Massif Central facts for kids
The Massif Central is a large, high area in the middle of southern France. It's a land of mountains and flat, high areas called plateaus. This region covers about 15% of France, which is a big chunk of the country! The rocks here are very, very old, and a lot has happened to them over millions of years.
This area is famous for having many extinct volcanoes. In fact, it has the largest collection of extinct volcanoes in the world, with about 450 of them! You can find many of these in the Auvergne Volcanoes National Park. The Massif Central is separated from the Alps mountains by the valley of the Rhone River.
Many parts of France are considered to be in the Massif Central. These include the areas known as Allier, Ardèche, Aveyron, Cantal, Corrèze, Creuse, Haute-Loire, Haute-Vienne, Loire, Lot, Lozère, and Puy-de-Dôme.
Famous Mountains
The Massif Central has some well-known mountains. Here are a few of them:
- Puy de Dôme (1,464 meters high)
- Puy de Sancy (1,886 meters high)
- Plomb du Cantal (1,855 meters high)
- Mont Lozère (1,702 meters high) – This is the highest peak that isn't a volcano.
- Mont Aigoual (1,567 meters high) – This mountain is close to a town called Le Vigan.
Geography of the Massif Central
The Massif Central is a very important mountain range in France. It's the fourth highest mountain area in the country. The Alps, the Pyrénées, and Corsica (an island with mountains) are all higher. Other mountain ranges like the Jura, Vosges, Morvan, and Ardennes are lower than the Massif Central.
The landscape here is very varied. You'll find deep valleys, high plateaus, and, of course, many old volcanoes. Rivers have carved out impressive gorges, like the famous Gorge du Tarn. This region is a great place for exploring nature and seeing unique geological features.
Images for kids
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Causse Méjean
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The Millau Viaduct
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Chaine des Puys in Auvergne
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Puy de Sancy (1,886 meters)
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The Cévennes range
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Gorges du Tarn canyon
See also
In Spanish: Macizo Central para niños
