Ardennes

Ardennes

:"For the political subdivision of France, see Ardennes (department). For the Ardennes horse, see Ardennes (horse)."

The Ardennes (pronEng|ɑrˈdɛn; Dutch: "Ardennen") is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and old mountains formed on the Givetian (Devonian) Ardennes mountains [p.16, Gerrard] , primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France (lending its name to the Ardennes "département" and the Champagne-Ardenne "région"), and geologically into the Eifel. In Wallonia, the word 'Ardenne' in the singular is commonly used. In France, the word 'Ardennes' in the plural, together with the definite article, is commonly used to refer to the French Department of that name.

Geography

[http://patrimoine.met.wallonie.be/_private/r0/ukR0menu1.asp?LG=uk]

Much of the Ardennes is covered in dense forests, with the old mountains averaging around 350-500 m (1,148-1,640 ft) in height but rising to over 650 m (2,132 ft) in the boggy moors of the Hautes Fagnes (Hohes Venn) region of north-eastern Belgium. The region is typified by steep-sided valleys carved by fast-flowing rivers, the most prominent of which is the Meuse. Its most populated cities are Verviers in Belgium and Charleville-Mézières in France, both exceeding 50,000 inhabitants. The Ardennes is otherwise relatively sparsely populated, with few of the cities exceeding 10,000 inhabitants with a few exceptions like Eupen or Bastogne.

The Eifel range in Germany adjoins the Ardennes and is part of the same geological formation, although they are conventionally regarded as being two distinct areas.

History

The region took its name from the ancient "Arduenna Silva", a vast forest in Roman times, that stretched from the Sambre river in Belgium to the Rhine in Germany. The forest was named after a pagan goddess Arduinna. The modern Ardennes covers a much smaller area.

The highly strategic position of the Ardennes has made it a battleground for European powers for centuries. The region repeatedly changed hands during the early modern period, with parts or all of the Belgian Ardennes being incorporated into France, Germany, the Spanish Netherlands, the Austrian Netherlands and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at various times. In the 20th century, the Ardennes was widely thought unsuitable for large-scale military operations due to its difficult terrain and narrow lines of communications. However, in both World War I and World War II, Germany successfully gambled on making a rapid passage through the Ardennes to attack a relatively lightly defended part of France. The Ardennes saw three major battles during the world wars – the Battle of the Ardennes in World War I, and the Battle of France and Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Many of the towns of the region were badly damaged during the two world wars.

Economy

The rugged terrain of the Ardennes severely limits the scope for agriculture, with arable and dairy farming in cleared areas the mainstay of the agricultural economy. The region is rich in timber and minerals, and Liège and Namur are both major industrial centres. The extensive forests have an abundant population of wild game. The scenic beauty of the region and its wide variety of outdoor activities, including hunting, cycling, walking and canoeing, make it an important tourist destination.

Citations and notes

References

* Gerrard, John, "Mountain Environments: An Examination of the Physical Geography of Mountains", MIT Press, 1990

External links

* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-24981/Belgium Encyclopedia Britannica]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ardennes — (08) Region …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ARDENNES — Les Ardennes (ou l’Ardenne) se délimitent relativement facilement par des caractères originaux, notamment le relief (c’est un plateau élevé) et la forêt. Elles forment un triangle dont l’une des pointes se situe, à l’ouest, entre Maubeuge et… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Ardennes — n. 1. a wooded plateau in the Champagne Ardenne region of France; the site of intense fighting in World Wars I and II. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ardennes — (spr. dénn; Ardennen), franz. Dep., 5253 qkm, (1906) 317.505 E.; Hauptstadt Mézières …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Ardennes —   [ar dɛn],    1) französischer Name der Ardennen.    2) Département in Nordfrankreich, in der Region Champagne Ardenne, 5 229 km2, 290 000 Einwohner; Verwaltungssitz ist Charleville Mézières.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Ardennes — [är den′] wooded plateau in NE France, S Belgium, and Luxembourg: scene of heavy fighting in WWI and, esp., at the “Battle of the Bulge” (Dec., 1944 Jan., 1945) in WWII …   English World dictionary

  • Ardennes — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom.  Pour l’article homophone, voir Arden. Ardennes vient du nom d une divinité celte (Arduinna), mais surtout d une forêt (Arduenna silva) située sur et …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ardennes — /ahr den /; Fr. /annrdd den /, n. 1. Forest of, a wooded plateau region in W Europe, in NE France, SE Belgium, and Luxembourg: World War I battle 1914; World War II battle 1944 45. 2. a department in NE France. 309,306; 2028 sq. mi. (5255 sq. km) …   Universalium

  • Ardennes — noun a wooded plateau in the Champagne Ardenne region of France; the site of intense fighting in World War I and World War II • Members of this Region: ↑Battle of the Ardennes Bulge, ↑Battle of the Bulge, ↑Ardennes counteroffensive • Instance… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Ardennes — Ar|dennes the Ardennes an area of southeast Belgium, North Luxembourg, and northern France, where several important battles happened during World War I and World War II …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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