The Geography of France

As you can see on the map, France is shaped like a hexagon, which is a six-sided figure. At its widest points, it is approximately 600 miles wide and 600 miles long. It is about the same size as the state of Texas.

Map of France showing features listed below.

Three sides face water:

  • Mediterranean Sea (southeast)
  • Atlantic Ocean (west)
  • English Channel (northwest)

Three sides face land:

  • Spain
  • Italy / Switzerland / part of Germany
  • Germany / Luxembourg / Belgium

There are five major rivers in France:

  • Garonne
  • Loire
  • Rhône
  • Rhine
  • Seine

Map of rivers

France also has five mountain ranges:

  • Alps
  • Jura
  • Massif Central
  • Pyrenees
  • Vosges

Mountain ranges. They are clustered on the Eastern border of Germany, Switzerland, and Italy and the border of Spain.

The Regions of France

This map illustrates that the country of France has been divided into 22 regions.

Map of regions of France

There are also five regions overseas:

  1. French Guiana
  2. Guadeloupe
  3. Martinique
  4. Mayotte
  5. Réunion

Overseas regions. They are clustered near South America and Madagascar.

Each region is made up of various cities, and the five of the major cities in metropolitan France include:

  • Paris, which is the capital city
  • Marseille
  • Lyon
  • Toulouse
  • Nice

Map of French Cities

 

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