Rhône Valley

(Vallée du Rhône), a lowland in southeastern France that stretches about 300 km in a north-south direction along the middle and lower course of the Rhône River between the Alps in the east and the Massif Central in the west.

The Rhône Valley consists of a series of basins separated by uplands, gradually broadening toward the south. Stream terraces composed primarily of alluvium and sometimes strongly dissected are typical. The climate is transitional between temperate and subtropical Mediterranean. Precipitation totals 600 to 800 mm annually. A strong and cold northerly wind called a mistral is observed periodically. Grain, grapes, fruit, and flowers are grown in the valley, and rice is grown in the delta area. Railroads and highways in the Rhône Valley connect northern and southern France. The cities of Lyon, Valence, Avignon, Arles and Nîmes are located in the Rhône Valley.