TheMassif Central (French pronunciation:[masifsɑ̃tʁal])[4] is ahighland region in south-central France consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject tovolcanism that has subsided in the last 10,000 years, these central mountains are separated from theAlps by a deep north–south cleft created by theRhône river and known in French as thesillon rhodanien (literally "Rhône furrow"). The region was a barrier to transport within France until the opening of theA75 motorway, which not only made north–south travel easier but also opened access to the massif itself.
TheMassif Central is an oldmassif, formed during theVariscan orogeny, consisting mostly ofgranitic andmetamorphic rocks. It was powerfully raised and made to look geologically younger in the eastern section by the uplift of theAlps during thePaleogene period and in the southern section by the uplift of thePyrenees. The massif thus presents a strongly asymmetrical elevation profile with highlands in the south and in the east (Cévennes) dominating the valley of the Rhône and the plains ofLanguedoc and, by contrast, the less elevated region ofLimousin in the northwest.
These tectonic movements created faults and may be at the origin of the volcanism in the massif (but the hypothesis is not yet proven). In fact, above the crystalline foundation, one can observe many volcanoes of many different types and ages: volcanic plateaus (Aubrac,Cézallier), stratovolcanoes (Mounts of Cantal,Monts Dore), and small, very recent monogenic volcanoes (Chaîne des Puys,Vivarais). The entire region contains a large concentration of around 450 extinct volcanoes. TheChaîne des Puys (nearClermont-Ferrand), a range running north to south and less than 160 km2 (60 sq mi) long, contains 115 of them (monogenic volcanoes only).[citation needed] TheAuvergne Volcanoes regional natural park is in the massif. The amusement park ofVulcania near Clermont-Ferrand allows visitors to discover this natural heritage and introduces them to volcanology.
In the south, one remarkable region is made up of features calledCausses in French and consists of raisedlimestone plateaus cut by very deep canyons. The most famous of them is theGorges du Tarn (Tarn Canyon).
In the Massif Central, the industry remains little developed except locally (metallurgy in Saint-Étienne; tyres inClermont-Ferrand, headquarters ofMichelin, world leader in the sector; aeronautics industry inFigeac, etc.). The other industries present are linked to agriculture (Groupe Limagrain, the world's third-largest seed producer and cheese-producing industries that export to the world such asCantal andRoquefort).
On the agricultural level, theLimagne plain is dominated by major cereal crops, but in the mountains, it is mainly livestock farming that predominates: cattle farming in the west for meat and milk (Cantal cheese), sheep farming in the south on the limestone plateaus (Roquefort cheese).
Finally, tourism is booming, taking advantage of theUNESCO heritage classification of the volcanoes of theChaîne des Puys and theCausses and Cévennes region.
The entire economy of theMassif Central has benefited from the opening of roads, particularly the construction of theA75 motorway on which is located the famousMillau Viaduct.
