One of the most amazing countries in Europe is France. It is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks 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 weather conditions in various regions at different times of the year.
A brief geographic overview
Snowy alpine peaks, azure Mediterranean shores, broad-leaved forests, and vast steppes dotted with wheat and other cultivated plants flaunt in France. The geographic data of this country is very diverse, each is unique in its own way. The natural areas of France cannot be described in a nutshell, each of the latitudes requires its own story. In total, we can say that the country lies in the continental climate zone, and only in the south does it turn into subtropical, softer and warmer. Another characteristic climatic feature of the country is that winds are a rare occurrence here. France is reliably protected by cliffs and mountains from continental and oceanic cyclones, therefore from a seismic point of view it is always safe here.
Steppe france
What is the most significant natural area in this country and occupies the most territory? Let's try to figure it out. Since the country lies mainly in the flat terrain, and the climate here is continental, close to the south, then according to the logic of things the largest percentage is given to the steppes. More than half of the state’s territory is fields. Some of them are seeded with cultivated plants, among which there are wheat, corn, sunflowers, flax and many others. In remote provinces you can find wild steppe areas, as well as small sections of forest-steppe. We also note that this natural zone is more characteristic of the north of the country - it is there that the picturesque lavender fields and lawns stretch for hundreds of miles, which in 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 take forests with tropical thickets that are characteristic of the Mediterranean coast and the southwestern part of France, which is washed by the Bay of Biscay. In total, forests occupy about 27% of the state. This natural area is recognized as a reserve and is protected by UNESCO. By the way, it is among the green thickets that tourists find stunning architectural monuments - palaces, temples, fortresses, which were built in different centuries. So a walk in this area will be very interesting and exciting.
Zones
Describing the natural areas of France, it is impossible to lose sight of the mountain ranges, which, although they are located in the continental climate, but still differ in their special weather conditions. Altitudinal zonation in this country can be traced in two places - in the Alps and in the Pyrenees. The former are located in the east of the state, the latter slightly affect the southern border. So, at an altitude of up to 800 meters there are oak and chestnut forests. A little higher the mountains are covered with coniferous thickets, beech and fern. Altitudes of 1800-2300 meters above sea level are characterized by subalpine vegetation. These are stunted spruce and pine trees, shrubs and tall grass lawns. The higher we go, the less plants we meet. At impressive heights, only low-grass meadows and rocky cliffs can be traced.
Mediterranean coast
We examined what natural zones in France can be found in most of the territory. Now let us turn our attention to small plots of land, which, however, are no less attractive for their natural features than those described above. So, the subtropical Mediterranean climate is characteristic of 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 distinguished by the fact that gloomy cloudy weather, winds and fogs are extremely rare here. The sun is shining almost the whole year, the air temperature does not fall below +5 ... + 7 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 natural zones of France exist, how they are characteristic, and in what percentage they coexist. Some experts identify additional climatic and seismic zones, among which one can distinguish oceanic, forest-steppe, as well as many so-called "transitional" zones that are found at the junction of all of the above.