France is a country in Western Europe, bordering the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay) and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain. Mainland France's roughly hexagonal shape has lent itself to a popular French nickname: l'hexagone. map of France, converted directly from CIA World Factbook GIF map of france converted directly from the world atlas File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Map of the Bay of Biscay. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... A regular hexagon A hexagon (also known as sexagon) is a polygon with six edges and six vertices. ... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or of a poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ...

Geographic coordinates: 46°00′N, 2°00′E total: 674,843 km squared
note: whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and territories, but excluding the French territory of Terre Adélie in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959

metropolitan France: 551,695 km²
note: metropolitan (i.e. European) France only, French National Geographic Institute data

metropolitan France: 543,965 km²
note: metropolitan (i.e. European) France only, French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km² as well as the estuaries of rivers For the Antarctic Treaty from the Gundam anime, see Antarctic Treaty (Gundam) The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate the international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earths only uninhabited continent. ... Metropolitan France Metropolitan France (French: or la Métropole) is the part of France located in Europe, including Corsica (French: Corse). ... For other meanings, see Estuary (disambiguation) Rio de la Plata estuary An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. ...

Boundaries

Land boundaries:
total: 2,889 km (metropolitan), 1,183 km (French Guiana), 10.2 km (Guadeloupe)
border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km, Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km, Netherlands Antilles 10.2 km

Coastline: 3,427 km (metropolitan), 378 km (French Guiana), 306 km (Guadeloupe), ??? km (other DOMs/TOMs) Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ... A Territoire doutre-mer (TOM, French for Overseas territory) is an administrative divisions of France. ...

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44 km)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km) does not apply to the Mediterranean
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)

Internal Divisions

Main article: Subdivisions of France // Metropolitan France As of January 1, 2004, metropolitan France is divided into: 22 régions (although strictly speaking Corsica is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common speech) the régions are divided into 96 départements the...

Regions and departments of France.

Metropolitan (i.e. European) France is divided into 22 régions (although strictly speaking Corsica is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a region in common speech), which are subdivided into 96 départements, which are further divided into 329 arrondissements, which are further divided into 3,879 cantons, which are further divided into 36,568 communes (as of 1.1.2004). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... France is divided into 26 régions: 21 of these are in the continental part of metropolitan France, one is Corse on the island of Corsica (although strictly speaking Corse is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common... For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ... The départements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... The canton is an administrative division of France. ... Map of the 36,568 communes of metropolitan France. ...

French Guiana

The French Republic is further made up of the following overseas divisions: Image File history File links en : Location map for the w:en:French Guiana. ... Image File history File links en : Location map for the w:en:French Guiana. ...

• 4 overseas regions (régions d'outre-mer, or ROM): Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, and Réunion, which have the same status as metropolitan regions (as much as Hawaii has the same status as a continental US state), each of these overseas regions also being an overseas département (département d'outre-mer, or DOM), with the same status as a département 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, unless new départements are created such as in the case of Réunion, where it has been proposed to create a second département in the south of the island, with the région of Réunion above these two départements.
• 3 overseas collectivities (collectivités d'outre-mer, or COM): Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, and Mayotte (although strictly speaking Mayotte is in fact a "departmental collectivity", not an overseas collectivity, with the possibility to become a full-status French département in 2010, but for the sake of clarity it is most often classified as overseas collectivity)
• 1 sui generis collectivity (collectivité sui generis): New Caledonia, whose status is unique in the French Republic
• 1 overseas "country" (pays d'outre-mer, or POM): French Polynesia
• 1 overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer, or TOM): the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
• 5 islands in the Indian Ocean with no permanent population and known as Îles Éparses ("Scattered Islands"), which are administered by the prefect of the département of Réunion: Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and Tromelin
• 1 uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico which is administered by the high-commissioner of the French Republic in French Polynesia: Clipperton

Région doutre-mer, or Overseas regions, is a recent designation given to the départements doutre-mer which have similar powers to those of the régions of metropolitan France. ... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ... A collectivité doutre-mer (in English Overseas Community) or COM, is an administrative division of France. ... Motto: A Mare Labor(Latin) From the Sea, Work[] Anthem: La Marseillaise Capital (and largest city) Saint-Pierre Official languages French Government  - President of the General Council Stéphane Artano  - Préfet (Prefect) Yves Fauqueur Collectivité doutre-mera of France   - ceded by the UKe 30 May 1814   - Territoire d... Map of New Caledonia New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie; popular names: Kanaky, Le caillou) is a French territory of 18,575 km² (7,172 sq. ... Pays doutre-mer (POM, French for overseas country) is the particular designation the collectivité doutre-mer (COM) of French Polynesia. ... A Territoire doutre-mer (TOM, French for Overseas territory) is an administrative division of France. ... The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (in French ÃŽles éparses de locéan indien) are five islands of the Indian Ocean with no permanent population, Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and Tromelin. ... Location of the Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: • 1 : Bassas da India • 2 : Europa Island • 3 : Glorioso Islands • 4 : Juan de Nova • 5 : Tromelin (KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : Réunion, YT : Mayotte) Europa Island (French: ÃŽle Europa) is a 28 km² low-lying tropical... The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (in French Îles éparses de locéan indien) are five islands of the Indian Ocean with no permanent population, Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and Tromelin. ... Location of the Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: • 1 : Bassas da India • 2 : Europa Island • 3 : Glorioso Islands • 4 : Juan de Nova Island • 5 : Tromelin Island (KM : Comoros, MG : Madagascar, MU : Mauritius, MZ : Mozambique, RE : Réunion, YT : Mayotte) The Glorieuses or Glorioso Islands (French: ÃŽles Glorieuses or officially... The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean (in French Îles éparses de locéan indien) are five islands of the Indian Ocean with no permanent population, Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and Tromelin. ... Motto Liberté, égalité, fraternité Anthem La Marseillaise Capital none Official languages French Government French territory  -  president of France Nicolas Sarkozy French overseas territory Area  -  Total 9 km²   sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 0 (n/a)  -  n/a census n/a   -  Density 0 /km² (n/a) 0 /sq mi Currency euro...

Climate

The Temperate Climate is generally one of cool winters and mild summers, with mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean. There is a lot of regional variation, however, and in the southwest of France, for example, summers are generally hot inland south of the Dordogne river.

Terrain

Mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; Elevation extremes:

• Lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
• Highest point: Mont Blanc 4,808 m

Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/ s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin Rhône glacier Mouth Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône ( Latin Rhodanus, French Rhône, Occitan Rose, German Rotten) is one of the major rivers (ca. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ... ‹ The template below (Unit of length) is being considered for deletion. ... This article is about the Alpine mountain. ...

France's Natural resources

coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, potash, and zinc Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... General Name, symbol, number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... Bauxite with penny Bauxite with core of unweathered rock Bauxite is an aluminium ore. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ...

Land use

arable land: 33%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 27%
other: 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 km² (1995 est.)

Natural hazards

flooding; avalanches; forest fires Flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. ... A Himalayan avalanche near Mount Everest. ...

Environment

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff The term acid rain or more accurately acid precipitation is commonly used to mean the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, dew, or dry particles. ...

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral in the Rhone Valley or the Tramontane in the Languedoc/Rousillon regions west of the Gulf de Lion Mistral is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs mostly in the winter and spring in the Gulf of Lion. ...

Cities and towns include

Cities and major towns or those of historical significance include:

Abbeville, Ajaccio, Albertville, Albi, Amiens, Angers, Angouleme, Aurillac, Avignon, Bastia, Besançon, Bordeaux, Belfort, Brest, Brive, Caen, Cahors, Calais, Cannes, Carcassonne, Chamonix, Charleville-Mezieres, Chatellerault, Chinon, Clermont-Ferrand, Colmar, Deauville, Dieppe, France, Digne-les-Bains, Dijon, Dole, Domremy, Dreux, Dunkerque, Evreux, Grenoble, La Baule, La Rochelle, Le Havre, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Mende, Metz, Mont-de-Marsan, Montauban, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Nimes, Orléans, Paris, Pau, Perigueux, Perpignan, Poitiers, Quimper, Reims, Rennes, Rodez, Roubaix, Rouen, Saint-Gaudens, Saint-Etienne, Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Tropez, Saumur, Sete, Soissons, Strasbourg, Tarbes, Toulon, Toulouse, Tours, Tourcoing, Valence, Vichy
This article refers to the city in France. ... Ajaccio (IPA: , Latin: ; French: ; Corsican: ), is a town of France. ... Albertville is a town and commune in southeast France, in the Savoie département, in the French Alps. ... Albi is a town and commune in southern France. ... Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ... Maison dAdam, House of Adam, the oldest house of Angers. ... Angoulême is a town in southwestern France, préfecture ( capital city) of the Charente département. ... Aurillac is a town and commune in the Auvergne région of France, préfecture (capital) of the Cantal département, at 44° 55′ 44″ N 2° 26′ 38″ E. Population (1999) 30,551. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Département Vaucluse (préfecture) Arrondissement Avignon Canton Chief town of 4 cantons Intercommunality Communauté dagglomération du Grand Avignon Mayor Marie-Josée Roig... Location within France Bastia (French & Corsican: Bastia), is a town and commune of northern Corsica, in France. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Utinam (Latin: If God wills) Citadel Vauban of Besançon Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Franche-Comté Department Doubs (25) Intercommunality Grand Besançon Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Belfort is a town and commune of northeastern France, préfecture (capital) of the Territoire de Belfort département in the Franche-Comté région. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Brive-la-Gaillarde (Limousin dialect of Occitan language: Briva la Galharda) is a commune of France. ... Caen (pronounced /kɑ̃/) is a commune of northwestern France. ... Cahors is a town in Western France in the Lot département. ... This article is about the French city. ... Cannes - receding storm Cannes, as seen from a ferry speeding towards lÃŽle Saint-Honorat Cannes (pronounced ) (Provençal Occitan: Canas in classical norm or Cano in Mistralian norm) is a city and commune in southern France, located on the Riviera, in the Alpes-Maritimes département and the r... Carcassonne (Carcassona in Occitan) is a fortified French town, in the Aude département of which it is the préfecture, in the former province of Languedoc. ... Panorama of Chamonix valley Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a town and commune in eastern France, in the Haute-Savoie département, at the foot of Mont Blanc. ... Charleville-M res is a town in northeastern France, pr fecture (capital) of the Ardennes d partement. ... Ch tellerault is a commune in the Vienne d partement, in the Poitou-Charentes France. ... Illustration of Chinon, circa 1892 For other uses, see Chinon (disambiguation). ... Clermont-Ferrand is a city of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of approximately 140,000. ... Petite Venise Colmar is a town and commune in the Haut-Rhin département of Alsace, France. ... Deauville is a commune of the Calvados département, in the Basse-Normandie région, in France. ... Dieppe is a town and commune in the Seine-Maritime département of Haute-Normandie (eastern Normandy), France. ... Digne-les-Bains or simply Digne is a commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département. ... Dijon ( , IPA: ) is a city in eastern France, the préfecture (administrative capital) of the Côte-dOr département and of the Bourgogne région. ... View of Dole Dole is a commune in the Jura département in France, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Domremy or Domrémy is part of the name of several communes in France: Domremy-la-Canne, in the Meuse département Domrémy-la-Pucelle, in the Vosges département, formerly Domrémy, which was the birthplace of Joan of Arc Domremy-Landéville, in the Haute-Marne d... Dreux is a town and commune in northwest France, in the Eure-et-Loir département. ... Location within France Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque; Dutch: Duinkerke) is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the département of Nord, 10 km from the Belgian border. ... Évreux is a commune of Normandy, France, in the Eure département, of which it is the préfecture (capital). ... Grenoble (Arpitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. ... La Baule-Escoublac, commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique département of France. ... La Rochelle is a city and commune of western France, and a seaport on the Atlantic Ocean (population 78,000 in 2004). ... Le Havre is a city in Normandy, northern France, on the English Channel, at the mouth of the Seine. ... New city flag Traditional coat of arms Motto: – Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Nord-Pas de Calais Department Nord (59) Intercommunality Urban Community of Lille Métropole Mayor Martine Aubry  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land area¹ 39. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: (Franco-Provençal: Forward, forward, Lyon the best) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Rhône-Alpes Department Rhône (69) Subdivisions 9 arrondissements Intercommunality Urban Community of Lyon Mayor Gérard Collomb  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land... City flag Coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, the city of Massilia shines Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Intercommunality Urban Community of Marseille Provence M... Mende is a commune of France, in the Lozère département, of which it is the préfecture (capital). ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Si paix dedans, paix dehors (French: If peace inside, peace outside) Cathedral St. ... Mont-de-Marsan is a commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Landes département. ... Montauban (Montalban in Occitan) is a town and commune of southwestern France, préfecture (capital) of the Tarn-et-Garonne département, 31 miles north of Toulouse. ... Montpellier (Occitan Montpelhièr) is a city in the south of France. ... Traditional city flag City coat of arms Motto: Favet Neptunus eunti (Latin: Shall Neptune favour the traveller) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Pays de la Loire Department Loire-Atlantique (44) Mayor Jean-Marc Ayrault  (PS) (since 1989) City Statistics Land area¹ 65. ... Night view along the Promenade des Anglais This article is about the city. ... Nîmes is a city and commune of southern France, préfecture (capital) of the Gard département. ... Orléans (Latin, meaning golden) is a city and commune in north-central France, about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of Paris. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Aquitaine Region flag Coat of arms The location of Pau is shown on this map of the historical and cultural area of Gascony. ... Périgueux is a commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Dordogne département. ... Perpignan (French: Perpignan, pronounced ; Catalan Perpinyà, pronounced ) is a commune and the préfecture (administrative capital city) of the Pyrénées-Orientales département in southern France. ... Location within France Poitiers (population 85,000) is a small city located in west central France. ... Quimper (Kemper in Breton, Corspotium in Latin) is a commune of Brittany in northwestern France. ... Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; pronounced in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern France, standing 144 km (89 miles) east-northeast of Paris. ... Some medieval houses, such as these at Champ-Jacquet, can still be found in the center of Rennes. ... Rodez is a city in southern France in département of Aveyron. ... Location within France Roubaix is a city of northern France, in the Nord département, located near the cities of Lille and Tourcoing and the Belgian border. ... Rouen (pronounced in French, sometimes also ) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) région. ... Saint-Gaudens is a commune of the Haute-Garonne département in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France Categories: France geography stubs | Communes of Haute-Garonne ... Saint Etienne may mean: Saint-Étienne, a city in south-eastern France, 80 km from Lyon. ... Saint-Nazaire is also a commune of the Gard département of France. ... Saint-Tropez is a commune of the Var département in southern France, located on the French Riviera. ... Saumur is a small city and commune in the Maine-et-Loire département of France on the Loire River, with an approximate population of 30,000 (in 2001). ... Sète is a commune of France, in the Hérault département. ... Soissons is a town and commune in the Aisne département, Picardie, France, located on the Aisne River, about 60 miles northeast of Paris. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... Location within France Tarbes is a French town and commune, in the département of Hautes-Pyrénées, of which it is the préfecture. ... Panorama of Toulon area. ... New city flag (Occitan cross) Traditional coat of arms Motto: (Occitan: For Toulouse, always more) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Midi-Pyrénées Department Haute-Garonne (31) Intercommunality Community of Agglomeration of Greater Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc  (UMP) (since 2004) City Statistics Land... Tours is a city in France, the préfecture (capital city) of the Indre-et-Loire département, on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. ... Tourcoing (Dutch: ) is a city and commune of northern France, in the Nord département, located near the cities of Lille and Roubaix and the Belgian border. ... Valence is a commune in south-eastern France, the capital of the département of Drôme, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, 65 miles south of Lyon on the railway to Marseille. ... Vichy is a spa and resort town in central France, near Clermont-Ferrand and was the capital of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944. ...

Picture from space

Metropolitan France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission

This image of metropolitan France was generated with data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). For this broad view the resolution of the data was reduced, resampled to a Mercator projection and the French border outlined. The variety of landforms comprising the country is readily apparent. Download high resolution version (2172x2074, 3281 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (2172x2074, 3281 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is a research effort that obtained elevation data on a near-global scale to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of Earth to date. ... Mercator world map Nova et Aucta Orbis Terrae Descriptio ad Usum Navigatium Emendate (1569) The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator, in 1569. ...

The upper central part of this scene is dominated by the Paris Basin, which consists of a layered sequence of sedimentary rocks. Fertile soils over much of the area make good agricultural land. The Normandie coast to the upper left is characterized by high, chalk cliffs, while the Brittany coast (the peninsula to the left) is highly indented where deep valleys were drowned by the sea, and the Biscay coast to the southwest is marked by flat, sandy beaches. As a modern administrative région of France, it is known as the ÃŽle de France As the territory at the political centre of the Kingdom of France, it is known as the ÃŽle de France. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Rennes Regional President Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS) (since 2004) Departments Côtes-dArmor Ille-et-Vilaine Morbihan Finistère Arrondissements 15 Cantons 201 Communes 1,268 Statistics Land area1 27,208 km² Population (Ranked 7th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... Map of the Bay of Biscay. ...

To the south, the Pyrenees form a natural border between France and Spain, and the south-central part of the country is dominated by the ancient Massif Central. Subject to volcanism that has only subsided in the last 10,000 years, these central mountains are separated from the Alps by the north-south trending Rhone River Basin. Pic de Bugatetin the Néouvielle Natural Reserve Central Pyrenees For the mountains in Victoria, Australia, see Pyrenees (Victoria). ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Length 800 km Elevation of the source 1753 m Average discharge 1800 m³/ s Area watershed 100,200 km² Origin Rhône glacier Mouth Mediterranean Sea Basin countries Switzerland, France The River Rhône ( Latin Rhodanus, French Rhône, Occitan Rose, German Rotten) is one of the major rivers (ca. ...

Two visualization methods were combined to produce the image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northwest-southeast direction, so that northwest slopes appear bright and southeast slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations.

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is a research effort that obtained elevation data on a near-global scale to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of Earth to date. ... C band (compromise band) is a portion of electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies ranging from 4 to 6 GHz. ... The X band (3-cm radar spot-band) of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum roughly ranges from 5. ... The surface of Venus, as imaged by the Magellan probe using SAR Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar in which sophisticated post-processing of radar data is used to produce a very narrow effective beam. ...

• Location: 42 to 51.5 ° North, 5.5 West to 8 ° East.
• Orientation: North toward the top, Mercator projection.
• Image Data: shaded and colored SRTM elevation model.
• Original Data Resolution: 1 arcsecond (~30 meters).
• Date Acquired: February 2000.
• Image Courtesy SRTM Team NASA/JPL/NIMA

Extreme points

This is a list of the extreme points of France, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location. Note that collectivités territoriales and pays et territoires d'outre-mer are not included in this list. Compass rose with north highlighted and at top Look up North in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A compass rose with South highlighted South is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST, internally called HT-7U) is a project being undertaken to construct an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, in eastern China. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... // Metropolitan France As of January 1, 2004, metropolitan France is divided into: 22 régions (although strictly speaking Corsica is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common speech) the régions are divided into 96 départements the... bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla...

France (metropolitan)

• Northernmost Point — Bray-Dunes, Nord
• Southernmost Point — Îles Lavezzi, off Corsica
• Westernmost Point — Île d'Ouessant, off Brittany
• Easternmost Point — near Cervione, Haute-Corse

France (mainland) Bray-Dunes is a French village in Picardy, the site of many casualties during World War II. Guardsman John Edward Harrison died at Bray-Dunes 01 June 1940. ... Extent of Flemish in the Arrondissement of Dunkirk, 1874 and 1972 Nord (French: North) is a département in the north of France. ... View of the Lavezzi Islands For the footballer, see Ezequiel Lavezzi. ... For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ... The ÃŽle dOuessant (in English Ushant, in Breton Enez Eusa) is an island in the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of European France. ... Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... Cervione is a commune of the Haute-Corse département, in France. ... Haute-Corse is a French département. ...

• Northernmost Point — Bray-Dunes, Nord
• Southernmost Point — Puig de Comanegra, Pyrénées-Orientales
• Westernmost Point — Pointe de St-Mathieu, Finistère
• Easternmost Point — Lauterbourg, Bas Rhin

France (including départements d'outre mer) Bray-Dunes is a French village in Picardy, the site of many casualties during World War II. Guardsman John Edward Harrison died at Bray-Dunes 01 June 1940. ... Extent of Flemish in the Arrondissement of Dunkirk, 1874 and 1972 Nord (French: North) is a département in the north of France. ... Pyrénées-Orientales (English: , Catalan: , Occitan: ) is a department of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ... Finistère (Penn-ar-Bed in Breton) is a département of France, located in Brittany (Bretagne in French). ... Lauterbourg is a French commune in the département of Bas-Rhin and the région of Alsace. ... -1... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ...

• Northernmost Point — Bray-Dunes, Nord
• Southernmost Point — Saint-Joseph, Réunion
• Westernmost Point — La Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe
• Easternmost Point — Sainte-Rose, Réunion

Bray-Dunes is a French village in Picardy, the site of many casualties during World War II. Guardsman John Edward Harrison died at Bray-Dunes 01 June 1940. ... Extent of Flemish in the Arrondissement of Dunkirk, 1874 and 1972 Nord (French: North) is a département in the north of France. ... Location of Saint-Joseph in the Réunion Island Saint-Joseph is a commune in the French overseas département of Réunion. ... Sainte-Rose is a commune on the east coast of the French island and department of Réunion. ...

See also

• France
• List of national parks of France
• Institut géographique national
• Géoportail
• Regions of France
• List of fifteen largest French metropolitan areas by population
• List of islands of France
• Rivers of France
• List of lakes in France
• Geography of Europe

National parks in France are maintained by Parcs Nationaux de France. ... The Institut géographique national (English: National geographic institute) or IGN is a French public state administrative establishment, whose task is to produce and maintain geographical information for France and its overseas departments and territories. ... Le Géoportail is a Web portal allowing access to public georeferenced data, on the whole French territory, in a cartographic interface. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In France an aire urbaine (literally: urban area) is roughly the equivalent of a US Metropolitan Statistical Area. ... This is a list of islands of metropolitan France. ... This is an alphabetical list of rivers, which are at least partially located in France. ... The following list of Lakes in France roughly distinguishes 3 categories: the mountain lakes, sorted by massif - and further sorted by départements, the lakes in plains, sorted by river basin, and the coastal lakes. ... Europe is traditionally reckoned as one of seven continents. ...

External links

• (French) GéoPortail - Geography portal of France, high altitude imagery, maps ...