The international geography . comprise the na-tional high roadSjthe mag-nificent engineering ofwhich is a heritage fromancient France, depart-mental roads and parish roads. The expansion of railways has thrownundeserved discredit on the old roads which, after all, are their naturaltributaries. Steam tramways and motor cars, not to speak of bicycles, have,however) led to an increase of road traffic, which produces its effect on thenational statistics. Waterways.—The rivers, whose harmonious arrangement had attractedthe attention of Strabo, have been regulated and deepened so as to rendertheir c
The international geography . comprise the na-tional high roadSjthe mag-nificent engineering ofwhich is a heritage fromancient France, depart-mental roads and parish roads. The expansion of railways has thrownundeserved discredit on the old roads which, after all, are their naturaltributaries. Steam tramways and motor cars, not to speak of bicycles, have,however) led to an increase of road traffic, which produces its effect on thenational statistics. Waterways.—The rivers, whose harmonious arrangement had attractedthe attention of Strabo, have been regulated and deepened so as to rendertheir current more uniform and permanent. A depth of nearly 7 feet nowprevails in more than a quarter of the rivers used for navigation. Engineershave made projects for improving the sluggish and capricious Loire, andthey have overcome in part the rapid current of the Rhone, for althoughthe ascent of that river is always difficult it is descended by numerousvessels. In the north of France the triumph of the engineers is Fig, 123,—The Rivers and Canals of Fiance. 24^ The International Geography Works carried on between 1878 and 1886 have established a depth ot wat^^.rexceeding 10 feet on the Seine between Paris and Rouen, and the traffic onthat section has doubled in less than 20 years. Paris has become theprincipal port of France, and although, strictly speaking, it cannot be termeda seaport, it yet maintains regular direct communication with such placesas Nantes and London. The natural waterways are supplemented by anexcellent system of canals, the best of w^hich are those of the north andeast of France, but one-half of the canals in the country have a depthexceeding 6^ feet. Water transport has been rendered more and moreeconomical by the introduction of steam traction, and of such moderndevelopments as electric power in the tunnel of the Burgundy canal, andhydraulic lifts at Fontinettes on the Neuffosse. Forty-two per cent, of themineral fuel for Paris is brought int
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectgeography, bookyear19
