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Regional Geography: European Core Region: The Paris Basin - Coggle Diagram
Regional Geography: European Core Region: The Paris Basin
Physical processes
Climate
Cool temperate oceanic climate closer to the sea in the west
Moderate temperatures of 5˚C during the winter and about 16˚C during the summer
Rainfall – around 800 mm per annum
Influence of Atlantic depressions
Cool temperate continental-type climate further inland
Colder winters – 2˚C, and summer temperatures tend to be warmer, approximately 19˚C
Rainfall – slightly lower at 700 mm per annum
Convectional rainfall
Soils
Varied
Chalk soils in Champagne to clay soils in Brie
Different farming areas – ‘pays’ in France
Thick layer of fertile stoneless limon (loess) soils
Wind-blown soils from a periglacial environment
Fertile, easily worked soils
Relief and drainage
Sedimentary rocks
Downwarp or syncline in the Earth’s crust
Escarpments forming a rim outside of this to the east and west
River Seine and its tributaries, the Rivers Somme and Loire
Primary economic activities
Agriculture
Farming in the Paris Basin is specialised
Beauce
Mechanisation of cereal production of wheat and barley
Sugar beet
Long growing season
Well-dispersed rainfall
Long hours of sunshine for the ripening of crops
EEC in 1957 guaranteed prices for farm produce
Called the ‘Granary of France’
Brie
Damper climate and clay soils that encourage growth of pastures
Dairy products are sold to the large urban market of the nearby city of Paris – cheese and butter
Stocking rates are high
Profitable and intensive
Market gardening
High-value crops
Excellent communication links
Normandy
Concentration of dairy production, e.g. Danone
Famous Camembert cheese
Maritime influences
Apple industry – Golden Delicious
Soil is rich in calcium
Thriving bloodstock industry
The dry Champagne region
High summer temperatures
Falaise d’Île de France and Côte de Meuse
Viticulture
Reims
Developed by the Benedictine monks
Farm size is large compared to EU average with most farms over 400 hectares
Competition from other land uses, e.g. industry
Farmers are young and well-educated
Raw materials for a variety of food processing industries
Fertile alluvial soils close to the River Seine
Energy production
Oil and gas imported through Le Havre port
France imports 95 per cent of its oil and is the third largest consumer in Europe
No natural gas
In 2004 coal production ceased in France and it is now imported
1975 oil crisis: France reduced its dependency on oil and invested in nuclear energy
Main energy supply:
75 per cent of French electricity is nuclear generated
Cleaner than fossil fuels
Nuclear waste is highly toxic
Secure storage is a big challenge in France
Secondary economic activities
Manufacturing activities
Paris Basin contains over 20 per cent of the national workforce
Long tradition of manufacturing extending back to the seventeenth century
River Seine is a navigable river
Deep-water ports have allowed heavy industries to import and export goods
Steel, oil refining, petrochemical and textiles
Access to sea through the port of Le Havre
Low-lying nature of the region has allowed ease of construction
Nodal point with excellent communications links
The Paris Metro, the TGV (Train Grand Vitesse) a high-speed train that links London via the Channel Tunnel and French roads
Two international airports, e.g. Charles de Gaulle and Orly
Large, well-educated workforce with 12 million people, 21 million when its suburbs are included
Affluent market – can afford luxury goods such as Chanel
Types of activities
Fashion industry
Niche market for haute couture
Cosmetic Valley in Chartres
Decentralisation of French industry away from Paris
Food processing
Is a major industry
Rich availability of fresh agricultural products
Car manufacturing
Citroën
Printing and publishing
Books, magazines and newspapers are printed in the Latin Quarter
High-tech industries
Seventeen universities and many high-quality research colleges in Paris are attractive to high-tech industries
Located in the newer suburbs of Marne-La-Vallée as industrial estates and technological parks
85 per cent of all French research is carried out in the Paris Basin
Deindustrialisation has affected the region since the 1970s and employment in the manufacturing sector has halved between 1975 and 2005
Most French manufacturing industries have their headquarters in Paris
Unemployment is a problem for the Paris Basin and in 2015 it stood at 10.5 per cent
Tertiary economic activities
Tourism
Long tradition of tourism
Highly developed
Easily accessible by all modes of transport, both national and international
Rich variety of cultural attractions, famous buildings, museums and galleries
Normandy beaches used during the Second World War
Norman castles
Religious sites such as Reims Cathedral and Notre Dame – 13 million visitors annually
Eiffel Tower – more than 9 million visitors annually
Louvre Museum home to the Mona Lisa
French presidents:
The Pompidou Centre was the responsibility of President George Pompidou in 1977
The transformation of the Les Halles in 1971 was the legacy of President Giscard d’Estaing
President François Mitterrand’s introduction of a glass pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum in 1984
Theme parks – Parc Astérix and Disneyland Paris
Marne-La-Vallée nearby – shopping and is the fashion capital of the world
Champs-Élysées and Boulevard Haussmann
30 million visitors a year and 7 per cent of the workforce of Paris are involved in the tourist industry
Transport
Paris is a primate city
Transport network is radial
TGV trains travel at speeds of 250 km per hour and connect Paris with European cities such as London and Brussels
TGV line was opened in 1981
Double-decker carriages
Efficient and environmentally friendly
The underground Metro used daily by Parisian commuters
SNCF and RER
International airports, roads and river taxis
Motorways
Canals – used by tourists and industry
Human processes
Population dynamics
21 million people live in the Paris Basin
Attractive for the economically active age group
Population increasing at 0.8 per cent annually, migrant families increase at 1.5 per cent
Senile stage of the demographic transition model, below replacement levels at 1.9 babies per mother
Incentives to have larger families to increase the birth rate
Migration
Popular destination for immigrants, 40 per cent of French migrants live here
Rural to urban migration from the Empty Diagonal
Melting pot of different cultures, former French colonies, Spain, Portugal, China and Eastern European
Problems: development of ghettos, lack of assimilation
2005 race riots after the deaths of two North African youths
Restrictions on the wearing of the hijab for Islamic girls
2015 migrant crisis the French government agreed to take 24,000 people annually, 55 per cent of French people disagreed with this decision
Urban development
Paris was designed by the civic planner Haussmann
Paris is a primate city based on the European model of cities
It is built on the bridging point of the River Seine
Population of 12.2 million people and contains 20 per cent of the national workforce
Due to the effects of urban sprawl five new towns were created on the urban fringe, e.g. Marne-la-Vallée
The growth of Paris
The Schéma Directeur
Paris has a population of over 12.2 million people and is the largest city in France
Developed in medieval times
Bridging point and a defensive settlement on the River Seine
Island in the middle of the river called Île-de-France
Developed as a food processing centre for the rich agricultural lands
City is a major employer with mills, dairy processing and viticulture
Centre of government and most civil service jobs
Vast migrant population with 1.3 million migrants living there
Urban sprawl to accommodate its growing population
14 million by 2050
Traffic congestion
Urban decay and inner city decline
Schéma Directeur – an urban plan adopted in 1964 to control the growth of Paris and to improve poorer suburbs and employment opportunities
Renewed by the French government from 1994 to 2015
Setting up of listed buildings
Investment in public transport, e.g. TGV
Development of suburban nodes or growth centres – La Défense
Urban renewal and regeneration projects
Developed new towns or satellite towns around Paris, e.g. Marne-La-Vallée
Areas for recreational land use were designated along the River Seine, e.g. boating activities
Les Halles food market moved to the Rungis on the edge of the city to reduce traffic congestion
Schéma Directeur has been successful
Paris Basin region will become a metropolitan area