UPPER NORMANDY INFORMATION
UPPER NORMANDY Topography
Coastal region of northwest France lying between Lower-Normandy and Picardy, bisected by the River Seine population. It comprises the departments of Eure and Seine-Maritime. The capital of Normandy is Rouen, known for its cathedral (highest in France). Its area of 12 317 km2 makes it one of France's smallest regions in terms of size.
Upper Normandy (Norman: Ĥâote-Normaundie; French: Haute-Normandie) is one of the 26 regions of France. It was created in 1956 from two départements: Seine-Maritime and Eure, when Normandy was divided into Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy. This division continues to provoke controversy, and some continue to call for regrouping of the two. However, the name Upper Normandy existed prior to 1956 and referred by tradition to territories currently included within the administrative region: the Pays de Caux, the Pays de Bray (not that of Picardy), the Roumois, the Campagne of Le Neubourg, the Plaine de Saint André and the Norman Vexin. Today, most of the Pays d'Auge, as well as a small portion of the Pays d'Ouche, are located in Lower Normandy.
Rouen is the regional capital, historically important with many fine churches and buildings, including the tallest cathedral tower in France. The region's largest city, in terms of metropolitan population, is Le Havre. The region is twinned with the London Borough of Redbridge in the United Kingdom. Its economy is centred around agriculture, industry, petrochemicals and tourism.
UPPER NORMANDY Climate
Weather is similar to the South of England with distinct seasons. Perhaps slightly warmer and sunnier in the Summer! The countryside is green so it does rain.
UPPER NORMANDY Demographics
In January 2006 the population of Normandy (including the part of Perche which lies inside the Orne département but excluding the Channel Islands) was estimated at 3,260,000 with an average population density of 109 inhabitants per km², just under the French national average, but rising to 147 for Upper Normandy.
UPPER NORMANDY Geography
The historical Duchy of Normandy was a formerly independent duchy occupying the lower Seine area, the Pays de Caux and the region to the west through the Pays d'Auge as far as the Cotentin Peninsula.
The region is bordered along the northern coasts by the English Channel. There are granite cliffs in the west and limestone cliffs in the east. There are also long stretches of beach in the centre of the region. The bocage typical of the western areas caused problems for the invading forces in the Battle of Normandy. There are meanders of the Seine as it approaches its estuary which form a notable feature of the landscape.
The highest point is the Signal d'Écouves (417m) in the Massif armoricain.
Normandy is sparsely forested[4]: 12.8% of the territory is wooded, compared to a French average of 23.6%, although the proportion varies between the departments. Eure has most cover (21%) while Manche has least (4%), a characteristic shared with the Islands.
UPPER NORMANDY History
Archaeological finds, such as cave paintings, prove that humans were present in the region in prehistoric times.
Belgian and Celts, known as Gauls, invaded Normandy in successive waves from the 4th century BC to the 3rd century BC.
When Julius Caesar invaded Gaul, there were nine different Gallic tribes in Normandy.[3]
The Romanisation of Normandy was achieved by the usual methods: Roman roads and a policy of urbanisation. Classicists have knowledge of many Gallo-Roman villas in Normandy.
In the late 3rd century, barbarian raids devastated Normandy. Coastal settlements were raided by Saxon pirates. Christianity also began to enter the area during this period. In 406, Germanic tribes began invading from the east, while the Saxons subjugated the Norman coast. The Roman Emperor withdrew from most of Normandy.
As early as 486, the area between the River Somme and the River Loire came under the control of the Frankish lord Clovis.
The fiefdom of Normandy was created for the Viking leader Rollo (also known as Robert of Normandy). Rollo had besieged Paris but in 911 entered vassalage to the king of the West Franks Charles the Simple through the Treaty of Saint Clair-sur-Epte. In exchange for his homage and fealty, Rollo legally gained the territory which he and his Viking allies had previously conquered. The name "Normandy" reflects Rollo's Viking (i.e. "Northman") origins.
The descendants of Rollo and his followers adopted the local Gallo-Romantic language and intermarried with the area’s original inhabitants. They became the Normans – a Norman French-speaking mixture of Scandinavians, Hiberno-Norse, Orcadians, Anglo-Danish, and indigenous Franks and Gauls.
Rollo's descendant William, Duke of Normandy became king of England in 1066 in the Norman Conquest.
UPPER NORMANDY Main cities
Bernay, Dieppe, Evreux, Fécame, Le Havre, Louviers, Rouen.
UPPER NORMANDY Wine
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