| As the largest country in Western Europe, France (80% the size of Texas) has diverse geography to include vast plains, gentle rolling hills, rugged coastal cliffs of the north and Mediterranean beaches in the south, and the splendid Alps of the east. Mont Blanc, the highest point in western Europe, is located in the southern Alps of France. Continental France is divided into four climatic zones: - Oceanic and humid climate with often cool summers to the west of a line from Bayonne to Lille
- Semi-continental climate with harsh winters and hot summers in Alsace, Lorraine, along the Rhône corridor and in the mountainous massifs (Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central)
- Intermediate climate with cold winters and hot summers in the north, and in the Paris and central regions
- Mediterranean climate with mild winters and very hot summers in the south of France
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