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Physical Geography: Mediterranean

NATURAL PRODUCTS.-The cereals flourish in the N., the vine, corn, and other productions of the southern temperate zone in the centre and S., and the olive on the Mediterranean coast, Wheat, rye, corn, oats, barley, and potatoes are among the staple crops. The soil is rich and fertile, and not more than 8 per cent. of the entire area is uncultivated or unproductive. In the N. the dairy interest predominates, and large quantities of hemp and flax are raised. The cultivation of the grape constitutes one of the chief industries, and in this respect France leads all the nations of Europe. Tobacco is grown in the N.-E. and S. W., and fruit trees abound in all the departments. The culture of beet-root for sugar making occupies a large area. Immense numbers of cattle, sheep and swine are raised. Poultry is a large industry, and large quantities of butter and eggs are exported from Normandy to England. Timber is comparatively scarce, but the forests still cover nearly 16th of the total area. The fisheries, both of the coast and rivers, are a source of considerable wealth, the most important being the pilchard and herring fisheries in the Atlantic, and the tunny fishing in the Mediterranean.

MINING AND MANUFACTURING. - The mineral wealth of France is widely distributed. There are large deposits of iron ore in many sections, the annual production being not less than 3,000,000 tons. Coal beds are numerous in Northern, Central, and Southern France, and coal is extensively mined. The annual production is about 17,000,000 tons. Lead, copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese, and other metals are abundant, and there is a very large production of salt, both from mines and springs. Mineral springs are also extremely plentiful. Marble, granite, alabaster, slate, and building stone are found in the mountains in ample quantity for all purposes. The manufactures of France are of great importance, and its industrial rank is next to Great Britain. Silk and cotton goods, hardware, cutlery, porcelain, leather, woolen goods, linens, and sugar are among the chief products. The great iron works of Creuzot, Nevers, and St. Etienne, the silk factories of Lyons, Avignon, Tours, and Nimes, and the porcelain factories of Sevres, Limoges, Nevers, and Montereau, are widely known. The woolen manufacture has its chief seats at Rheims, Amiens, St. Omer, Sedan, and Louviers, and employs over 3,200,000 spindles. Linens are manufactured chiefly in the northern departments; cotton goods in Normandy and the Vosges, where over 6,000,000 spindles are employed. Leather is exported in great quantities, the chief seats of the leather manufacture being Paris and Grenoble. It would be impossible to give a list of even the chief manufactures of such cities as Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Valenciennes, and many others. In jewelry, lace, cutlery, silk fabrics, superior muslins and cambrics, mirrors, embroideries, and thousands of articles of usefulness and luxury, France stands prominent among the nations. Its production of beet sugar is enormous.