CEvennes, French Physical Geography

Related Category: French Physical Geography

CEvennes[sAven´] Pronunciation Key, mountain range, S France, bordering the Massif Central on the southeast. The CEvennes proper occupy the central section of a mountainous arc (average height 3,000 ft/910 m), swinging generally NE from the Montagne Noire (NE of Toulouse) to Mont Pilat (SW of Lyons). Between the CEvennes proper and the Montagne Noire are the Causses : barren limestone plateaus intersected by deep chasms and ravines. The Loire, Allier, Lot, Tarn, Aveyron, HErault, Gard, and ArdEche rivers all radiate from the CEvennes or the Causses. Mont LozEre (5,584 ft/1,702 m) is the highest peak of the CEvennes proper; Mont MEzenc rises to 5,753 ft (1,754 m). The cultivation of silkworms and the manufacture of silk were characteristic of the area, but the silk industry has greatly declined. Heavy industry in AlEs is on the decline. Intensive sheep raising in the interior has worsened erosion, but a reforestation program has been started.