191 mi2) All overseas territories: 11,691,000 km2 (4,514,000 mi2)
A topographic map of the Republic, excluding all the overseas departments and territoriesSimplified physical map
Thegeography of France consists of a terrain that is mostly flat plains or gentlyrolling hills in the north and the west and mountainous in the south (including theMassif Central and thePyrenees) and the east (the country's highest points being in theAlps).Metropolitan France has a total size of 551,695 km2 (213,011 mi2) (Europe only). It is the third-largest country in Europe by area (afterRussia andUkraine) and the largest inWestern Europe.
Köppen climate classification map of Metropolitan FranceLand use in Metropolitan France, with urban areas shown in red, 2006.Natural resources of France. Metals are in blue (Al —aluminium ore, Fe —iron ore, W —tungsten, Au —gold, U —uranium). Fossil fuels are in red (C —coal, L —lignite, P —petroleum, G —natural gas). Non-metallic minerals are in green (F —fluorite, K —potash, T —talc).
Metropolitan France's territory is relatively large and so it climate is not uniform and gives rise to the following climate nuances:
Thecool semi-arid climate (BSk) is found in the western part of theBouches-du-Rhône area and the Roussillon plain of thePyrénées-Orientales. Summers are hot, winters are cool winters. There is insufficient average annual rainfall in some years.
Thewarm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) is found in the northwestern part ofBrittany and along theGulf of Lion but higher in altitude, in the mountains. Summers are warm (but not hot) and dry, winters are cool and can be cold in the mountains and autumns are rainy.
Thecool-summer dry-summer continental climate (Dsc) is found in all the mountainous regions of Southern France between 1,400 and 2,300-2,400 metres a.s.l. Summers are cool, short and dry, and winters are very cold and snowy.
Thewarm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb) is found in the far east of France or in all the mountain ranges far from the ocean or the sea. Summers are warm to hot and stormy and winters are cold and somewhat dry, and snow is not uncommon. Above 500–600 meters a.s.l in the northeastern quarter of France, the snowpack can persist throughout the winter. In January 1985, inMouthe, the temperature has dropped under −41.2 °C (−42.2 °F).
Thesubalpine climate (Dfc) is found in all the mountainous regions of France between 1,100-1,400 meters a.s.l in the Vosges mountains and 1,400-2,300 metres a.s.l in the southern French Alps or in the Pyrenees. Summers are cool, short and stormy while winters are very cold, long and snowy.
Thealpine tundra climate (ET) is found in all the mountainous regions of France, generally above 2,000 or 2,300-2,400 metres a.s.l depending on the mountain ranges. Summers are chilly, stormy and windy and winters are extremely cold, long and snowy.
Theice cap climate (EF) is found in all the mountainous regions of France that have aglacier, in the highest mountains of the Alps or the Pyrenees. The climate in theMont Blanc massif (up to 4,810 meters a.s.l) is an ice cap climate for example. Summers are cold and wet and winters are extremely cold, long and snowy.
The region that now comprises France consisted of open grassland during thePleistocene Ice Age. France gradually became forested as the glaciers retreated starting in 10,000 BC, but clearing of these primeval forests began inNeolithic times. These forests were still fairly extensive until the medieval era.
In prehistoric times, France was home to large predatory animals such as wolves and brown bears, as well as herbivores such as elk. The larger fauna have disappeared outside the Pyrenees Mountains where bears live as a protected species. Smaller animals includemartens, wild pigs, foxes,weasels, bats, rodents, rabbits, and assorted birds.
By the 15th century, France had largely been denuded of its forests and was forced to rely on Scandinavia and their North American colonies for lumber. Significant remaining forested areas are in the Gascony region and north in the Alsace-Ardennes area. TheArdennes Forest was the scene of extensive fighting in both world wars.
The northcentral part of the region is dominated by theParis Basin, which consists of a layered sequence ofsedimentary rocks. Fertile soils over much of the area make good agricultural land. TheNormandy coast to the northwest is characterized by high, chalk cliffs, while theBrittany coast (the peninsula to the west) is highly indented in places that deep valleys were drowned by the sea, and theBiscay coast to the southwest is marked by flat, sandy beaches.
A recent globalremote sensing analysis suggested that there were 1,433 km2 of tidal flats in France, making it the 23rd ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.[2]
France has several levels of internal divisions. The first-level administrative division of Metropolitan France is regions. Also the French Republic has sovereignty over several other territories, with various administrative levels.
Metropolitan (i.e. European) France is divided into 12régions and 1 territorial collectivity,Corsica. However, Corsica is referred to as a region in common speech. These regions are subdivided into 96départements, which are further divided into 320arrondissements, which are further divided into 1,995cantons, which are further divided into 34,836communes (as of 1/1/2021).[3]
Five overseas regions (régions d'outre-mer, orROM):Guadeloupe,French Guiana,Martinique,Mayotte, andRéunion, with identical status to metropolitan regions. Each of these overseas regions also being an overseas département (département d'outre-mer, orDOM), with the same status as adépartement of metropolitan France. This double structure (région/département) is new, due to the recent extension of the regional scheme to the overseas départements, and may soon transform into a single structure, with the merger of the regional and departmental assemblies. Another proposed change is that newdépartements are created such as in the case ofRéunion, where it has been proposed to create a seconddépartement in the south of the island, with therégion of Réunion above these twodépartements.
One overseas "country" (pays d'outre-mer, orPOM):French Polynesia. In 2003 it became an overseas collectivity (orCOM). Its statutory law of 27 February 2004 gives it the particular designation of overseas country inside the Republic (orPOM), but without legal modification of its status.
One uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico that belongs directly to the central governmentpublic land and is administered by the high-commissioner of the French Republic in French Polynesia:Clipperton.
Exclusive economic zone: 334,604 km2 (129,191.3 mi2) only in Europe. 11,691,000 km2 (4,513,920.3 mi2) including all overseas territories. The 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) does not apply to theMediterranean Sea
Continental shelf: 200 metres (660 ft) depth or to the depth of exploitation
The lands making up the French Republic, shown at the samegeographic scale.
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