Geography of Yvelines

The geography of Yvelines is not distinguished basically from that of the Île-de-France and more largely of the Paris basin, which is a vast sedimentary plain. The limits of the department, purely histories and administrative, do not correspond to any natural limit.

Situation

The department of the Yvelines, left south-western old the Seine-et-Oise, belonged to the Area Ile-de-France. Bordering on the departments of the Val-d'Oise in north, of the Hauts-de-Seine in the east, the the Essonne in south-east, Eure-et-Loir in south-west and the the Eure in the west, it makes the transition between the center from the Paris and its suburbs and the Normandy.

It is a relatively small department, accounting for approximately 45% of old the Seine-et-Oise and 18% of the Île-de-France area. It extends on 2.284 km ², that is to say approximately 0,4% of the surface of the Metropolitan France (543 965 km ²).

Physical geography

Geology

Sedimentary layers

The geological structure of Yvelines fits in that of the Ile-de-France and more generally of the Paris basin, vast sedimentary basin, roughly centered on Paris. They is made of a stacking, on a base of Craie of the higher cretaceous, layers Sédiment surfaces of the tertiary era, covered partially by quaternary Alluvion S in the funds of valleys and Loess on the plates.

Resources of the basement

August 1st

Hydrogeology

August 1st

A broken relief not very

Relief of Yvelines east that of a plain cut out by relatively marked valleys, of an average altitude of approximately 150 meters. Its culminating point, 201 meters, is in the wood of Galluis at Lainville-in-Vexin, in the extreme north of the department, in the southern edge of the French Vexin (however a ridges artificial located at Élancourt reaches 231 meters). Its point low, 9 meters, is with Limetz-Villez, not more in the west of the course of the the Seine at the point where it leaves Yvelines to enter the Eure.

Hydrography

The north of Yvelines east crossed of is in west by the the Seine, whose valley is widened by very marked Méandre S (due to the very weak slope of the course of the river). The most marked are the loop of Montesson, that of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer which encloses the forest of the same name and that of Moisson in the west between Mantes-the-Pretty and the Bonnières-on-Seine.

The Oise which throws in the Conflans-Holy-Honorine Seine with traverses only a few kilometers in the department, between the communes of Maurecourt and Conflans-Holy-Honorine.

Many small rivers, of which much takes their source in the solid mass of Rambouillet, irrigate the department before joining the Seine directly or not.

Principal rivers of Yvelines:

in the north of the Seine (Right Bank): the Montcient and the Aubette of Meulan which meet in Hardricourt right before emerging in the Seine, the Epte (which marks the limit with the department of the Eure),
in the south of the Seine (left bank): the Beaver, the Barley, the Yvette and the Rémarde (tributary of the Barley), the Mauldre, the Vaucouleurs, the Drouette and the Vesgre (tributary of the the Eure).

There exists little of stretch of water dormant, the principal ones are the pond of Saint-Quentin and the ponds of Holland, in the sector of Rambouillet, arranged formerly to contribute to the water supply of the park of Versailles.

Along the Seine, many water levels were arranged in old exploitations of sand pits.

Climate

Natural areas of Yvelines

French Vexin, some communes of the northern edge of the department, in the north of the Seine. Area of undulating plate with cultures, meadows and forests.
Mantois (in its broadest meaning, Mantois includes the valley of the Seine downstream, the plain of Versailles and encroaches on French Vexin and Drouais)
Vallée of the Seine (Mantes-the-Pretty) (Seine-downstream) of Triel with Bonnières. On not very fertile alluvia. Careers for the plaster and cement. Main roads of communication towards Rouen and Le Havre; 2 railway lines, the highway of Normandy (A13) doubling the RN 13 and of many conduits (gas pipelines and pipelines). Very industrialized valley (Mureaux, Flins) and very urbanized Conflans-Holy-Honorine with Mantes-the-Pretty
Valley of the Seine (Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer) (Seine-upstream), of Chatou to Poissy, very urbanized, and industrialized (Peugeot with Poissy) also called “Belt of Paris” some relics of the market gardenings (Montesson, Achères) and frutières (Chambourcy - Orgeval) and 3.500 hectares of the forest of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer surrounded by very residential communes.
Flat of Versailles, includes the agglomeration of Versailles and the valleys of the Mauldre and the Ru of Gally as well as Vaucouleurs, to the borders of Drouais.Agriculture on the muddy, surmounted plates sand hillocks and sandstone carrying the forests of Marly the King, of Alluets. in the many alluvial valleys fruit-bearing and market-gardening cultures. very many second home and residential allotments.
Drouais, western edge of the department around Bréval and Houdan
Yveline, on a calcareous plate not covered with silt, includes the 30.000 hectares of the main forest of Rambouillet and the neighbouring communes
Beauce, relates to some communes of the southern point of the department around Ablis, it is the field of the cereal field crop.
Hurepoix, relates to some communes of the south-eastern edge of the department around Saint-Arnoult-in-Yvelines, very victim by many valleys, with cultures and forests.

Human geography

A contrasted human occupation

Main cities

Prefecture and sub-prefectures: Versailles, Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer, Mantes-the-Pretty, Rambouillet
Other important cities: Sartrouville, Poissy, Mureaux, Coals, Conflans-Holy-Honorine, Pleasure, Élancourt, Guyancourt, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Trap door-in-Yvelines.

Axes of communication

The main roads of communication are strongly polarized on Paris and underline the recent character of departmental cutting. One notes their mainly East-West orientation and the absence of North-South axis unifying the departmental territory.

The valley of the Seine, in the north of the department concentrates the principal means of communication: the channeled Seine, the Highway of Normandy (free until Mantes-the-Pretty, a14 highway (with toll) which joined it in Orgeval, the two railway lines Paris-Saint-Lazare - Mantes-The-Pretty on both sides of the Seine.

The network of Pipeline S LHP (Harbor-Paris), exploited by Trapil, follows the course of the Seine and serves in particular the site of Gargenville, from where a control bound for Orleans is detached. The prefecture, Versailles, are in the center of a node of at the same time road and railway communications. Side roads, one notes the trunk roads n° 10 and 12, a13 highways, A12 (whose prolongation towards the south is under studies) and A86 under development between Versailles and Rueil-Malmaison (traced in Tunnel with two superimposed roadways). Railway side, Versailles is connected to Paris by three distinct lines, like with the sub-prefectures of Rambouillet and Mantes-the-Pretty, while waiting for the connection towards Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer, thanks to the start-up of the large western belt considered in the medium term.

Is department, more urbanized, best is also served by the joint grid system of the Ile-de-France. To note in particular the branches of the RER has outcome with Poissy and Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer, and of the RER C in Versailles. Future the T8 line of the Parisian tram will lead to Viroflay.

The southern point of the department, to the borders of the Beauce is crossed by the highways A10 and A11 and accommodates in the territory of the commune of Saint-Arnoult-in-Yvelines one of the most important stations of Péage of France.

To deepen

List of the forests of Yvelines
Roads of Yvelines

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