The topography of France is highly varied, generally sloping from east to west. The highest point is Mont Blanc in the French Alps, soaring to 4,805 meters (15,764 feet)—the highest peak in Western Europe. The lowest point is Les Moëres, a commune in the north situated about 2.5 meters below sea level.
France's landscape can be broadly divided into distinct zones: the towering, rugged ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to the east and south; the older, heavily forested, and rolling highlands of the Massif Central, Vosges, and Jura mountains; and the extensive flat or gently undulating plains that make up the northern and western regions, notably the Paris and Aquitaine basins. The country also boasts over 3,400 kilometers of coastline, ranging from the dramatic chalk cliffs of Normandy to the sandy beaches of the Riviera.
