Understand
The Rhône-Alpes region has a huge diversity of landscapes due to its climactic and topographic variation.
The topography of the Rhône-Alpes region consists of two areas of high elevation divided by the Rhône Valley, which runs north-south. The western mountains are part of the Massif Central. It is an area of high hills and plateaus, mostly made of old, acidic metamorphic rock. East of the Rhône Valley plains are the Alps. these tall, young mountains are themselves very diverse and should be divided into at least two groups. A central part of the region is occupied by a north-south line of well-defined mountainous massifs: from north to south, Bornes, Beauges, Chartreuse, Vercors, Baronies. These mountains are mainly made of limestone and are becoming a karst landscape. Another, less prominent valley divides this central area from the eastern part of the region, the Alps proper, which contains some of Europe's highest mountains, such as Mont Blanc. These mountains are made of acidic rocks such as granite.
The diverse climate of the Rhône-Alpes region is due to a blending of four weather influences: Mediterranean to the south, Alpine to the east, Continental to the north, and Atlantic to the west.
