Geography of France

Bay of the Seine

This is a bay on the north coast of France that feeds into the English Channel. The Seine River has its mouth in this bay that is bounded on the west by the Cotentin Peninsula and was the site of many Allied landings during World War II.

English Channel

This is a channel that connects the North Sea with the Celtic Sea. It separates France from the island of Great Britain, and the Gulf of Saint-Malo and the Bay of the Seine flow into it. The Strait of Dover is this channel's narrowest point. The Cotentin Peninsula juts into this channel.

Gulf of Saint-Malo

This is a gulf on the northern coast of France that feeds into the English Channel. It extends from Brittany to the Cotentin Peninsula, and contains the British islands of Guernsey and Jersey, also known as the Channel Islands.

Lake Geneva

This is a lake in eastern France that is located on the border with Switzerland. The Rhone River flows through it, and is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. This lake that is also known as Lac Léman is also a very popular tourist destination.

Bay of Biscay

This is a large bay that makes up the entire west coast of France. It feeds into the he Atlantic Ocean, and is known for having some of the roughest weather in the Atlantic.

Gulf of Lion

This is a large gulf that makes up most of the southern coast of France. It feeds into the Mediterranean Sea, and has the large city of Marseille on its coast. This gulf gets its name from the dangerous animal that it is compared to because of its sudden, violent winds.

Saone River

This is a large tributary of the Rhone River. It flows through eastern France from its source heart the Vosges Mountains to its confluence just south of the major city of Lyon.

Durance River

This is a large tributary of the Rhone River. It flows through much of southeastern France, and was notorious for its violent flash floods in previous centuries. This river flows from its source in the alps through Provence to its confluence in Avignon.

Massif Central

This is a large, circular mountain range in southern central France. It covers much of the country, and is home to many deep canyons including the Gorges du Tarn in its southern part.

Garonne River

This is a major river in France that flows through the southwestern part of the country from its source in northern Spain. It rises in the Pyrenees Mountains, and has its mouth in the Gironde Estuary of the Bay of Biscay. This river plays an important inland shipping role, and flows through the large cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux.

Seine River

This is a major river in northern France that flows from its source in the eastern part of the country all the way to its mouth on the northern coast of the country. It flows through the capital and largest city of Paris, where it is crossed by dozens of bridges, and has its mouth in a bay of the same name as this river.

Jura Mountains

This is a mountain range in eastern France that is part of the Alps. It is located on the border with Switzerland, and separates the basins of the Rhone and Rhine Rivers.

Vosges Mountains

This is a mountain range in northeastern France, located near the border with Germany. They are a low range, and the Rhine River is to their east.

Cévennes Mountains

This is a mountain range in southern France, located north of the Gulf of Lion. It is in the southeastern part of the Massif Central, and lends its name to a meteorological phenomenon where heavy rains in the area lead to flooding.

Pyrenees Mountains

This is a mountain range that makes up the border between France and Spain. It is located at the southern end of the country, and stretches from the Bay of Biscay in the west to the Mediterranean Sea in the east.

Cotentin Peninsula

This is a peninsula on the northern coast of France that juts into the English Channel. It is located between the Gulf of Saint-Malo and the Bay of the Seine, and is also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula.

Rhine River

This is a river that flows along part of France's border with Germany in the northeastern part of the country. Much of it is located in Germany, and it has been an important trade route for centuries.

Rhone River

This is a river that flows though much of southeastern France to its mouth in the Gulf of Lion. It has its source in Switzerland, and passes through Lake Geneva before its French section. This river flows through many large cities including Lyon, Avignon, and Arles, and has been an important trade and transportation route for centuries.

Meuse River

This is a river with its source in northern France that flows through Belgium and the Netherlands to its mouth in the North Sea. In Netherlands, this river with several ports along its length is called the Maas.

Tyrrhenian Sea

This is a sea that makes up the eastern coast of the island of Corsica. It is part of the Mediterranean Sea, and is deeper than other smaller seas in the region.

North Sea

This is a sea that makes up the eastern part of the north coast of France. It feeds into the Atlantic Ocean, and contains many renewable and non-renewable resources.

Ligurian Sea

This is a sea that makes up the southeastern coast of France. It is part of the Mediterranean Sea, and makes up the northern coast of Corsica as well.

Mediterranean Sea

This is a sea that makes up the southern coast of France and surrounds the island of Corsica. It is surrounded on almost all sides by land with its only outlet to the ocean being the Strait of Gibraltar, and it has been a crucial route for merchants of ancient times.

Strait of Dover

This is a strait that connects the North Sea and the English Channel. It separates the northern end of France from the southeastern tip of the United Kingdom, and is crossed by a tunnel.

Strait of Bonifacio

This is a strait that separates Corsica from the Italian island of Sardinia. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, and is notorious for its currents, rocky shoals, and other obstacles.

Moselle River

This is a tributary of the Rhine River that has its source in France and flows through Luxembourg and Germany to its confluence. Many vineyards lie in proximity to this river that flows through a region influenced by humans since the time of the Romans.

Gironde Estuary

This is an estuary on the west coast of France that makes up the mouth of the Garonne River. It is located on the Bay of Biscay, and is the largest estuary in Western Europe.

Atlantic Ocean

This is an ocean that makes up the west and north coasts of France. It lies between Europe and North America.

Paris

This is the capital and largest city in France, located in the northern central part of the country. It is situated on the Seine River, and is one of the most iconic cities in the world. Its landmarks include the Arc de Triomphe, Louvre museum, Notre Dame, the world-famous Eiffel Tower, and more. This city is the annual host of the tennis French Open tournament, the finish destination of the Tour de France, and hosted the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924.

euro

This is the currency of France.

Toulouse

This is the fourth largest city in France, located in the southern part of the country. It is situated on the Garonne River, and contains two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Basilica of St. Sernin, the largest remaining Romanesque building in Europe, and the Canal du Midi. This city is the center of Europe's aerospace industry, and is also known as "the Pink City" due to its architecture made of pink terracotta bricks. (This city is not to be confused with Jaipur, India, which is also called the pink city.)

Alps

This is the highest and largest mountain range in Europe. It stretches though eight countries including France, and has a well established culture. There are many ski resorts and picturesque valleys in this mountain range that contains the highest mountain in France, Mont Blanc.

Mont Blanc

This is the highest mountain in France, at 15,774 feet. It is located on the border between France and Italy in the southeastern part of the country, and is the highest mountain in Europe if Russia is considered part of Asia.

Corsica

This is the largest island in France, located in the Mediterranean Sea to the southeast of the country. It retains heavy Italian ties as it is closer to that country and had historical ties, and is separated from the Italian island of Sardinia to its south by the Strait of Bonifacio. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on this island.

Allier River

This is the largest tributary of the Loire River. It has its source in the Massif Central and flows northward to its confluence in the center of the country, west of the city of Nevers.

Loire River

This is the longest river in France. It flows from its source in the Cévennes Mountains of the Massif Central north through central France before turning west and flowing into the Bay of Biscay. This river flows through the large French cities of Nantes and Tours, and its main tributary is the Allier River. Many chateaux (large French manors) lie along the banks of this river.

Marseille

This is the second largest city in France, located in the southeastern part of the country. It is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Lion, and is the country's largest port for commerce, freight, and cruises. This city is on a rugged coastal region with small mountains to its east, and was the European Capital of Culture in 2013.

Lyon

This is the third largest city in France, located in the southeast central part of the country. It is situated at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone Rivers, and is known for its cuisine and historical architectural landmarks. This city played a major role in the history of cinema, as the cinematograph was invented here.