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Regional notes :
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- The Massif-Central
is the only mountainous region of mainland France that lies wholly within
the country. It covers one-sixth of the surface area of France.
On the northern side it is bounded by the Paris Basin, on the eastern and
southern sides by the Rhône Valley and delta, and by the Aquitaine Basin in
the west. It is roughly circular in shape, with an area of around
93000 square km and an average height of 715m. It is the most
geologically diverse area of France and also has the most varied climate.
- The massif is made
up of four main areas:
- •
The Limousin region lies on the north-western side. This is soft,
undulating country of green pasture, ranging in altitude between 300m and
1000m.
- •
The Auvergne is the central area containing the majority of the highest
summits in the massif. The fertile soil and high rainfall makes the area a
region of lush pasture and forest.
- •
The Aveyron area lies to the south-west. The waters of the Lot,
Aveyron and Tarn flow westwards through this region from the Aubrac
mountains. It is an area of deep gorges and valleys with dry plateaux
above.
- •
The Lozère is the region in the east, and consists of a vast, dry, isolated
upland.
- The massif was
raised in the same period as the Pyrenees and Alps. This gave the massif an
east-west incline, with the highest areas lying to the east nearer the Rhone
Valley. Volcanic activity continued beyond the Tertiary Period until as
recently as 8000 years ago. Glaciation further shaped the area into a
landscape of ridges and deep valleys.
- The highest and most
prominent summit in the massif is Puy de Sancy in the Auvergne, which has an
altitude of 1885m.
Massif Central region
