geography of france

Geography of France

GEOGRAPHY

France is a country located primarily in Western Europe, but containing territory in South America, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean, as well as numerous territories of various status. In Europe Fance borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. To the west is the Bay of Biscay, to the north is the English Channel.

FRANCE

Area

Total area: 674,843 km ² (Whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and territories, but excluding the disputed French territory of Terre Adélie in Antarctica)

Area

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

Map

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

Terrain

Land use Arable land: 33.46% Permanent crops: 2.03% Other: 64.51% (2005) Irrigated land: 26,700 km² (2003) Total renewable water resources:'

189 km3 (2003)

Natural resources

Coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, flourspar, gypsum, timber, fish.

Natural hazards

Flooding, avalanches, midwinter windstorms, drought, forest fires in the south near the Mediterranean, earthquakes

Mainland European France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission

Boundaries

Land boundaries: Total: 4082.2 km 2889 km (metropolitan), 1183 km

(French Guiana) 10.2 km (Saint Martin)

Border countries:

Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxemburg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km (metropolitan)

Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km, 1183 km (French Guiana)

Sint Maarten 10.2 km; (Saint Martin)

Project by

Lezu Mihai – Constanta, Romania