9781422277980

The Geography of France Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, between Belgium and Spain; bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Spain. Area: slightly smaller than twice the size of Colorado total: 211,210 square miles (547,030 sq. km) land: 210,669 square miles (545,630 sq. km) water: 541 square miles (1,400 sq. km) Borders: Andorra 35 miles (57 km), Belgium 385 miles (620 km), Germany 280 miles (451 km), Italy 303 miles (488 km), Luxembourg 45 miles (73 km), Monaco 3 miles (4 km), Spain 387 miles (623 km), Switzerland 356 miles (573 km) Climate: cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north to northwesterly wind known as mistral Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the north and west; mountainous elsewhere, Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -7 feet (-2 meters) highest point: Mont Blanc 15,771 feet (4,807 meters)

Natural hazards: flooding, avalanches, midwinter windstorms, drought, forest fires in the south Source: www.cia.gov 2017