Geography of Alp-of-High-Provence

The department of the Alpes de Haute-Provence is a French department located in the Mediterranean south-east of France.

General characteristics

Extended

The territory of the department includes a surface of more than 6920 km ², which makes a relatively wide department of it. This impression of space extent is reinforced by the stretching of this territory (more than 140 km in its bigger length NE-SW) and by a relief with the chaotic configuration, which places the two communes most distant at nearly 200 km from road distance and more than 3 hours of road. This territory extends on

a zone from plates limestones and molassic in which the Durance and some of its affluents dug valleys;
the south-eastern end of Baronnies and the mountain of Lure;
Préalpes of Sisteron (massive of Monges), of Worthy and the the Verdon, as well as part of the valley of the VAr (e.g. Entrevaux).
solid mass of the White one;
the high valley of the Verdon;
all the valley of Ubaye.

Natural borders

Départment is well delimited (except for some enclaves) by:

the Verdon in the south;
the plate of Vaucluse and the plain of Apt in the west;
the Durance between Sisteron and Greenhouse-Ponçon;
the watershed Ubaye/the Durance between Greenhouse-Ponçon and the Italian border (northern);
the watershed Rhône/Pô on the Italian border;
the watershed the Durance/Var enters the Italian border (southern) and the Grand Coyer.

Subdivisions

Country of Forcalquier: is located at semi way between the Alps and the Mediterranean. It is the country of the priories. There is an observatory of astronomy located at Saint-Michel-the Observatoire. The country lives at the rate/rhythm of animations which proceed throughout the year: e.g. Cheese celebrates, celebrates excursion, etc the principal city is Forcalquier.

Vallée of Ubaye is located at the north of frontier Alp-of-High-Provence of the Italy. It is the country of the running water sports in Europe. In summer many tourist-cycling and in winter ago one made there ski touring. The principal city is Barcelonnette.

The Valley of the Durance is located in highway furrow of the A51. It is the economic heart of the department. It is a very contrasted country: plains and mountains, hills and plates. The sunning is exceptional there and the purity of the sky is legendary. There is an alive culture whose Giono had been made the cantor. The principal city is Manosque.

The Valley of the Bléone is also a very dynamic place in the center of the department, the valleys alentoures join all that of Bléone. The principal city is Worthy-the-Baths.

Country of the the Verdon: is located at the south of the area. The Gorges of the Verdon form the largest canyons of Europe. There are 5 lakes: Lake Castillon, of Chaudanne, Holy-Cross, Quinson and Esparron. It is the country of the historical and ancestral villages (Riez, Castellane, Moustiers-Holy-Marie). There are many fields of lavender on the Plateau of Valensole. Principal city: Castellane, Valensole and Laugh. Valley Of Ales - the High-Verdon is located at the doors of the National park of Mercantour to the sources of the Verdon. The Lac of Ales is more the big lake of altitude of Europe. Of this fact, in winter, the area is favourable with the winter sports. Principal city: Ales

Valley of the White-Valley of Bès is located in balcony at the top of the Lac of Greenhouse-Ponçon at the north of the the Alps. It is a paradise for in love ones with big spaces as well as mountains. In the center of the valley niche Seyne the Alps, where people live a simple and calm life in contact with nature. Principal city: the Seyne-the-Alps

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