The Étang de Berre is a body of water adjacent to the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

, about 25km north-west of Marseille

Marseille

Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

.

Geography

Created by the rise in water levels at the end of the last ice age

Ice age

An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...

, this small inland sea is composed of three parts: the principal body of water, the Étang de Vaïn to the east and the Étang de Bolmon to the south-east.

The Étang de Berre is fed with fresh water

Fresh Water

Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...

 by the rivers Arc

Arc (Provence)

The Arc is an 83 km long river in the south of France. It arises at an altitude of 470 m, close to the village of Pourcieux. It then passes through Aix-en-Provence before flowing into the Étang de Berre, a lake to the west of Marseille....

, Touloubre

Touloubre

The Touloubre is a river in the southeast of France. It runs from Venelles to the Étang de Berre, over 59 kilometers. Other places along its course are Pélissanne, Salon-de-Provence, Grans and Saint-Chamas. It flows into the Étang de Berre, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea, near...

 and La Cadière-d'Azur

La Cadière-d'Azur

La Cadière-d'Azur is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is situated north-west of Toulon next to Le Castellet and Saint Cyr Sur Mer.-Wine:...

 and – since 1966 – by the Canal de la Durance. Two canals link it to the sea: the Canal de Caronte leading towards Port-de-Bouc

Port-de-Bouc

Port-de-Bouc is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

 and the Canal du Rove which leads towards L'Estaque

L'Estaque

L'Estaque is a small French fishing village just west of Marseille. Administratively, it belongs to the commune of Marseille.Many artists of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist periods visited or resided there or in the surrounding area. Many of them painted scenes of the village, the road...

. However the underground portion of the latter is blocked by a rock fall.

The Marseille Provence Airport

Marseille Provence Airport

Marseille Provence Airport or Aéroport de Marseille Provence is an airport located 27 km northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région of France...

 is located in the southeast portion of the Étang Barre, with its main runway extending into the water on reclaimed land.

Administration

Ten communes border the Étang de Berre: 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...

, Miramas

Miramas

Miramas is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is the second-largest commune in metropolitan Ouest-Provence and is located at the north end of the Étang de Berre lagoon, adjacent to and northeast of the city of Istres.-Circuit...

, Saint-Chamas

Saint-Chamas

Saint-Chamas is a commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.-Geography:...

, Berre-l'Étang

Berre-l'Étang

Berre-l'Étang is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

, Rognac

Rognac

Rognac is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

, Vitrolles

Vitrolles, Bouches-du-Rhône

Vitrolles is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is the largest suburb of the city of Aix-en-Provence and is adjacent to its southwest side.-Population:-Administration:...

, Marignane

Marignane

Marignane is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.-Geography:It is a component of the metropolitan Marseille Provence Métropole, and the largest suburb of the city of Marseille...

, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues

Châteauneuf-les-Martigues

Châteauneuf-les-Martigues is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

, Martigues

Martigues

Martigues is a commune northwest of Marseille. It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte....

 and Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts

Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts

Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...

.

History

The ancient name of the Étang de Berre was Stagnum Mastromela, according to Pliny the Elder

Pliny the Elder

Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...

(Book III [34]).