France Geography Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
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- What is the highest mountain in France, at about 4,806 metres?
- A. Mont Ventoux
- B. Barre des Écrins
- C. Vignemale
- D. Mont Blanc
- What is the name of the highest dune in Europe, in the Gironde, rising over 100 metres?
- A. The Merlimont dune
- B. The Dune du Pilat
- C. The Arcachon dune
- D. The Biscarrosse dune
- Which river marks the border between French Guiana and Brazil, crossed by a bridge opened to traffic in 2017?
- A. The Oyapock
- B. The Maroni
- C. The Amazon
- D. The Approuague
- What is the largest region of metropolitan France by area?
- A. Grand Est
- B. Occitanie
- C. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- D. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- What is the most populous region of France?
- A. Hauts-de-France
- B. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- C. Île-de-France
- D. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Which French mountain range gave its name to a geological period, the Jurassic?
- A. The Alps
- B. The Vosges
- C. The Massif Central
- D. The Jura
- Which area of the Rhône delta is famous for its pink flamingos, bulls and white horses?
- A. The Sologne
- B. The Camargue
- C. The Brenne
- D. The Marais Poitevin
- Which structure in the Aveyron, opened in 2004, is the tallest bridge in the world by the height of its piers?
- A. The Millau Viaduct
- B. The Pont de Normandie
- C. The Pont du Gard
- D. The Garabit Viaduct
- What is the largest natural lake located entirely in France?
- A. Lake Geneva
- B. Lac du Bourget
- C. Lake Annecy
- D. Lac de Serre-Ponçon
- Which lake in Haute-Savoie is often described as one of the purest in Europe?
- A. Lake Paladru
- B. Lake Annecy
- C. Lake Vassivière
- D. Lake Guerlédan
- Which estuary, the largest in Western Europe, is formed where the Garonne meets the Dordogne?
- A. The Arcachon basin
- B. The Loire estuary
- C. The Seine estuary
- D. The Gironde estuary
- What does the name ‘Finistère’, the department at the tip of Brittany, mean?
- A. The land of fairies
- B. The end of the earth
- C. The land of sailors
- D. The endless sea
- In which chasm in the Lot can you take a boat along an underground river more than 100 m below ground?
- A. The Aven Armand
- B. The Gouffre de Padirac
- C. Lascaux Cave
- D. The Gouffre de Proumeyssac
- Which mountain range separates Alsace from Lorraine?
- A. The Vosges
- B. The Jura
- C. The Ardennes
- D. The Morvan
- Which river flows through Paris before reaching the English Channel at Le Havre?
- A. The Marne
- B. The Loire
- C. The Seine
- D. The Oise
- What is the second-largest city in France by population?
- A. Marseille
- B. Lyon
- C. Toulouse
- D. Nice
- Which 17th-century canal, a UNESCO site, links Toulouse to the Mediterranean?
- A. The Rhône–Rhine Canal
- B. The Burgundy Canal
- C. The Canal du Midi
- D. The Nantes–Brest Canal
- Which cheese is named after a small village in the Orne, in Normandy?
- A. Camembert
- B. Brie
- C. Roquefort
- D. Comté
- Which is the largest French department by area?
- A. Réunion
- B. Gironde
- C. Landes
- D. French Guiana
- What nickname is often given to metropolitan France because of its shape?
- A. The Diamond
- B. The Pentagon
- C. The Hexagon
- D. The Boot
Answer key — France Geography Quiz
- D. Mont BlancThe highest point of the Alps and Western Europe, Mont Blanc's height varies by a few metres depending on the thickness of its ice and snow cap, which surveyors measure regularly.
- B. The Dune du PilatOn the edge of the Arcachon basin, the Dune du Pilat moves several metres a year towards the forest, pushed by the west wind.
- A. The OyapockThe Oyapock separates French Guiana from Brazil in the east, while the Maroni separates it from Suriname in the west.
- D. Nouvelle-AquitaineAt more than 84,000 km², Nouvelle-Aquitaine is bigger than Austria.
- C. Île-de-FranceWith more than 12 million inhabitants on less than 2% of the territory, Île-de-France is home to nearly one French person in five.
- D. The JuraThe fossil-rich limestones of the Jura were used in the 19th century to define this period, from about 200 to 145 million years ago: the golden age of the dinosaurs.
- B. The CamargueBetween the two arms of the Rhône, the Camargue is a vast wetland home to thousands of pink flamingos.
- A. The Millau ViaductDesigned by engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster, it spans the Tarn valley; its tallest mast rises to 343 m, higher than the Eiffel Tower.
- B. Lac du BourgetIn Savoie, the Lac du Bourget is about 18 km long. Lake Geneva is much bigger but is shared with Switzerland, and Serre-Ponçon is an artificial lake created by a dam.
- B. Lake AnnecyPolluted in the 1950s, it was saved thanks to one of the first large sewer networks built around a lake.
- D. The Gironde estuaryAbout 75 km long and more than 10 km wide in places, it links Bordeaux to the ocean.
- B. The end of the earthThe name comes from the Latin ‘finis terrae’: to the Romans, it was the end of the known world.
- B. The Gouffre de PadiracVisitors go down a shaft 75 m wide and about 100 m deep before boarding a boat on a crystal-clear river.
- A. The VosgesWith rounded summits called ‘ballons’, the Vosges peak at the Grand Ballon, 1,424 m.
- C. The Seine777 km long, the Seine passes under 37 bridges in Paris, the oldest of which is, ironically, called the Pont Neuf (‘New Bridge’).
- A. MarseilleFounded around 600 BC by Greek sailors from Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France.
- C. The Canal du MidiConceived by Pierre-Paul Riquet under Louis XIV, it links the Garonne to the Étang de Thau, near Sète, over 240 km.
- A. CamembertThe village of Camembert has only about 200 inhabitants. According to tradition, a farmer named Marie Harel developed the cheese in the late 18th century.
- D. French GuianaAt about 83,500 km², French Guiana alone accounts for nearly a seventh of France's area, as much as Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
- C. The HexagonMetropolitan France roughly resembles a six-sided figure: three sea borders and three land borders.