Mineral resources of France on the map. Natural resources of France

France is one of the largest countries Western Europe, bordering Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Andorra. In the north, the border with Great Britain passes through the famous straits Atlantic Ocean. In the south is the very small Principality of Monaco. Let's now consider natural conditions countries. The main territory is hilly, with lowlands and hills and mountains of medium height. The highest mountain in France and all of Western Europe is Mont Blanc, whose height is more than 4800 meters above sea level.

Natural conditions are largely due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean on northern regions and warm Mediterranean Sea to the southern part. In the north of the country there is a predominantly humid and mild maritime climate with slight fluctuations in air temperature in winter and summer period.

The south of France has a higher average annual temperature than the north, but there is less precipitation, which is typical for the Mediterranean climate zone.

The natural conditions of the country are so different that the southern coastal areas, the Rhone Valley and the island of Corsica are in a subtropical climate with very mild winters and fairly hot summers. In the north-west of France lies Normandy with its soft, rolling green landscapes in summer and Brittany with its beautiful coastline. The northeast of the country is bordered by flat Alsace and Lorraine, to the south of which are the medium-height Jura Mountains, followed by the Alps, a favorite region of climbers and skiers, which stretches to the Côte d'Azur. As you can see, the natural conditions of the country are very diverse.

In the central part, located to the south, is the Massif Central, a notable feature of which is the huge craters of extinct volcanoes, contrasted with rolling hills, plateaus and river valleys. In the south of France there is the Pyrenees mountain range, the highest point is Peak D'Estats, whose height is 3145 meters above sea level.

These are the natural conditions of France.

The country owns many islands located in three oceans. The main and most famous island- Corsica. This is the largest island in France, famous for its wonderful natural landscape. It is geographically divided into several regions and each has a lot of attractive and interesting things for tourists.

Located in the north of Corsica famous city Bastia is one of the most ancient and most beautiful cities on the island, and, perhaps, in all of France. The part located in the north-west is known for its coastline of extraordinary beauty and the city of Calvi, where Christopher Columbus was born.

As for the country, there are large quantities iron and bauxite, potash and coal, zinc, copper, lead, nickel, oil, wood. Production is approximately forty million tons annually, bauxite - about two million tons, oil - about four million tons.

Climatic conditions are such that the country effectively grows wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, apples, sugar beets, sunflowers, corn, potatoes, and much more.

Arable lands occupy approximately a third of the country's territory, forests and shrubs - about twenty-seven percent, pastures and meadows - twenty-three percent, unused and built-up lands - about seventeen.

The main types of flora are oak, hornbeam, linden, chestnut, beech, pine, birch and others; representatives of the animal world - bears, wolves, foxes, wild boars, deer, badgers, roe deer, hares, snakes, squirrels; birds - eagles, partridges, swallows, hazel grouse.

These are the natural conditions and resources of France .

France is the third largest country in Europe by area; it occupies a leading position in terms of the presence of natural resources.

Mineral Resources

Of the traditional minerals, which have been mined since the Middle Ages, France has always been famous for coal (1336 million tons) and iron ore (2200 million tons).

In modern France, reserves of oil (14.7 million tons) and gas were found, extracted by offshore drilling. But their production is small and does not meet the country’s needs for these natural resources, and therefore most of them have to be imported.

France has significant reserves of fluorspar (fluorite) - about 14 million. tons and tantalum ore. There are also deposits:

• uranium - 14.67 thousand. tons;
• tin - 65 thousand. tons;
• copper - 910 thousand. tons;
• tungsten - 20 thousand. tons;
• aluminum - 13 million. tons;
• natural gas - 21 billion m3, etc.

But such mineral reserves still cannot fully satisfy the state’s needs for them. The highly developed industry of the country needs such large volumes that almost all minerals are imported.

Land resources

The area of ​​cultivated land in France accounts for more than half of the territory. Of these, arable – 61%, pastures – 20%. Due to high degree development of the territory, the possibility of increasing cultivated land has been exhausted. The soils are varied: loess, brown forest and

The country has long switched to an intensive farming system, where production growth is achieved by increasing crop yields and deeper processing.

Water resources

The country's water network is extensive and well developed. Its entire territory is covered with rivers and canals. Water arteries are full of water throughout the year. In addition, there are large reserves of artesian water.

However high density population contributes to high consumption of water resources. Therefore, the country has long been acutely concerned with the safety of existing rivers and lakes, as well as the danger of depletion of groundwater. Thanks to its developed river and lake system, France still widely uses water transport.

Main rivers of France:

• Loire
• Garonne

Forest resources

One can say this about this type of natural resource: France managed to preserve part of its forests. And this despite the widespread economic development of the territory and mass deforestation during the era of the industrial revolution. Thanks to a program to increase forest areas, approximately a quarter of the country is now covered by forests. Broad-leaved tree species predominate.

France is completely self-sufficient in timber. Timber and wood products are used in many industries, from furniture to chemicals. In France, they not only use what nature has given the country. Many areas are restored after industrial use, improved and begin to generate income as tourist or agricultural land.

Natural and climatic resources

This is what France is famous for throughout the world. The mineral water of Vichy with the resort of the same name and the recreational resources of the Cote d'Azur are well known for their healing effects. A wide network of beaches from Normandy, along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, as well as the mountain resorts of the Alps attract not only residents of the country, but also a huge number of tourists.

The leisure and tourism industry is even more significant for France than industry and makes up a significant part of its GDP.

About France: brief description

France is located between 42°20’ and 51°5’N latitude; 4°27' west and 8°47' east longitude. The length from north to south is about 975 km, from east to west - about 950 km. In the north, the territory of France is washed by the straits North Sea, Pas de Calais and the English Channel, in the west - the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean, in the south - the Mediterranean Sea.

France is the largest country in Western Europe by territory : it occupies almost one fifth of the territory of the European Union, has extensive maritime spaces(the exclusive economic zone extends over an area of ​​11 million sq. km). The state also includes the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea and more than twenty overseas departments and dependent territories. The total area of ​​the country is 547,030 sq. km. (674,685 sq. km. including overseas possessions).

All types of Western European landscapes are found in France . The central, eastern and southern parts are distinguished by hilly or mountainous terrain.

The largest mountain region in France - Central French Massif (highest point - Mount Puy de Sancy, 1886 m) - basalt plateaus alternating with volcanic cones, plateaus, and rivers of the Loire basin. In the south-east of France stretches the most high mountains Western Europe - Alps ( highest point- Mont Blanc, 4807 m), framed in the west by mid-altitude ridges - the Pre-Alps, which continue in the north with the Jura and Vosges mountains (Ballon de Guerbiller, 1423 m). The southwest of France is occupied by the Pyrenees (Vignal, 3298 m).

In France there are several climatic zones .

Climate of France characterized by moderation in everything: heat, rain, wind and cold. The country is located in western Europe, and the main factor determining its weather is the Atlantic air masses.

France is distinguished by its extensive river system . Due to its favorable geographical position, France, washed by the waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, is rich in its own water resources. At the same time, there are very few lakes in France, and there are no large ones at all. Most rivers flow entirely through France, because... originate in the mountains of the French Massif Central. Most of the rivers in France belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin.

Among the rivers of France The Loire is considered the longest. Its length is 1020 kilometers, the basin area is 115,120 square kilometers. The origins of the Loire are in the Ardèche department, at an altitude of 1408 meters above sea level. Initially, the waters of the Loire flow almost from south to north under the influence of tertiary deposits of the French Massif Central, but in the Orleans area the river sharply changes direction to the west and does not change direction until it flows into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On the banks of the Loire there are such French cities as Rouen, Nevers, Orleans, Blois, Tours, Angers (Le Pont-de-Sé), Nantes. The Loire flows into the Bay of Biscay. In addition to it, the following flow into the same bay large rivers France as the Garonne (575 km) and the Dordogne, forming a common estuary - the Gironde.

France has vast sea areas with many islands. In the European part of France there are several hundred islands of varying sizes. The largest of them is Corsica island, located in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. From other major French Mediterranean islands can be noted islands of Porqueroy (12.54 sq. km.), Levan (9 sq. km.), Port-Cros (7 sq. km.) related to the group islands d'hier. In addition to them, other groups of islands and islets of France are noted in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea: Corsican islands, Marseille islands, archipelago du Frioul, archipelago des Embiers, group of islands de Lérins.

France also includes more than twenty overseas departments and dependent territories. And all of them, with the exception of Guiana, are islands. At the same time, the overseas territories of France are scattered throughout the world and are found in the waters of the Indian (Reunion, Mayotte, French Southern and Antarctic Territories - FYAT), Atlantic (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon) and Pacific (French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, Clipperton) oceans. The largest islands of the overseas territories of France: o. Grande Terre (New Caledonia, 16,664 sq. km.), o. Grande Terre (FYAT, 6,675 sq. km.), Reunion (2,512 sq. km.), Lifou (New Caledonia, 1,146 sq. km.), Martinique (1,128 sq. km.), Tahiti (French Polynesia) , 1,036 sq. km.), etc. The total area of ​​the islands of the overseas territories of France is 468,655 sq. km., where more than 2.4 million people live.

As of January 1, 2015, the number of people living in France and making up its population estimated at 66.3 million, including 64.2 million in France and 2.1 million in the departments overseas (DOM). This figure does not include the 600,000 residents of the Overseas Communities (COM) and New Caledonia.

As of January 1, 2014, 11.6% of them, or 7.6 million of them French population , there were faces foreign origin, 8.9%, or 5.9 million people are immigrants and 6.4%, or 4.2 million are foreign citizens. In addition, almost 3 and a half million people born in France live abroad.

Overall coefficient birth rate in France in 2014 reached a value of 2.01, which is significantly lower than in 1950 (2.9), but higher than that of the French population in the 1990s, when the fertility rate in France barely reached 1.8. According to this indicator, France is ahead of the average birth rate in Europe, but this value is slightly insufficient to ensure the renewal of generations. However, the population continues to grow due to the pyramid shape, immigration and increasing life expectancy among the French population, which in 2014 averaged 79.2 years for males and 85.4 years for females. It should be noted that this indicator in France over the past 50 years has increased by 10 years of life of any member of French society.

State symbols of France: coat of arms, flag, anthem

History of France: briefly

According to the assumptions of the majority of historians origin human civilization in France occurred in the period 1,000-700,000 BC. e. the territory of France, like the rest of Europe, was inhabited by homo erectus. We can roughly imagine the transition from homo erectus to our immediate ancestors, but the specifics of this transition in France remain unknown.

During the time from 400,000 to 100,000 BC, the territory of France was inhabited by representatives of this particular species. In their life activities they already used primitive tools. The presence of hominids on the territory of France during this period is evidenced by finds found during excavations near Totavel in the south of France.

In 200 BC. e. for the first time The Roman army crossed the Alps and entered Gaul , although organized conquest was still some fifty years away. In the middle of the 1st century. BC Gaul, conquered by Rome, became its province. For 500 years, the development of Gaul went under the sign of Roman culture - general, political, legal, economic. In the II-IV centuries. AD Christianity spread in Gaul.

At the end of the 5th century. Gaul was conquered Germanic tribes of the Franks, after which it began to be called. The leader of the Franks was a talented military leader, an intelligent and prudent politician, Clovis from the Merovingian dynasty. He largely preserved Roman laws and established social relations, the first of German leaders in the former Roman Empire entered into an alliance with the Roman Catholic Church. The mixing of the Franks with the Gallo-Roman population and the merging of their cultures created a unique synthesis - the basis for the formation of the future French nation .

Since the death of Clovis in the beginning. VI century Frankish Kingdom was subjected to continuous, acted as the scene of countless wars of various branches of the Merovingians. K ser. VIII century they have lost power. Charlemagne, who gave the name new dynasty Carolingians, parts of Germany and as tributaries - Northern and Central Italy and the Western Slavs. After his death, the West Frankish Kingdom emerged as an independent state. This year is considered the starting point of French history .

From 2nd half of the XVIII V. Absolutism, which had become obsolete, was experiencing an acute spiritual and economic crisis. In the spiritual sphere, its expression was the appearance of a galaxy of philosophers and writers who rethought the pressing problems of social life (). In the economy, persistent budget deficits, prolonged increases in taxes and prices, coupled with prolonged crop failures, caused mass impoverishment and starvation.

In 1789, in a harsh climate, under pressure from the Third Estate (merchants and artisans), the Estates General was convened after a many-year break. Deputies from the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly (June 17, 1789), and then - Constituent Assembly, which adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The rebellious people destroyed the symbol of the “old regime”, royal prison Bastille (July 14, 1789). The monarchy was overthrown in August 1792 (King Louis XVI was executed); in September, the Republic was proclaimed. The uprising of the extreme left of its supporters led to the establishment of the bloody Jacobin dictatorship (June 1793 - July 1794). After the coup on July 27-28, 1794, power passed to the more moderate Thermidorians, and in 1795. - to the Directory. A new coup, which led to the fall of the Directory (November 1799), turned France into a Consulate: the government was concentrated in the hands of 3 consuls; Napoleon Bonaparte assumed the functions of First Consul. In 1804, France became an empire .

During the period of the Consulate and the Empire, continuous Napoleonic wars were fought . Constant conscription into the army, rising taxes, and the unsuccessful Continental Blockade depleted France's strength; defeat of Napoleonic troops ( Great Army) in Russia and Europe (1813-1814) accelerated the collapse of the empire. In 1814 Napoleon abdicated the throne; To . France became a (constitutional) monarchy again. Napoleon's attempt to regain his throne (1815) was unsuccessful. By decisions Congress of Vienna(1815) France was returned to its 1790 borders. But the main achievements of the revolution - the abolition of class privileges and feudal duties, the transfer of land to peasants, legal reforms (Napoleonic Civil and other codes) - were not canceled.

In the 1st half of the 19th century. France was rocked by revolutions . was caused by attempts by Bourbon supporters (royalists) to restore the “old regime” in its entirety. It cost the power of the main branch of the Bourbons, who were finally overthrown. Napoleon's nephew, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, became the president of the newly proclaimed Second Republic. After the coup d'état of 1851 and the subsequent year of military dictatorship, Louis Napoleon was crowned emperor under the name Napoleon III. France has become an empire again .

FRANCE, French Republic (Republique Francaise), is a state in Western Europe. Area 551.0 thousand km2. Population 55.6 million people (1987). The capital is Paris. Administratively, it is divided into 96 departments. France includes "overseas departments" (Guadeloupe, Guiana, Martinique, the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Reunion) and "overseas territories" (New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Kerguelen, Wallis and Futuna). The official language is French. The monetary unit is the French franc. Member of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC; since 1951), the European Economic Community (EEC; since 1957), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom; since 1958), the Western European Union (since 1955), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (since 1961 ) and some other economic and political organizations.

General characteristics of the farm. By gross size internal product and volume industrial production France ranked 4th in the capitalist world in 1987 (after Japan and). Structure of gross domestic product (%): agriculture 3.9; mining industry 0.7; processing - 25.4; electric power 2.6; construction 5.6; trade 11.8; transport and communications 5.2, other industries 44.8. The French economy is dominated by state monopoly capital; the degree of monopolization is especially high in metallurgy, the production of passenger cars and other branches of mechanical engineering and the chemical industry. Banks, coal, nuclear, aviation, automobile and gas industries, large power plants, railways, etc. were nationalized (partially or completely).

France's fuel and energy base is underdeveloped, despite the presence of significant domestic energy resources. Structure of the fuel and energy balance (%, 1986): solid fuel 15.1, liquid - 50.8, natural gas 18.2, hydropower 3.2, nuclear - 12.7. Electricity generation in 1986 amounted to 343 billion kWh. Length railways about 40 thousand km, highways 1.5 million km, of which 7 thousand km are highways. The tonnage of the merchant fleet is 8.4 million registered gross tons. Large seaports: Marseille, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Rouen, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Bordeaux.

Nature. The shores of the Atlantic coast in the north and west are weakly dissected, mostly low and straight; in the northwest, in the area of ​​the Brittany and Cotentin peninsulas, bay, partly rias; The shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the west are low, swampy in places, and steep and rocky in the east. The spurs of the Maritime Alps approach the Ligurian Sea. In the western and northern regions of the country, flat or hilly plains (Garonne Lowland, Paris Basin) and low mountains predominate; in the center and east there are medium-high mountains (the French Massif Central, the Vosges, part of the Jura Mountains). Along the southwestern and southeastern outskirts there are high ridges and massifs of the Pyrenees and the Alps (with the highest peak in France and Western Europe - Mount Mont Blanc, 4807 m). The climate of most of the country is temperate maritime, in the east it is transitional to continental; on the Mediterranean coast, subtropical Mediterranean with dry summers and rainy winters; in the rest of France, precipitation is distributed more evenly (their amount on the plains is 600-1000 mm, in the mountains up to 2000-2500 mm per year). Average January temperatures are 1-5°C (in the south up to 8°C), July 17-22°C (in the south up to 24°C). River network thick, the rivers are full of water. The largest large rivers are the Seine, Rhone and Saone, Loire, Garonne, Rhine (along the border with Germany). Most of the country is occupied by agricultural land. Forests cover 26% of France (mainly oak, beech, chestnut, pine; also spruce and fir in the mountains). In the south there are evergreen forests and shrubs of the Mediterranean type. Nature reserves - Pelvoux (in the Alps), Camargue (in the Rhone delta), etc.

Geological structure. Most of France is underlain by continental crust, consolidated at the end of the Paleozoic, during the Hercynian tectonic era, and subsequently developed in a platform regime. The exceptions are the French Alps and Pyrenees. The Paleozoic basement of the Epihercynian platform emerges on the surface in the Armorican and Central French Massifs, in the Ardennes, Vosges, in the Black Mountain (Montagne-Hyap) in the south of the Massif Central and in the axial zone of the Pyrenees. In the basement of the Armorican Massif there are small blocks of deeply metamorphosed Early Precambrian, as well as (and in the Central Massif) areas of development of weakly metamorphosed Late Precambrian, crushed before the Cambrian during the Cadomian folding era. The Lower and Middle Paleozoic strata, which make up the main part of the basement, are usually almost not metamorphosed, but are extremely intensely dislocated and intruded by numerous granitoid intrusions. They are composed of various sedimentary rocks - shales, sandstones, limestones, as well as volcanic rocks. The deformation of these deposits began in the mid-Devonian and ended mainly in the middle Carboniferous and finally in the middle of the early Carboniferous. During the Middle Carboniferous, mountainous terrain arose over almost the entire territory of France, including the Alps and the Pyrenees. A foothill trough extends across the extreme northeast of the country (the department of Hop and Pas-de-Calais), forming part of the so-called Coal Channel of Europe; it is filled with a paralytic industrial coal-bearing formation of the Middle Carboniferous (Westphalian), dislocated before the Late Carboniferous, and a red-colored clastic formation of the Upper Carboniferous (Stephanian) - lower Permian (Otenian). Intermountain troughs (grabens of the same age) are known in the Massif Central, in the Alps and at the base of the Paris Basin. The sedimentary cover of the Epihercynian platform begins from the tops of the Lower Permian. It fills two large depressions - the Parisian and Aquitaine basins (syneclises), connected by the "Strait of Poitou", which separates the Armorican and Central massifs - basement ledges. The Parisian pool has more simple structure, while the southern part of the Aquitaine basin is complicated by salt tectonics associated with the development of salt-bearing strata in the Upper Triassic. Jurassic Cretaceous, Lower Paleogene formations are shallow marine sediments (clays), a general regression begins in the Oligocene, and marine sediments in the Paris Basin are replaced by continental ones; in the Aquitaine basin, the marine regime persists until the Miocene inclusive. In the Triassic, the Alps still represented part of the Epihercynian platform, and at the beginning of the Jurassic, rifting occurred here, and a basin with oceanic crust emerged - part of the Tethys; relics of its crust are represented by the Pennine zone - the most internal zone Alps The ophiolites are overlain by a sequence of Lower Cretaceous "shiny shales" and Upper Cretaceous-Paleogene flysch. The outer zones of the Alps belonged to the underwater margin of the European continent; on the Hercynian basement, protruding in the so-called Outer Crystalline Massif, lie lagoonal sediments of the Triassic and shallow-marine Jurassic, Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene. Major deformations of the Alps began at the end of the Eocene and continued until the late Miocene. They were caused by the collision of the Adriatic microcontinent (Apulia) with the continent of Eurasia and led to the formation of an extremely complex nappe-thrust structure with a whole system of nappes moved in the western and northwestern directions. In the Oligocene-Miocene, a meridional system of rift grabens of the Saone and Rhone stretched between the Alps and the Massif Central, opening into the Mediterranean Sea; it forms part of a more extensive Western European rift system, which also includes the Rhine Graben and extends from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The Pyrenees are connected to the Alps through the latitudinal fold structures of Provence and the Gulf of Lyon. They also arose on the Hercynian basement, protruding to the surface in their axial part in a number of massifs; platform development here continued almost until the end of the Early Cretaceous (Albian), after which relatively deep-sea troughs arose on both sides of the Hercynian axis on the thinned continental crust with the accumulation of a thick layer of Upper Cretaceous - Lower Paleogene flysch. At the end of the Eocene, these strata underwent intense folding and thrusting; on the territory of France, the formations of the North Pyrenees trough were thrust onto the Pre-Pyrenees trough, filled with Oligocene-Miocene molasse and closing in the east, bordering the Aquitaine basin. In the Pliocene, almost the entire territory of France became dry land; The Armorican, Massif Central and Vosges mountains experienced uplift. In the Massif Central it was relatively most intense and was accompanied by an outbreak volcanic activity; volcanic apparatuses are well preserved in the relief.

Hydrogeology. On the territory of France there are large hydrogeological structures: the Parisian, Aquitaine, Upper Rhine, Brest-Lyon artesian basins; Central French, Armorican, Vosges massifs; in the extreme east and south of the country there are folded regions of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Thermal mineral waters, especially carbonated ones, are widely used throughout the country. Their outcrops gravitate towards areas of Neogene-Quaternary volcanism; their discharge is controlled by zones of faults and feathering cracks. Mineralization up to 7 g/l, less often up to 30 g/l, composition HCO 3 -, HCO 3 - - SO 4 2-, HCO 3 - - Cl -, temperature above 40°C. There are resorts at many deposits (Vichy, Royat, La Bourboule). Groundwater from deep horizons of the sedimentary section with temperatures up to 80-90°C is used in industry and in everyday life for heating.

Minerals. France is rich in a variety of mineral resources. Among Western European countries, France ranks leading place on reserves of uranium, iron ore, lithium, niobium, tantalum. Significant reserves of bauxite, gold, tin, fluorite, barite, talc and other minerals have been explored (Table 1).

Deposits of potassium salts are concentrated in the Haut-Rhin department. Productive salt-bearing sediments of Tertiary age occur in the Alsace salt-bearing basin. The average K 2 O content is 19%.

Significant reserves of rock salt have been identified in Lorraine. The largest deposits: Varengeville (Meurthe-et-Moselle departments), Vauvers (Bouches-du-Rhone department), Urcuy, Dax (Landes department), etc. High concentrations table salt established in the sea waters of the Mediterranean coast, especially in the Bouches-du-Rhône department.

Sulfur deposits characterized in general low quality ores are concentrated in Languedoc and Provence. The most significant Malvezi deposit, northwest of the city of Narbonne, discovered in 1892 and explored in 1942, is represented by finely dispersed dissemination of sulfur in the Upper Oligocene horizons of clays, marbled limestones and gypsum. S content 8-10%. Sulfur reserves are also contained in the Lac and Pont-d'As-Meillon fields, the natural gas of which contains up to 15% H 2 S.

Fluorite reserves are concentrated in vein ore deposits of medium scale, but relatively high quality ores containing 40-55% CaF 2, often 10-25% BaSO 4 The most important deposits: Fonsante (Bap department), Escaro (eastern Pyrenees), Monroc and Mulinal (Tarn department). The Fonsante deposit (hydrothermal, medium-temperature in genesis) is the only one in the world containing up to 15-20% sellite (MgF 2) in its ores in industrial concentrations (in addition to fluorite). The deposit is represented by a system of sublatitudinal veins 400-500 m long and 1-2 m thick among Late Paleozoic gneisses. The veins are composed mainly of fluorite, barite and sulfides. At the Escaro deposit, ore mineralization is represented by metasomatic siderite deposits and cross-cutting quartz-fluorite veins in the Cambrian-Ordovician shale sequence. Fluorite reserves amount to 1 million tons. The largest deposits of stratiform metasomatic ores are Le Bourque (Tarn department) and Le Rossignol (Indre department). Fluorite mineralization of stratiform type (CaF 2 content 35-40%), concentrated mainly within the Morvan syncline, in the south-eastern part of the Paris Basin, is confined to Mesozoic rocks transgressively overlying the Hercynian basement.

The bulk of phosphorite reserves, represented by low-grade ores (P 2 O 5 2.1-20%) such as phosphatized chalk and phosphorite nodules, are concentrated in the Paris Basin (Beauval deposit).

The largest deposits of gypsum are known in the Paris Basin (Taverny, Panchar, Vojour). The Vozhur field is represented by 2 layers: at a depth of 27 m (thickness 19 m) and 33 m (thickness 6 m).

Large reserves of kaolin are located mainly in deposits of high-quality raw materials in Brittany (Keccya in the Côtes du Hope department; Ploermel in the Morbihan department; Bérien in the Finistère department), as well as in the Massif Central.

France occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of talc reserves. The largest deposits of Trimoun and Luzenac are located in the Ariège department.

France also has significant reserves of diatomite, feldspar (Saint-Chély-d'Apche deposit in the Lozère department), andalusite (Glomel deposit in the Côtes-du-Hop department), kyanite, quartz sands, limestone, building materials (including facing stones, gravel, sand, roofing shale), bituminous limestones (Avezhan deposit in the Gard department and Pont du Chateau in the Puy de Dome department).

History of development mineral resources . The oldest evidence of the use of stone for making tools in France dates back to the early Acheulian (about 700-500 thousand years ago). Flint and quartzite artifacts from this time were discovered at a Paleolithic human site in Teppa-Amata (Nice). The famous sites and locations of Levallois date back to a somewhat later time: the Le Moustier cave gave the name to the later culture of the Early Paleolithic - Moustier (100-40 thousand years ago); The names of other sites indicate the phases of development of the Late Paleolithic - Aurignac, Solutre, Madeleine (40-12 thousand years ago). Start of regular mining operations with the construction of mines up to 10-15 m deep, adits and other extended workings, it coincides mainly with the Neolithic era (5-3rd millennium BC). Traces of hundreds of such objects from this time have been found in over 50 regions of France. The most significant regions with traces of ancient flint mining are noted in the interfluve of the Seine and Somme, in the valley of the Largue River (eastern Alps), southwest of Metz. Highest value had numerous developments of high-quality flint deposits near Le Grand Presigny (Vienne River, Indre and Loire departments). Flint products were distributed throughout France, as well as beyond its borders, right up to Northern Germany. The burning method was used to excavate the workings. The breed fought back with stone hammers and horn picks and wedges. Numerous collections of these instruments were collected during the clearing of ancient workings in Nointel, Le Grand Presigny, Saint-Michel, Mur-de-Barre and other places. In the 4th-3rd millennium BC. The extraction of building stone begins on a large scale for the construction of numerous religious and grave structures such as menhirs and dolmens. Stone construction reached a particular scale after the conquest of France (formerly Gaul) by Ancient Rome in the 1st century. BC and the inclusion of Gaul in the Roman Empire as a province. The first copper appears in France around the 4th-3rd millennium BC. The ore sources for its smelting remain uncertain. In the 3rd - early 2nd millennium BC. Copper-arsenic alloys or bronze are occasionally used. From 16-15 centuries. BC the number of bronze items increases sharply. Products are cast mainly from tin bronzes: the sources of tin were apparently located in England (Cornwall) and on the Iberian Peninsula. Iron guns relatively widely distributed in the 1st quarter of the 1st millennium BC.

Under the Romans, in the first centuries AD, significant stone mining was noted. So in the Nimes area

minerals france logos, minerals france map
The subsoil of France is rich in a variety of minerals. Among the countries of Western Europe, France occupies a leading place in uranium reserves, iron ore, lithium, niobium, tantalum. Significant reserves of bauxite, gold, tin, fluorite, barite, talc, etc. have been explored (Table 1).

• 1 Main mineral resources of France as of 1998-99
• 2 Certain types of minerals
• 3 See also
• 4 Literature

Main mineral resources of France as of 1998-99

Certain types of minerals

Oil and gas. Oil and gas fields are concentrated in 4 oil and gas basins: Aquitaine, Anglo-Paris, Rhine and Rhone common area. OK. 500 thousand sq. km. All basins are confined to troughs of various genesis of the Western European Epi-Hercynian platform. Sandstones and limestones of the Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Paleogene are productive. The country's largest gas field. - Lac (reserves 250 billion m³) in the Aquitaine basin. Big oil field- Parantis (Aquitaine bass, reserves 20 million tons). Significant deposit. Anglo-Parisian bass. - Shonua (8.5 million tons). In the waters of the north-eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, there are 2 potential oil and gas basins - Western Eprow and Armorican.

Coal. Coal deposits are associated with Carboniferous and Lower Permian masses of foredeep and intermountain troughs, which formed in the Sudeten and Asturian phases of Hercynian tectogenesis. Basic prom. Coal content is confined to the Westphalian stage, to a lesser extent - to the Stefanian stage. Field Namurian and Early Permian age have limited practical significance. Long-flame and gas coal makes up 51% of the total reserves of Kam. coal, fat coal - 38%. The bulk of the Kam reserves. coal is concentrated in the Lorraine Basin. (Saar-Lorraine bass), in bass. Nord-Pas-de-Calais, as well as in numerous small deposits of the French Massif Central. Brown coal deposits are associated with upper sediments. Cretaceous and Cenozoic cover the Epihercynian platform and are concentrated in the south of the country within the Lande and Provence basins.

Uranus. About 30 uranium deposits have been explored in France. with resources of 23.76 thousand tons of uranium, which are concentrated in the zone of the Hercynian uplifts. B.h. (Approx. 60%) of reserves and resources are contained in hydrothermal deposits. vein and veinlet-disseminated ores in the areas of Limousin (approx. 50% of proven reserves), Morvan, Forêt-Madeleine in the Center. French Massif and in the Vendee region in the Armorican Massif.

Iron. Iron ore deposits in France are represented by various types. The largest iron ore region in France is the Lorraine iron ore basin in the east of the country. Big economic importance have deposits of western district. To the field Sumon (Calvados dept.) strata oolitic chlorite-carbonate ores (Fe 36-46%) have been explored. To the south, smaller deposits have been identified. Rouget (dept. Loire-Atlantique) and Segre (dept. Maine-et-Loire) with a Fe content of 33-48%. Small lens and stock deposits of high-quality siderite-hematite ores (Fe 50%) have been explored at the deposit. Baterey in the Pyrenees.

Aluminum ores. represented by bauxites, large deposits of which form the deposit. Mediterranean bauxite province. Field are confined to carbonate strata of the Cretaceous and Jurassic. The main deposits are concentrated in the Var ore district of the department of the same name (Brignolles, Tofone, Saint-Julien, Pegrot), as well as in the departments of Hérault (Bédarieu, Vilverac, La Rouquette), Bouches-du-Rhône (Les Baux), Ariège. Field karst-lens type, sedimentary.

Tungsten. Among the deposits tungsten ores based industrial value have skarn scheelite ores of the deposits. Salo in dep. Ariège. Several were discovered here. ore deposits with a WO3 content of 1.2-1.8% and significant concentrations of Cu, Au, Ag. Stockwork-type ore zones occur in granites, have a strike length of up to 280 m, and a thickness of up to 50 m. scheelite ores (WO3 0.6-1.4%) have been explored in the deposit. Var (Favier), Tarn (Montredon), Haute-Vienne, etc. Within the Center. Franz. hydrothermal vein quartz-wolframite deposits are known from the massif. Angyalis and Lekana. The thickness of the veins is 0.3-1.6 m, the WO3 content is 0.1-1.5%. Deposits have been discovered within the Armorican massif. types new for France: Mo-W-Cu (Bovin) and Mo-W-Pb-Cu (La Rousselière).

Gold. Basic gold ore reserves are associated with the Salsin ore field in the dep. Aude, in the center of the gold-bearing area, pl. OK. 200 km 2. Deposit. vein, up to 3 m thick and bedded up to 7 m thick. Polymetallic ores, except Au (7-20 g/t), containing Ag, Cu, Bi, S and As. A significant part of the Au reserves is contained in the ores of the deposit. Burnex in dep. Top. Vienne. Field gold is also known in the areas of Anjou and Limousin, along the border of the Cévennes; gold bodies were discovered in the area of ​​Lecure and Saint-Irieux (Haute-Vienne).

Copper. Copper ore reserves are associated with Ch. arr. with Hercynian and Alpine deposits of pyrite-polymetallic ores. Field small, but composed of relatively rich ores, are represented by sheet- and lens-shaped deposits of sulfide ores in sedimentary-volcanogenic and terrigenous rocks. The largest deposits of Pb-Zn-Cu ores have been identified in the province. Brittany. Large reserves are available at the field. Bodennek in dep. Finister (Pb 2.65%, Zn 4.3%, Cu 1.6%, Ag 83 g/t). Field A similar type of Port aux Moines has been explored in the dep. Cotes du Nord. The conditions of occurrence of ores are complex, and ores are difficult to process. Within the Armorican massif there are also explored deposits of Cu-Pb-Zn ores: Scriniac, Saint-Toit, etc. Deposits of complex Cu-Pb-Zn ores are known in the dep. Sarthe (RUE), Aveyron (Chessy), Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag ores - in the Morvan region.

Tin. Numerous deposits have been known in France since ancient times. tin ores. They are medium and small in scale, concentrated within Armorican and Center. Franz. arrays. Tin ores are often complex, containing W, Mb, Ta, Li. There are known deposits in the Armorican massif. with a Sn content of 0.1-0.2%, they belong to the cassiterite-quartz (Abbares, Montbello), cassiterite-silicate (Saint-Renan) and cassiterite-greisen types. Tin placers associated with tertiary weathering crusts have been discovered in Brittany. The thickness of the sands is 4-5 m, the cassiterite content is 0.5-0.6 kg/m³. To the Center The massif contains the largest deposits. pegmatite (Montebras) and cassiterite-sulfide Cu-Sn (Charier) types. The ores (50 million tons) of the deposit are of greatest industrial importance. Echacières (dep. Allier), confined to the greisen dome of the Beauvoir granites. The ores contain on average (%): Sn 0.13, Li2O 0.71, Nb2O5 0.22, Ta2O5 0.023.

Rare metals. All reserves of rare metal ores have been explored at the deposit. Eshasier. Deposit of lepidolite-microcline-albite type with tantalite-columbite, cassiterite and amblygonite. Within the framework of the Center. of the massif, lithium pegmatites are developed in the deposit. Croesus and Haute-Vienne, niobium-tantalum pegmatites in the deposit. Saone and Loire, tantalum placers in the dep. Haute-Vienne.

Polymetals. Polymetallic ores (mainly zinc samples), characteristic of western. and south surroundings of the Cévennes, explored for deposits. Noaillac-Saint-Salve in the dep. Tarn and Vielle-Montagne. Basic ore mineral - sphalerite. Avg. the content of Zn in the ores is 10.5%, Ag 85 g/t. Lead ore reserves are located mainly in stratiform polymetallic deposits. epiplatform type, concentrated in the vicinity of the Center. array. Basic The deposits of Le Malin (department of Gard), Largentière (department of Ardèche), and Gardenier (department of Cotes-du-Nord) are of industrial importance. Main ore minerals: silver-bearing galena, sphalenite, pyrite. Vein Fe-Ba-Pb-Zn deposits composed of fluorite-carbonate-sulfide, carbonate-base metal and Pb-Zn-barite veins are also known.

Silver. Reserves of silver ores are insignificant. Actually silver deposits. are missing. Basic Complex deposits are of industrial importance. pyrite-polymetallic and copper-pyrite ores. In dep. Croesus, a stratiform deposit has been explored. Farge Pb-AG-Ba ore. Ore minerals: argentite, electrum, hesite, sylvanite, freibergite and native silver. The Ag content in ores is 15-30 g/t. In stratiform Pb-Zn deposits. silver is present in galena. Ag content in ores is 10-150 g/t.

Antimony. Stibium ore reserves are associated with vein deposits. gold-antimony-quartz type, concentrated in the Armorican massif and the south. parts of the Center array. New deposits Antimony deposits were discovered in the regions of Ronoan (department of Finistère), Quafri (departments of Ile and Vile), as well as on the island. Corsica.

Barite. Basic deposit barites of predominantly stratiform type with a BaSO4 content of 50-97% are located within the Center. French massif. In the veins of deposits filled in the main. barite and fluorite, installed increased concentrations rare earth elements.

Salts. Deposits of potassium salts are concentrated in the dep. Top. Rhine. Productive salt-bearing sediments of Tertiary age occur in the Alsace salt-bearing basin. The average K2O content is 19%.

Significant reserves rock salt discovered in Lorraine. The largest deposits are: Varengeville (Mjort and Moselle), Vauvert (Bouches-du-Rhone), Yurcuy, Dax (Lundy), etc. High concentrations of table salt are found in the sea. Mediterranean waters, especially in the dep. Bouches du Rhone.

Sulfur. Sulfur deposits (with low quality ores) are concentrated in Languedoc and Provence. Large deposit Malvezi, discovered in 1892 and explored in 1942, is represented by finely dispersed disseminated sulfur in upper clays. Oligocene, limestones and gypsum. S content 8-10%. Sulfur reserves are available in the Lac and Pont-d'As-Meillon fields, the natural gas of which contains up to 15% H2.

Fluorite. France ranks sixth in the world (after China, Mexico, South Africa, Mongolia and Russia) in total fluorite reserves (4.4%) and 6th in proven reserves. Fluorite reserves are concentrated in vein ore deposits of medium scale, but with relatively high quality ores containing 40-55% CaF2, often 10-25% BaSO4. The most important deposits: Fonsante (Var), Escaro (Eastern Pyrenees), Monroc and Mulinal (Tarn). Field Fonsante (hydrothermal) is the only one in the world that contains industrial ores. concentrations (except fluorite) up to 15-20% selaite (MgF2). Field represented by a system of sublatitudinal veins with a length of 400-500 m and a thickness of 1-2 m among the late Paleozoic gneisses. The veins are composed basically. fluorite, barite and sulfides.

Phosphorites. The bulk of phosphorite reserves, represented by low-grade ores (P2O5 2.1-20%) such as phosphatized chalk and phosphorite nodules, are concentrated in the Paris Basin. (Boval deposit).

Gypsum. The largest deposits of gypsum are known in the Parisian Basin. (Taverne, Panchar, Vojour). The Vozhur field is represented by 2 layers: at depth. 27 m (thickness 19 m) and 33 m (thickness 6 m).

Kaolin. Large reserves of kaolin are localized in Ch. arr. to the field high-quality raw materials from Brittany (Cessois in the Côtes du Nord; Ploermel in Morbihan; Bérien in Finistère), as well as in the Center. array.

Talc. France occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of talc reserves. The largest deposits are Trimun and Luzenak in the dep. Ariège.

Other minerals. France also has significant reserves of diatomite, feldspar (the Saint-Cheles-d'Apche deposit in the Lozère dept.), andalusite (the Glomel deposit in the Côtes-du-Nord dept.), kyanite, quartz sands, limestone, building materials (facing stones , gravel, sand, roofing shale) bituminous limestones (Avezhan deposits in the Gard dept. and Pont du Chateau in the Puy de Dome dept.).

See also

• History of the development of mineral resources in France
• Mining industry in France
• Economy of France
• Geography of France
• Geology of France
• Hydrogeology of France

Literature

Mountain encyclopedic dictionary, vol. 3. / Ed. V. S. Beletsky. - Donetsk: Vostochny publishing house, 2004. - 752 p. ISBN 966-7804-78-X

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