Alsace (French: Alsace, pronounced [alzas]; Alsatian and German: Elsass, pre-1996 German: Elsaß) is one of the 26 regions of France, located on the eastern border of France, on the west bank of the Upper Rhine, adjacent to Germany and Switzerland. The name "Alsace" derives from the Germanic Ell-sass, meaning "Seated on the Ill"[2]; the Ill is a river in Alsace. Its capital and largest city is Strasbourg. Alsace, previously a part of the Holy Roman Empire, changed hands between France and Germany several times between the 17th and 20th century.
In the course of the 17th century, the entirety of Alsace was gradually annexed under kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France and made one of the provinces of France. Alsace is frequently (although now informally) mentioned in conjunction with Lorraine, because possession of these two régions (as Alsace-Lorraine) was often contested in the 19th and 20th century, following a division among the successors of Charlemagne in the 9th century.
Although Alsace is a German dialect speaking region for most of its history, today nearly all Alsatians speak French. About 25% of the local population is still fluent in the Alsatian language (as a mother tongue) or in German (as a second language). The place names in this article are in French. See this list for the original German place names.
Geography
Topography
Alsace has an area of 8,283 km², making it the smallest région of metropolitan France. It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the Rhine in the east and the Vosges mountains in the west.
It includes the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin (known previously as Sundgau and Nordgau). It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south, and Lorraine on the west.
Several valleys are also found in the région. Its highest point is the Ballon de Guebwiller in Haut-Rhin, which reaches a height of 1426m.
The ballon de Guebwiller, southern face, since the valley of the Thur
[edit] Geology
Alsace is the part of the plain of the Rhine located at the west of the Rhine, on its left bank. It is a rift or graben, from the Oligocene epoch , associated with its horsts : the Vosges and the Black Forest. The Jura Mountains, formed by slip (induced by the alpine uplift) of the mesozoic cover on the triassic formations goes through the area of Belfort.
[edit] Flora
It contains many forests, primarily in the Vosges and in Bas-Rhin (Haguenau Forest).
[edit] Climate
Alsace has a semi-continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot summers. There is little precipitation because the Vosges protect it from the west. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate; it is the second driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of just 550 mm, making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine).
Alsace has an area of 8,283 km², making it the smallest région of metropolitan France. It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the Rhine in the east and the Vosges mountains in the west.
It includes the départements of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin (known previously as Sundgau and Nordgau). It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south, and Lorraine on the west.
Several valleys are also found in the région. Its highest point is the Ballon de Guebwiller in Haut-Rhin, which reaches a height of 1426m.
The ballon de Guebwiller, southern face, since the valley of the Thur
[edit] Geology
Alsace is the part of the plain of the Rhine located at the west of the Rhine, on its left bank. It is a rift or graben, from the Oligocene epoch , associated with its horsts : the Vosges and the Black Forest. The Jura Mountains, formed by slip (induced by the alpine uplift) of the mesozoic cover on the triassic formations goes through the area of Belfort.
[edit] Flora
It contains many forests, primarily in the Vosges and in Bas-Rhin (Haguenau Forest).
[edit] Climate
Alsace has a semi-continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot summers. There is little precipitation because the Vosges protect it from the west. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate; it is the second driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of just 550 mm, making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine).
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