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Brest, city, France

(Encyclopedia)Brest brĕst [key], city, Finistère dept., NW France, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. It ...

Abbeville, town, France

(Encyclopedia)Abbeville äbvēlˈ [key], town, Somme dept., N France, in Picardy, on the Somme River. Sugar refining, brewing, iron working, and carpet manufacturing are the chief indus...

Ré, island, France

(Encyclopedia)Ré rā [key], island (1991 pop. 13,973), 33 sq mi (85 sq km), Charente-Maritime dept., off La Rochelle, W France, in the Bay of Biscay. The island is largely agricultural; it has oyster beds, some fi...

Tarn, department, France

(Encyclopedia)Tarn tärn [key], department (1990 pop. 343,400), S France, in Languedoc. Albi is the capital. ...

Tarn, river, France

(Encyclopedia)Tarn, river, c.235 mi (380 km) long, rising in the Cévennes Mts., S France, and flowing southwest before emptying into the Garonne River. Deep gorges and canyons formed by the river are tourist attra...

Bayonne, town, France

(Encyclopedia)Bayonne bäyônˈ [key], town, Pyrénées-Atlantiques dept., SW France, in Gascony, on the Ad...

Valence, city, France

(Encyclopedia)Valence väläNsˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 65,026), capital of Drôme dept., SE France, in Dauphiné, on the Rhône River. Its many manufactures include metallurgical products, textiles, leather goods,...

Somme, department, France

(Encyclopedia)Somme sôm [key], department (1990 pop. 548,300), N France, in Picardy, on the English Channel. Amiens is the capital. ...

Somme, river, France

(Encyclopedia)Somme, river, c.150 mi (240 km) long, rising near Saint-Quentin, N France, and flowing generally NW past Amiens into the English Channel; connected by canal with the Scheldt and Oise rivers. Once an o...

Ain, department, France

(Encyclopedia)Ain ăN [key], department, E central France, in Burgundy, bordering on Switzerland. Bourg-en-Bresse is the capital. ...