The main natural zones of France and their features

One of the most amazing countries in Europe is France. It is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to this the climate there is extremely pleasant and ideal for tourism. Now we will examine in more detail the natural zones of France, the climatic features of the country and the weather conditions in various regions during different seasons.

A Brief Geographical Overview

On the territory of France, snow-capped alpine peaks, and azure Mediterranean coasts, and broad-leaved forests and huge steppes dotted with wheat and other cultivated plants are glittering. Geographical data of this country are very diverse, each is different in its own way. The natural zones of France can not be described in two words, each of the latitudes requires its own story. In general, we can say that the country lies in the zone of the continental climate, and only in the south it passes into the subtropical, softer and warmer. Another characteristic climatic feature of the country is that wind is a rare phenomenon here. France is reliably protected by rocks and mountains from continental and oceanic cyclones, therefore from the seismic point of view it is always safe here.

Steppe France

What natural zone in this country is the most significant and occupies most of the territory? Let's try to understand. Since the country lies mainly in the flat terrain, and the climate here is continental, close to the southern, then according to the logic of things, the greatest percentage is given to the steppes. More than half of the territory of the state is the field. Some of them are sown with cultivated plants, including wheat, corn, sunflowers, flax and many others. In remote provinces, you can meet wild steppe areas, as well as small areas of the forest-steppe. Let's also note that this natural zone is more characteristic for the north of the country - it is there for hundreds of miles stretching picturesque lavender fields, lawns, which in the summer are an inspiration for many photographers and artists.

Northern and southern forests

Forest natural zones in France can be divided into two categories. The first will include broad-leaved nature reserves, which are located in the center and in the east of the country. In the second we will refer forests with tropical thickets, which are typical for the Mediterranean coast and for the southwestern part of France, which is washed by the Bay of Biscay. In total, forests occupy about 27% of the state territory. This natural area is recognized as a reserve and protected by UNESCO. By the way, among the green thickets tourists find stunning monuments of architecture - palaces, temples, fortresses, which were built in different centuries. So a walk through a similar area will be very interesting and exciting.

Zone of altitude zonality

Describing the natural zones of France, it is impossible to overlook the mountain ranges, which, although located in the continental climate, but still differ in their special weather conditions. Altitudinal zonality in this country can be traced in two places - in the Alps and in the Pyrenees. The former are in the east of the state, the latter slightly affect the southern border. So, at an altitude of 800 meters here there are oak and chestnut forests. A little above the mountains are covered with coniferous thickets, beech and fern. Heights of 1800-2300 meters above sea level are characterized by subalpine vegetation. These are stunted firs and pines, bushes and tall grass lawns. The higher we climb, the less plants we meet. At impressive altitudes, only low-grass meadows and rocky cliffs can be traced.

Mediterranean coast

We examined what natural zones in France can be found on most of the territory. Now let's pay attention to small land plots, which, however, are no less attractive for their natural features than those described above. So, the subtropical Mediterranean climate is typical for two administrative regions - Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence. It is here that the famous Cote d'Azur is located, as well as many other resorts that are considered national reserves of the country. The region is different in that it is extremely rare for gloomy, cloudy weather, wind and fog. Almost the whole year the sun shines, the air temperature does not fall below the mark of +5 ... + 7 ^о С even in the winter months. In summer it is hot and humid, because most tourists prefer to spend their holidays here.

Conclusion

We briefly examined what are the natural zones of France, what they are characteristic of and in what percentage relationship they coexist. Some experts identify additional climatic and seismic zones, among which one can distinguish oceanic, forest-steppe, as well as many so-called "rolling" zones, occurring at the junction of all the above.