France Tourist Attractions

General Information

The French Republic is a country located in the western part of Europe on the Bay of Biscay, La Manche Channel and on the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain. It is one of the biggest countries of the old continent with 55 million inhabitants, mainly Frenchmen, Slovak, Arab, Basque and Bretonian minorities. The inhabitants of France are in 90% Catholic.

The area of France is characterized by a diversity of landscapes. It is a country that lies in the south and in the north of Europe at the same time. North-western part of the country is dominated by lowlands and the south-western part by mountains. The Armorican Massif is located in the north-western France. It is an orogenic belt with a flat surface and with a maximal height of 417 meters. The Central Massif spreads in the central and southern part of the country. It is a highland and mountain area with the average height of 700–800 meters. Deep river valleys and falls cut the massif into different plateaus. A typical volcanic landscape with numerous and partially destroyed volcanic cones is characteristic here. Two high mountain ranges – the Alps and the Pyrenees are a winter attraction of France. The highest peak of France – the Mont Blanc, is the highest point in the whole Europe. The peaks of the Pyrenees are also high; they lie rarely below 3,000 meters. In the north-western part of France there are the Jura Mountains with interesting caves, craters and walls. Lowlands in France are mainly in the form of basins and synclines. The biggest of them is the Paris Basin which s located in the north of the country. It is a plain which is slightly stooping to the north. In the south-west, the Pars Basin is connected with the Aquitaine Basin. From the south and east it is confined by the Pyrenees and the central Massif. The western part of the basin consists of a flat, coastal lowland with sandy dunes. It is also the biggest forest area in France. In the eastern part there is a calcaleraus plateau with karst caves. River network in France is well-developed. The longest and the biggest river in France is the Loire, and next the Seine, the Rhone (water abundant, supplied by glaciers) and the Garonne. The rivers are characterized by a seasonally changeable level of waters. Apart from the natural river network, there are also numerous artificial channels with dams, barriers and reservoirs. Certainly, one of the most important attractions of France, which attracts hordes of tourists annually, is a 5,000-kilometer long coast which spreads from the wild and stony Breton in the north to sandy beaches of Mediterranean coast in the south.

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