Geography
With a surface of 551,500 km² (675,417 km² with overseas territories), France stretches over 1,000 km from North to South and from East to West. It is the third biggest country in Europe, after Russia and Ukraine. France has four maritime shorelines. From North to South: the North sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The total length of these coasts is 3,427 km.
Terrestrial borders are 4,082 km long: 620 km with Belgium; 623 km with Spain; 573 km with Switzerland; 488 km with Italy ; 451 km with Germany; 73 km with Luxembourg; 56 km with Andorra; 4 km with Monaco.With its overseas territories, France is also bordering Brazil and Surinam.
Littoral is 3,805 km
Height extremes : - 2 m (the Rhone Delta) > + 4,808 m (Mont Blanc)
Big natural regions
Metropolitan France comprises schematically:
> Ancient mountain massifs: the Armorican massif, the Ardennes, the Moors and the Esterel, the Massif Central (with a volcanic landscape) and the Vosges.
Only the Vosges and the Massif Central can be realistically qualified as mountains.
> Three high mountain ranges massifs:
France has five main rivers:
> The Loire
> The Seine
> The Garonne
> The Rhone
> The Rhin Environment
Agricultural and forestry production covers a surface of 48 millions hectares or 82% of Metropolitan France. 
Forests represent 27% of the territory and constitute the 3rd massif of the European Union after those of Sweden and Finland. The surface of French forest increased by 35% since 1945 and doubled in the last 200 years. France counts 136 species of trees, and an increasing number of big animals (stags or deers), which is exceptional for a European country.
In order to protect and to exploit France natural heritage, the State has created 6 national parks, 128 nature reserves, 430 biotope protection zones as well as 299 sites protected by the "Littoral Conservatoire". Added to the 29 regional natural parks, protected zones cover more than 7% of the territory.