Coastal France

# Chapter 1: Where Land Meets Sea

The French coastline stretches for nearly 5,500 kilometers, a sinuous line where the ancient land of Gaul meets two very different seas. This meeting place has shaped the nation's history, culture, and identity in ways both profound and subtle. From the dramatic cliffs of Normandy to the sun-drenched beaches of the Riviera, from the wild Atlantic shores of Brittany to the ancient ports of the Mediterranean, France's coasts tell a story of human resilience, natural beauty, and constant change.

To understand France is to understand its relationship with the sea. This is a nation that has looked outward from its shores for millennia, sending explorers, merchants, and fishermen across the waves while welcoming influences from distant lands. The sea has brought prosperity and devastation, inspiration and isolation, sustenance and struggle. It has carved not just the physical landscape but the cultural one as well, creating distinct regional identities that persist even in our globalized age.