France is weird:
Why is it the biggest sea country worldwide?
Why was it the most powerful?
Why not anymore, even in Europe?
Why the only EU country that belongs to both north & south?
Why did it form so early, >1000 years ago?
It all starts here:
The 1st thing you notice: southern Europe is awfully mountainous
Which is why the early phase of Roman expansion was limited to the Mediterranean: they were a sailing civilization, so couldn't stray much from the sea, especially beyond massive mountain ranges.
Meanwhile, northern Europe has the vast Northern European Plain: flat and with slow rivers flowing from the southern mountains, it has the highest density of natural navigable waterways in the world.
This is the main reason why northern Europe is richer than the south:
+ fertile land➡️+food ➡️+ppl
+navigable waterways➡️transport is 10x cheaper➡️+wealth/person
+ fertile land➡️+food ➡️+ppl
+navigable waterways➡️transport is 10x cheaper➡️+wealth/person
These southern European mountains are there because of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates colliding. The Northern European Plain is unaffected, but receives the water from the mountains.
But here's the very weird feature that France has, unlike any other northern European plain country: it has 2 passes through the mountains: one through the Rhône river valley, the other around the city of Carcassonne
This is what these passes look like, zooming in:
Initially, technology/civilization emerged from the Middle East, slowly moving through the Mediterranean:
Phoenicians➡️Greeks➡️Romans
youtu.be/yKJYXujJ7sU
Phoenicians➡️Greeks➡️Romans
youtu.be/yKJYXujJ7sU
Tech spread north through these passes: Every early civ that went south to north used them, starting with Caesar's conquest of Gaul through the Rhône valley, and continuing with Muslims.
Over the centuries, as tech spread & pop grew, northern plains grew richer & surpassed the south.
This made FR richer than any other Northern European Plains country. Why? Because most other rivers in Europe flow straight into the North Sea, forming their own independent culture
This made FR richer than any other Northern European Plains country. Why? Because most other rivers in Europe flow straight into the North Sea, forming their own independent culture
But not France: all 5 big rivers have sources so close to each other that they always formed an economic unit:
The Seine touches the Loire and the Saône (which can be navigated to the Rhône)
The Loire touches the Dordogne, which connects with the Garonne.
The Seine touches the Loire and the Saône (which can be navigated to the Rhône)
The Loire touches the Dordogne, which connects with the Garonne.
They all formed a cultural & economic unit.
You can also see the importance of rivers in the location of cities: all the main ones are at the confluence of rivers:
Paris? Seine & Marne
Lyon? Rhône & Saône
Bordeaux? Garonne & Dordogne
Tours? Loire & Cher
Nantes? Loire & Sèvre
Etc
You can also see the importance of rivers in the location of cities: all the main ones are at the confluence of rivers:
Paris? Seine & Marne
Lyon? Rhône & Saône
Bordeaux? Garonne & Dordogne
Tours? Loire & Cher
Nantes? Loire & Sèvre
Etc
Paris is an interesting case:
• Confluence of Seine&Marne
• The Seine is central: close to Loire&Rhône
• Middle of superfertile Beauce region
• Seine’s mouth is close to England, Netherlands, Germany, Baltics…
• Originally on an island (l’Île de la Cité) for defense
• Confluence of Seine&Marne
• The Seine is central: close to Loire&Rhône
• Middle of superfertile Beauce region
• Seine’s mouth is close to England, Netherlands, Germany, Baltics…
• Originally on an island (l’Île de la Cité) for defense
So the north is rich. But regions north & south of Europe rarely united because of the mountains. FR, however, with 2 passes, would eventually unite. Without them, it would have been very different
The south would have formed an independent country (Provence?), with its own national language (Occitan?), its capital (Marseille?), its wealth (from agriculture, trade through the Rhône and Mediterranean?) and its history.
It used to be, connected to the Kingdom of Aragon
It used to be, connected to the Kingdom of Aragon
But eventually, lords from northern France conquered it.
It's a fascinating story of a Secret Medieval Sect, an Angry Pope, an Opportunistic Lord, a Genocide, and Europe’s Destiny.
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/frances-bowe…
It's a fascinating story of a Secret Medieval Sect, an Angry Pope, an Opportunistic Lord, a Genocide, and Europe’s Destiny.
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/frances-bowe…
Without the union of N&S, France would never have been the powerhouse it was, because that power came from its size & population
The moment FR lost the lead, Germany, the US, the UK passed it and took over. That's why France is not the most powerful country, not even in Europe
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/children-equ…
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/children-equ…
Why France, despite being the biggest country in Europe, with amazing land, is not the most populated? Because of secularization. Ppl just started having fewer kids due to the ideas of the Enlightenment, born there
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/the-twin-rev…
unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/the-twin-rev…
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