Waterways have historically shaped France's trade, agriculture, and urban development.
* **Major Rivers:** The Seine (flowing through Paris), the Loire (the longest river in France, famous for its châteaux), the Rhône (crucial for southern wine regions), the Garonne, and the Rhine (forming the border with Germany). * **Lakes:** Lake Annecy is known as Europe's cleanest lake. Other notable lakes include Lake Geneva (Lac Léman, shared with Switzerland) and Lac de Sainte-Croix. * **Coasts:** France boasts expansive coastlines along the English Channel (La Manche) to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.