French map collection (bilingual)

Author: Zhu Ruorui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-05-01
Features: France, with an area of 5,516,002 square kilometers, is located in western Europe and borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Andorra, and Monaco. To the northwest, it overlooks the United Kingdom across the English Channel. It is adjacent to the North Sea, English Channel, Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea. Corsica, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is part of France. The terrain is higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. Plains account for two-thirds of the total area. Major mountain ranges include the Alps, Pyrenees, and Jura Mountains. Mont Blanc on the French-Italian border, with an elevation of 4,810 meters, is the highest peak in Europe. Major rivers include the Loire River (1,010 km), Rh?ne River (812 km), and Seine River (776 km). Corsica is France's largest island. The total length of the border is 5,695 kilometers, including 2,700 kilometers of coastline, 2,800 kilometers of land border, and 195 kilometers of inland waterways. The western region has a maritime temperate broadleaf forest climate, the southern region has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, and the central and eastern regions have a continental climate. Average precipitation increases from 600 mm in the northwest to over 1,000 mm in the southeast. Population: 62 million (January 2004), including 4 million foreign residents, of whom 1.5 million come from EU countries. The official language is French. 90% of the population is Catholic, with approximately 4 million Muslims and small communities of Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians. Capital: Paris (Paris), with a metropolitan population of 2.17 million. Administrative Divisions: Divided into regions, departments, and municipalities. Departments have specialized arrondissements and cantons, but these are not administrative divisions. Cantons are judicial and electoral units. Metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions, 96 departments, 4 overseas departments, 4 overseas territories, and 2 special-status administrative divisions. There are 36,565 municipalities in total, of which 34,000 have a population of less than 3,500, 231 have a population of over 30,000, and 37 have a population of over 100,000. The 22 regions are: Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Burgundy, Brittany, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corsica, Franche-Comté, ?le-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrénées, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Нижняя Нормандия, Upper Normandy, Pays de la Loire, Picardy, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur, Rh?ne-Alpes. The 4 overseas departments are: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion. The 4 overseas territories are: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Southern and Antarctic Lands. The 2 special-status administrative divisions are: Mayotte, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. This atlas consists of a general map, departmental maps, major city maps, and text and images. It provides a detailed depiction of the latest changes in France's administrative divisions, as well as information on railways, highways, completed transportation infrastructure, and maritime navigation routes. Using advanced computer design and cartography techniques, the atlas features up-to-date data, rich illustrations, and comprehensive information with both Chinese and English annotations. It is an essential reference for to understand France and for business and travel in France.