Climate and lanscape (maps and pictures)
French geography is easy to understand through maps. Go to CartesFrance.fr. You can also have a look at pictures of the French regions on photo-seb.net or watch videos of the regions on Campus France website.
Climate
In metropolitan France, the climate is temperate, but with variations depending on geographical areas:
- the west undergoes oceanic influence, with heavy rainfall, a cool summer and a mild winter
- inland, the climate is continental: precipitation decreases, summer is hot and winter is cold
- in the south, the Mediterranean climate dominates with mild temperatures in winter and a very hot summer. Precipitation can be very strong in autumn, but are almost non-existent in summer
- French mountains’ climate is influenced by altitude: precipitation increases and temperatures drop depending on the degree of wind exposure
Mountains
The five main mountain ranges in France are the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Jura and the Massif Central. To see them on the map and find out more, go to Understandfrance.
