PICARDY - Geography and history
Lying to the north-west of the Paris Basin, Picardy forms two distinct geological and land types: to the north, an essentially chalky soil, and to the south a more varied countryside in which sand, clay and limestone alternate.
Picardy comprises three départements, Aisne, Oise and Somme, making up a total area of 19 500 km2. The most obvious feature of Picardy's climate is its mildness: mild average temperatures, mild winters, moderate rainfall evenly spread throughout the year.
There is little climatic contrast across the region; the west is slightly more oceanic, the east a little more continental in influence.
The region's river system is not particularly dense or ramified except in the Thiérache, in the north-east. Of the major rivers, the Somme's flow is fairly steady all year round, whilst the Oise shows substantial variations between seasons.
Picardy still has its rural, agricultural character: land under agriculture still accounts for nearly 70% of the region's area. Woodlands are relatively insignificant, at only 16%, mostly concentrated in the Aisne and the Oise départements.
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