Corbières maritimes

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View of Fitou, with the Etang de Leucate and Leucate in the background

The Corbières maritimes are a natural unit of the Occitania region . Under Corbières maritimes one understands the coastal descent of the Corbières (mountainous country) into the Mediterranean.

geography

The Corbières maritimes are located in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Aude departments . Corbières maritimes is understood to mean the coastal waste of the Corbières (mountainous region) into the Mediterranean or the compensation coast with the various brackish water lakes (Étangs, such as Étang de Sigean , Étang de Lapalme , Étang de Leucate ) from Narbonne to Leucate . In the east (ie towards the sea) the Corbières maritimes are bounded by Cap Romarin and Cap Leucate .

The Corbières maritimes are distinguished from the rest of the Corbières primarily in terms of climatic geography and vegetation geography. The Corbières maritimes are equated with the thermo-Mediterranean vegetation level. Long periods of frost are virtually impossible there. The southern part of the Corbières maritimes was designated by the French geographers and plant geographers Gaussen and Flahaut as the "Zone de l'Oranger" (in German orange zone).

The weather in the Corbières maritimes is largely dominated by the Tramontane , a strong north wind. That is why the Corbières maritimes are one of the most ventilated regions in France. That is why the brackish water lakes (étangs) in the coastal area are used by windsurfers .

Parts of the area lie in the Regional Nature Park Narbonnaise en Méditerranée .

Agriculture and viticulture

A very large part of the Corbières maritimes is congruent with the AOC Fitou . In the southern part of the Corbières maritimes, ie south of Cap Leucate , commercial citrus cultivation ( oranges , bitter oranges and mandarins ) was operated until 1950 . This is why Gaussen also called this area the "Zone de l 'Oranger".

economy

Thanks to the Tramontane , the Corbières maritimes are among the most ventilated regions in France and Western Europe. That is why the Corbières maritimes is the largest wind farm in France.

Major cities and settlements