Metropolitan
France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North
Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean; due to its shape, it is often
referred to in French as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon"). France is one of
only three countries (with Morocco and Spain) to have both Atlantic and
Mediterranean coastlines. France has a population of 66.6 million
The north and
northwest have a temperate climate, while a combination of maritime influences,
latitude and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan
France. In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west, the
climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters
and warm summers. Inland the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy
summers, colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps and other
mountainous regions is mainly alpine, with the number of days with temperatures
below freezing over 150 per year and snow cover lasting for up to six months.