Calanque d'En-Vau topographic map

Paris in its early history had only the rivers Seine and Bièvre for water. From 1809, the Canal de l'Ourcq provided Paris with water from less-polluted rivers to the north-east of the capital. From 1857, the civil engineer Eugène Belgrand, under Napoleon III, oversaw the construction of a series of new…

Average elevation: 62 m

Annecy has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) in spite of its relatively far inland position. Influenced by its elevation, summers are rather moderate on average, although they can be highly variable with extreme heat spikes. Winters see occasional freezing temperatures, but most often stays in the single-digits…

Average elevation: 554 m

Due to its elevation, Chamonix has a humid continental climate (Dfb, according to the Köppen climate classification), with an average annual precipitation of 1,280 mm (50 in). Summers are mild and winters are cold and snowy.

Average elevation: 2,215 m

Average elevation: 98 m

Average elevation: 390 m

The first half of the 14th century was a prosperous period, despite the dismemberment in 1317 of the very large bishopric of Toulouse (which lost two thirds of its area and a large part of its income, a loss only partially compensated by its elevation to the rank of archbishopric), and the episode of the…

Average elevation: 155 m

Average elevation: 726 m

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Average elevation: 665 m

Morne de Vitet, 286 metres (938 feet) in height, is the highest peak on the island. Hills and valleys of varying topography cover the rest of the island. Notable are Morne Rouge, Morne Criquet, Morne de Grand Fond, Morne de Dépoudré and Morne Lurin. The largest bodies of water on the island are Étang de…

Average elevation: 4 m

Average elevation: 107 m

Under the Köppen climate classification scheme, coastal regions are characterized by a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). Further inland, a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) is more common. At the highest elevation locations, small areas with a subarctic climate (Dsc, Dfc) and the rare cold-summer…

Average elevation: 139 m

Average elevation: 5 m

The Armorican massif reaches its maximal elevation outside of Brittany, in neighbouring Mayenne, at 417 m, and slopes towards the west before straightening on its western extremity, with the Montagnes Noires and the Monts d'Arrée. The highest hill in Brittany is the Roc'h Ruz in the Monts d'Arrée, at 385 m…

Average elevation: 50 m

Les Houches, located 6 kilometres from Chamonix, is a ski resort with a domain which extends from an altitude of 950 metres up to 1900 metres. Long descents through tree-lined slopes are combined with impressive views of the Mont Blanc massif and the Chamonix valley.

Average elevation: 1,728 m

Average elevation: 277 m

Average elevation: 3,051 m

The bay of Tuuraapuo was the main crater of the volcano, whose collapsed southwestern edge only subsists still in the islets Toopua and Toopua-iti, which culminate respectively at 148 m (486 ft) and 17 m (56 ft), altitude. The volcanic rocks are of basaltic type, consisting mostly of alkaline basalts, some…

Average elevation: 11 m

Average elevation: 255 m

Average elevation: 256 m

Average elevation: 256 m

Average elevation: 395 m

Average elevation: 815 m

Paris in its early history had only the rivers Seine and Bièvre for water. From 1809, the Canal de l'Ourcq provided Paris with water from less-polluted rivers to the north-east of the capital. From 1857, the civil engineer Eugène Belgrand, under Napoleon III, oversaw the construction of a series of new…

Average elevation: 62 m

Paris is situated on a relatively flat terrain, with its average elevation around 150 feet (45 meters) above sea level. The city lies within the Paris Basin, a low-lying area that was shaped over millennia by the meandering River Seine, which cuts through the city. Though generally flat, Paris is home to…

Average elevation: 59 m

Average elevation: 78 m

Average elevation: 1,951 m

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Average elevation: 30 m

Except for a few dozen houses on the slopes of the Bastille hill of Chartreuse, Grenoble is exclusively built on the alluvial plain of the rivers Isère and Drac at an altitude of 214 metres (702 ft). As a result, the city itself is extremely flat. Mountain sports are an important tourist attraction in summer…

Average elevation: 246 m

Average elevation: 98 m

Average elevation: 164 m

Average elevation: 160 m

The highest point is Mont Ross in the Gallieni Massif, which rises along the southern coast of the island and has an elevation of 1,850 metres (6,070 ft). The Cook Ice Cap (French: Calotte Glaciaire Cook), France's largest glacier with an area of about 403 km2 (156 sq mi), lies on the west-central part of the…

Average elevation: 45 m

Average elevation: 135 m

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Average elevation: 705 m

Average elevation: 582 m

Montpellier's highest point is the Place du Peyrou, at an altitude of 57 m (187 ft). The city is built on two hills, Montpellier and Montpelliéret, thus some of its streets have great differences of altitude. Some of its streets are also very narrow and old, which gives it a more intimate feel.

Average elevation: 41 m

Average elevation: 41 m

Average elevation: 2,161 m

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Average elevation: 1,669 m

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Average elevation: 43 m

The Massif Central is an old massif, formed during the Variscan orogeny, consisting mostly of granitic and metamorphic rocks. It was powerfully raised and made to look geologically younger in the eastern section by the uplift of the Alps during the Paleogene period and in the southern section by the uplift of…

Average elevation: 371 m

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Average elevation: 256 m

Covering 5,229 square kilometres (2,019 square miles), the department was the smallest among the four contributors to Champagne-Ardenne. It is diverse in climate, topography, natural vegetation and land use, which is a mixture of forest and arable farming.

Average elevation: 225 m

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Average elevation: 190 m

The climate is temperate at the weather station due to its low altitude, but Saint-Étienne itself is much higher, above 530 m (1,739 ft) in the centre, as well as even above 700 m (2,297 ft) in the southern parts of the city. Saint-Étienne is very close to a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen:…

Average elevation: 669 m

Average elevation: 305 m

Average elevation: 152 m

Average elevation: 82 m

The main railway station for Saint-Gervais is the Gare de Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet. The Mont Blanc Tramway departs from the forecourt of Le Fayet station and reaches the Nid d'Aigle station at the Bionnassay glacier at an altitude of 2,372 m (7,782 ft). The Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway, a metre…

Average elevation: 1,589 m

Average elevation: 98 m

The highest point of the department is the Mont Mézenc (1753 m) and its average elevation is 719 m. The two-thirds of the area is over 800 m and the lowest point is 393 m.

Average elevation: 895 m

The climate of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is a Mediterranean climate degrading by altitude and latitude. In fact, while in the lower valleys and flat lands of Haute-Provence an inland Mediterranean climate prevails, by contrast in the hills it is more mixed with the valley of the Ubaye…

Average elevation: 1,141 m

Average elevation: 100 m

Average elevation: 0 m

The main two islands are Basse-Terre (west) and Grande-Terre (east), which form a butterfly shape as viewed from above, the two 'wings' of which are separated by the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, Rivière Salée and Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin. More than half of Guadeloupe's land surface consists of the 847.8 km2…

Average elevation: 37 m

The River Seine flows through the middle of the region, which is crisscrossed by its tributaries and sub-tributaries, including the Rivers Marne, Oise and Epte. The River Eure does not cross the region but receives water from several rivers in the Île-de-France, including the Drouette and the Vesgre. The…

Average elevation: 124 m

Average elevation: 63 m

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