Physical factors

• Two main climates. Cool temperate Oceanic in the west and Continental in the East
• Precipitation: West 700 mm and East 600 mm
• Average temperature in Summer is 18 degrees while between 2 - 5 in Winter
• The parent rocks and soils consist of broad, shallow downfolds made of Sedimentary rocks
• Sandstone and Limestone at the centre with clay and chalk around the edges
• The centre of the basin contains fertile Limon Soils. They are easily worked by machinery and ideal for cereal growth
• Clay soils are heavier soils suitable for dairy farming
• Alluvial soils around the three rivers that flow through the region. (Seine, Somme, Loire)
• The Paris Basin is part of the Northern European Plane and covers 25% of Francce