...tural boundaries at the Franco-Italian and most of the Franco-Siss borders. ith 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 3,962 m 13,000 ft above sea level Mont Blanc 4,807 m15,771 ft is the second highest peak on the continent. The Jura, hich have a maximum elevation, on the Franco-Siss boundary, of about 1,710 m 5,600 ft, delineate the eastern frontier of France from the eastern extension of the Rhne Valley to the Belfort Gap, the broad depression linking the basins of the Rhine and the Sane rivers. From the edge of the Belfort Gap to the north-eastern corner of France, the Franco-German border is formed by the River Rhine. The Vosges mountains, extending north from the Belfort Gap, dominate the region beteen the Moselle and the Rhine. The highest elevations in the Vosges Mountains reach about 1,435 m 4,700 ft. The Pyrenees, hich 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 3,298 m10,820 ft is the highest French peak in the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees are traversed by fe passes, a circumstance that has traditionally hampered commerce beteen France and Spain. The Alpine and other ranges in the east are, hoever, broken by gaps and passes, notably the passes of St Bernard.The south-central plateau, knon as the Massif Central, is separated from the eastern highland region by the valley of the River Rhne. This elevated region has an irregular relief and conformation. The plateau, rising gradually from the plains region on the north and est, 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 Cvennes, 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 fe hilly outcroppings, chiefly in the est-central portion, the French plains consist of gently undulating lolands, ith an elevation of about 200 m 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 ith numerous tributaries, these rivers drain the Atlantic atershed of France. The River Rhne is the largest in the country in terms of volume of discharge. ith its tributaries, particularly the Sane, Isre, and Durance, it drains the French Alpine region. Among the principal tributaries of the River Seine, hich is the main artery of the national inland ateray system, are the Aube, Marne, Oise, and Yonne. France has only a fe lakes. Lake Geneva, situated on the Franco-Siss frontier, lies mainly in Sitzerland.The coastline of France, about 3,140 km 1,950 mi long, has relatively fe natural harbours. The northern coast, along the English Channel and the North Sea, is about 1,130 km 700 mi long and is broken by a number of promontories, river estuaries, and minor indentations, fe of hich provide safe anchorages. Le Havre is the outstanding exception. As at Cherbourg, a number of harbours have been formed in this region by the construction of breakaters. The estern coastline of France along the Atlantic, including the Bay of Biscay, is about 1,390 km 865 mi long. From the Brittany peninsula to the Gironde, the Atlantic coastline of France is irregular in outline, and, except in Brittany, is lo and sandy. The principal harbours on this part of the coast are those of Brest, Lorient, and Saint-Nazaire. Bordeaux is inland on the Gironde. South of the Gironde, the coastline consists of an almost continuous stretch of dunes, bordered by arid moors. The best natural harbours of France, including those of Marseille, Toulon, and Nice, are on the Mediterranean. A major part of the French Mediterranean coast, hich is about 620 km 385 mi long, is bounded, hoever, by rocks or shallo ater. BibliografyMicrosoft Encarta 98 CDFrance- PAGE 2 -ktuJ3478iACDHI0JmHnHu0Jaj0JUmHsH5CJmHsH5CJCJCJhO
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