Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/541

 CLIMATE AND GEOLOGY.] FRANCE 507 north-north-west), the east wind blowing from the Alps, and the south winds do considerable damage both to the produce of the soil and to the health of the inhabitants. Pau, Cannes, Nice, &c., in the south, are much resorted to by invalids, and by English families for winter quarters. Geology. In a geological point of view France may be Geology, divided in three great regions, which comprehend a nearly complete series ot the different kinds of soils. 1. Mountains. (a.) Granite and Schist. Alpcs. Part of Isere (S.E.); Drome; Hautes-Alpes; part of Basscs-Alpes (E.); Suvoie ; Hautc-Savoie. J l/r^ntes. Part of Aude (S.E.) ; Pyre ndes-Orientalea; part of Aridgc (S.), of Haute-Garonne (S.), of Hautes-Pyre ndes (S.), and of Basses-Pyreudes (S.W.) Vosges. Part of Vosges (1C.) Maures. Part of Var (S.E.) (b.) Limestone. Jura. Doubs; Jura; part of Ain (E.) Provence. Partof Basses Alpcs (V.) and of Var (X.W.); Vauclusc: Bouchcs-du- Bhone. 2. Plateaus. (a.) Granite and Schist. Central Plateau. Part of Xievrc (E.) and of Saone-et-Loirc (W.); Rhone; Loire ; Ardeche ; part of Card (W.), of Allier, and of Puy-de-DGme (E. and W.) ; Haute- L&amp;lt;&amp;gt;ire; part of Lozere(X.); Creuse; Haute-Vienue ; Corrbze; Cantal; part of Aveyron (X.) and of Tarn (E.) Ardennes. Part of Ardennes (X.) Jtretagne. Part of Orne (W.); Mayennc; part of Maine-et-Loire (W.) and of Deux- Sevres (N.AV.) ; Manche ; Ille-et-Vilaine ; Loire-Iufdrieure ; Vendde ; C6tcs-du- Nord; Morbihan; Finis .cre. (b.) Limestone. Gausses. Part of Lozerc (S.) and of Aveyron (S.) Languedoc. Part of Card (E. ) ; Hdrault. Quercy. Lot. Jfaut Poitou.Fart of Vienne (S.), of Charente (X.) and of Peux-Sevres (X.) fiourgogne. Haute-Saoiie; Haute-Marne; Cote d Or; part of Yonne (S.E.) and of Xievre (V.) Lorraine. Moselle; Meurthe; part of Vosges (W.) ; Meuse 3. Level Tracts. Champagne. Aubc ; Marnc; Ardennes. Xeustrie. Nord; Aisne; Seinc-et-Marne ; part of Yonne (X.W.); P;is-de-Caluis; Smnme; Oise; Seine-et-Oise; Seine; Loire t; Cher; Seine-Inferieure; Eure; Eure-et-Lire ; Loir-et-Cher; Indre; Calvados; part of Orne (E.); Sarthe; Indre-et-Loire; part of Vienne (X.) and of Maine-et-Loire (E.) Ai/uitaine. Part of Tain (W.) and of Audc (X.W.); Tarn-et-Garonnc; part of Haute-Garonne (X.), of Allege (X.) and of Charente (S.) ; Dordogne; Lot-et- Garonne; partof Hautcs-Pyrdndes (X.); Charente-Infe iieure; Landcs- part of Basses-Pyi dndcs (X.E.) Liinagne.-ra.rt of Allier (W.) and of Puy-de-Dome (central part). lircsse. Part of Cote-d Or (E.), of Saone-et-Loirc (E.), of Ain (W.) and of Isere (X.W.) The following table shows the same districts classified ac cording to the nature of their soils. It will be remarked that the Tertiary rock forms nearly the third part of France, whilst the coal fields are scarcely the two-hundredth part of it. Primitive rock. Vendde, part of Brittany, part of the Maurcs, the Vosges, and the Alps 10,410,000 hectares (40,217 square miles). Transition roc*. Pyrenees, central part of Brittany, Cotcntin, Ardennc, part of the Vosges 5,200,000 hectares (20,077 square miles). Porphyritic and Carboniferous rocks. Xortli of Ardenne; north-west of the cen tral plateau; the Maurcs; small portions of the surface in the Corbieres, Brittany, and the Vosges 520,000 hectares (2007 square miles). Triastic and Permian rod: East of Lorraine, and a small part of the Vosges 3,480,000 h&amp;lt; ctares(12,43G square miles). Jurassic rock. The Giusses, Quercy, and Haut-Poitou; Lorraine and Burgundy; part of the Alps 10,37 1,000. hectares (39,943 square miles). Chalk. Champagne, west of Neustrie, and some places in Aquitainc and the Pyrenees 6,245,700 hectares (24.115 square miles). Tertiary rock. The greater part of Neustrie, Limagne, Aquitame, Brcsse, part of Languedoc, Provence, and some places in Brittany and Vendee 14,853,500 hectares (57,300 square miles). Volcanic rock. Several masses in the central plateau, and various places in the Causses, Langucdoc, Provence, the Maures, and Lorraine 520,000 hectares (2007 square miles). Alluvial soils. These are to be found in all valleys, but chiefly near Dunkirk and Niort, and on the Mediterranean coasts 520,000 hectares (2007 square miles). The Statistiquc gtn&ralc of France divides the soil thus : Hectares. Square Miles Mountainous tracts 4,268,750 10,481 Heaths and moors (landcs) 5,670,089 21,892 Soil of rich moulds 7,276,309 28,094 Chalk or limestone 9,788.197 37,793 Gravel 3,417,893 13.196 Stony soil 6,612,348 25,5,10 Sandy soil 5,921,377 22,863 Clay.. 2,232,885 8,C11 Marshy and swampy soil 284,454 1.093 Miscellaneous 7,290,238 28,148 Or, considering the use rather than the nature of the soil, the surface of France may be divided thus : Hectares. Arabic land 25,500,675 Forests, woods, and parks 8.800,399 Heaths and moors (landes) 7,138.282 Meadowland 5,159,179 Vineyards 2,088,048 Roads streets, public walks, and built lands 1,301,757 Water. 737,587 Orchards and gardens 627,704 Chestnut plantations 559,029 Olive, almond, and mulberry plantations 109.202 Miscellaneous 775,753 Square Miles. 98,400 33.978 27,5.-)l 19,920 80(12 5.157 2,837 2,423 2,158 421 2,905