Crau
Encyclopedia
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Durance
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
and Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
, and constitutes their vast flat alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
.
Agriculture
The Crau is composed of two different parts:The dry Crau is in the south, and has been used as pasture from Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times. There are 100 000 sheep as of today, including the Merino sheep.
The wet Crau is in the north and includes the communes of Saint-Martin-de-Crau
Saint-Martin-de-Crau
Saint-Martin-de-Crau is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Inhabitants are called Saint-Martinois.-Population:...
, Eyguières
Eyguières
Eyguières is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...
, Istres
Istres
Istres is a commune in southern France, some 60 km northwest of Marseille. It is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture...
, Mouriès
Mouriès
Mouriès is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-Economy:Mouriès is known for its olive oil production, calling itself "the olive oil capital of France" . There are still two working olive oil mills in town, including one which allows tours...
, and Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
. It produces the Crau hay, which benefits from an Appellation d’origine contrôlée
Flora and fauna
- ThymeThymeThyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...
- Holm OakHolm OakQuercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
- Pin-tailed SandgrousePin-tailed SandgrouseThe Pin-tailed Sandgrouse is a medium large bird in the sandgrouse family.The nominate race breeds in Iberia and southern France, and the eastern form P. a. caudacutus is found in northwest Africa, and from southeast Turkey east to Kazakhstan...
- Little BustardLittle BustardThe Little Bustard is a large bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus Tetrax. It breeds in southern Europe and in western and central Asia. Southernmost European birds are mainly resident, but other populations migrate further south in winter...
- Lesser KestrelLesser KestrelThe Lesser Kestrel is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across southern central Asia to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to India and Iraq. It is rare north of its breeding range, and declining in its European...