Transcript Regional geography European - Woods Geography

REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
EUROPEAN
Socio-Economic Regions-Core
case study: Paris Basin France
Characteristics of a core pg.274/275
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Highly urbanised,high population density.
Accessible lowland areas.
Natural resources/factors that attract
industry:energy sources,skilled educated
workers,efficient transport,large affluent markets.
Centres of decision making,government.
Climate ,relief that supports intensive agriculture.
High inward migration.
The paris basin –a
Core Region in
Central Europe
Largest region in
france-25% of the
country
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Population of over
21 million.(france
65m)
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11 million in Paris
city/region
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Physical characteristicsrelief,soils,drainage and climate.pg
274
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Relief and soils:
Lowlying and undulating.
The paris basin is a syncline.(downfold)
It consists of a series of sedimentary rocks one laid down on top of the
other over 400 million years ago.(like stacked saucers)
The rock layers have been folded so that in the east of the region the
edges appear as ridges or scarps.
The biggest scarp is Falaise de France.
Each type of rock has produced different soils.
In the centre of the basin very fertile limon/loess soil is found.(windblown
dust deposited after the last ice age by glaciers) This area is called,Ile de
France.
The area is drained by the River Seine and its tributaries-Marne and Oise.
Climate-Transitional
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Along the western coastline there is a Maritime
climate.Low pressure systems blowing in from the
Atlantic bring depressions,resulting in rain
throughout the year. Mild winters(5c) are due to the
influence of the sea.
Further inland(near Paris) has a continental
climate.Warmer summers 20c and colder winters 03c.
Economic activities-primary
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Most productive agricultural area in Western
Europe
Agriculture is intensive,commercial,profitable,and
highly mechanised.
Farms are large -400 hectares,farmers are
educated,belong to co-operatives and have a
scientific approach
Primary activities -Agriculture
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The variety of soils,climate and bedrock mean that
different farming regions have developed these
areas are called Pays:
Ile de France and Beauce:covered in fertile limon
soil,large farms,highly mechanised(400
hectares),high yields,wheat is the main crop,area is
called the Granary of France.
Brie and valois: clay soils here so dairy farming is
popular,area is famous for milk,butter and cheese
supplying the large urban market of Paris.
Agriculture cont.
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The champagne region wet and dry:clay covered
valleys between chalk ridges(scarps).
The chalk ridges of the dry champagne are infertile
and well drained,they face south so they are suitable
for vine production(viticulture).Near the town of Reims
the famous champagne wine is produced.These are the
most northerly vineyards in Europe.Areas less suited to
vines are used to rear sheep.
The clay covered wet champagne pays are suited to
dairying and beef cattle.
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Normandy-damper climate,dairy productionDanone is located here,Camembert cheese, Golden
delicious apples
Intensive market gardeningParis,Fruit,vegetables,flowers
Pays /types of farming.
Agriculture in Paris Basin
Farming types in pays.
Secondary economic activities
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What factors affect the location of industry?
Raw materials,transport,labour force,energy,market.
What advantages does Paris Basin have for
industry?
What types of industry ?
Light,heavy,food processing,luxury products,modern
Tertiary economic activities-tourism and
transport
Tertiary economic activities-Tourism
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Tourism-76 million tourists visit France each year.
45 million of these visit the Paris Basin
30 million visit the city of Paris(12m-Disneyland,5mlouvre,6m-Eiffel tower)
Tourism accounts for 25% of employment in the city
region
Half the visitors are foreignBritain,U.S.A,Germany,Italy,Japan
Natural and manmade attractions
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History
Culture
Scenery
Fashion
Eurodisney, located in Marne –la- Vallee
One of the 5 new towns created by schema directeur,to decentralise Paris.
Metro
Transport-key words
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Excellent transport infrastructure
Helped by flat low lying topography and River
Seine and tributaries.
Network radiates out from Paris
Paris is highly accessible and a route focus.
Paris is the central hub of the national intercity rail
network
Most important system-Metro ,400 stations/214 km
of rail
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Two major airports-Orly,Charles de Gaulle-one of
busiest in world and the hub of the national airline
Airfrance,Beauvais(70km outside Paris)
Paris is the Focus of french motorway network
surrounded by three motorways-The Peripherique
Bike sharing system –Velib-20,000 public bicycles
in1,450 parking stations
Traffic congestion a problem despite bus lanes
Parisians like to use their own cars.
2010 Honours LC-Regional
Human processes-population
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Paris city=12 million,paris basin=21 million.
Highest population density in France over 400 km² .
Birth rate is slightly higher than death creating natural
increase.
Attractive place for economically active age group-30% of
region population.
Paris is a sprawling urban area 100 km in diameter.
It is a core region in France with high inward migration from
poorer areas in France and other European countries and
North Africa.
France was a colonial power,colonies included
Algeria,Morocco and Tunisia.
Human cont.
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Many migrants(40% of all migrants live in Paris)
coming to France live in ghetto like communities.
Melting pot:Chinese,Eastern Europe,former colonies
Many were invited as “guest workers” in the 1960s
and 1970s,they did the poorly paid jobs to help
with the economic development of the country.
Since 1981 the right to French citizenship is no
longer automatically granted to people born there.
France gives very few rights or recognition to
migrants or minority groups.
Human cont.
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Religious and racial conflict very strong in France.
French government have banned the wearing of
Islamic veils in French schools.
2010-expulsion of Romanians.
2005-rioting in town of Clichy-Sous-Bois(see
handout)
URBAN PROBLEMS/
PLANNING
Schema Directeur pg.284/285
A policy to control the growth of Paris
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Problems:
Overcrowding
Traffic congestion
Air,water,noise,visual pollution
Inner-city decay
Suburban sprawl
Primacy of Paris
Solutions:A plan called the Schema
Directeur,1965-revised several times.
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The plan looked at problems at city,regional and
national level.
Two key elements of the plan were decentralisation
and expansion.
At city level they encouraged the growth of
suburban nodes and new towns.
Suburb nodes-8 of them,the aim here was to
improve services and create jobs in the city eg.La
Defense.
La defense-suburban node
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A redeveloped old industrial site.
Now high rise apartments and
offices.
2,500 residents
80,000 workers
Ranked one of the most successful
urban renewal project in the
world.
“The Grande Arch”-modern day
Arc De Triomphe.
Cont.
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New towns:5 new towns, north and south of the
seine eg.Marne- la- Vallee(Eurodisney)
Most successful new town=St.Quentin-en-Yvelines,30
km southwest of Paris,40,000 new jobs created.
At regional and national level other cities were
picked as centres of employment,services and
culture to offset the primacy/dominance of Paris.
Lille in the north,Bordeaux in the southwest,marseille
in the south.
Eurodisney, located in Marne –la- Vallee
One of the 5 new towns created by schema directeur,to decentralise Paris.