FRENCH CULTURE PROJECT: marks. During your presentation, use in the 15th-16th centuries, stands as a REGIONS IN FRANCE the French pronunciation of your region. reminder of its former glory. In more recent For this assignment, you will work with a List of regions in France (if you would like times, Nevers has been known as the home partner to first create a “fact sheet” for a to do research on a region not listed, of the former socialist Prime Minister of region in France (see the list below). Then please consult with your instructor): France, Pierre Bérégovoy. Indeed la Nièvre you and your partner will present your 1. les Alpes is a stronghold of the Socialist Party in region to the rest of the class. Each pair will 2. l’Alsace-Lorraine France. François Mitterrand, the socialist describe a different region. Your work will 3. l’Aquitaine president from 1981-1995, was formerly be evaluated on the basis of the following 4. l’Auvergne/le Limousin major of Château-Chinon in le Morvan and criteria: 5. la Bretagne a representative from la Nièvre. Fact Sheet 6. la Camargue CULTURE 1) Completeness—all requested informa- 7. le Centre The region’s administrative seat, Nevers is known in particular for its stoneware: tion is supplied 10 pts. 8. la Champagne/les Ardennes ornately decorated plates, cups, and 2) Accuracy—information is up to date 9. la Corse pitchers can be purchased in many of the and accurate 10 pts. 10. la Côte d’Azur city’s finest shops. Outside of France, 3) Presentation—information is well- 11. la Côte d’Or 12. la Normandie Nevers is perhaps best known as the written and is presented in typed form location for the filming of Hiroshima Mon 5 pts. 13. les Pays-de-la-Loire 14. le Midi-Pyrénées Amour, a film by the Nouvelle Vague ("New Presentation 15. le Périgord Wave") director Alain Resnais based on a 1) Clarity—information is organized 16. la Picardie/le Nord script by the author Marguerite Duras. As clearly for classmates to follow 17. le Poitou-Charantes part of the region of la Bourgogne, la Nièvre 15 pts. 18. la Provence is also known for its excellent cuisine, 2) Visuals—You should plan to bring clear 19. le Languedoc-Roussillon including le boeuf bourguignon, a beef stew visual aids for your presentation— 20. la Savoie made with red wine, le coq au vin, chicken in maps, photos, slides, posters, etc. See LA NIÈVRE wine sauce, and of course les escargots. your instructor for help and advice if RESOURCES GEOGRAPHY necessary. 10 pts. Ardagh, John & Colin Jones. 1991. La Nièvre is one of the four départements Along with your assignment, you should Cultural Atlas of France. Oxfordshire, which make up the region of la Bourgogne submit a brief description of how the work England: Andromeda Oxford Ltd. (Burgundy) in the northeastern quarter of was divided between you and your partner. Le Nouveau Guide de la route. 1983. France. La Nièvre is bordered by the You will find a sample fact sheet for la Paris: Sélection du Reader’s Digest. regions of le Centre to the West and Nièvre. On your fact sheet, you should Research by: Dr. Sarah Jourdain provide general information under the l’Auvergne to the South. The eastern part following headings: of la Nièvre contains a small mountain range called le Morvan, portions of which 1) GEOGRAPHY: Where is this region have been set aside for a national park. In located? What other regions, countries, the southwest the rivers la Loire and la and points of interest (mountains, rivers, Nièvre converge just outside the largest city oceans) is it near or does it contain? in the region and the region’s capital, What is its terrain like? What is its climate Nevers (approximately 50,000 inhabitants). like? What are its major cities? The majority of la Nièvre is characterized by 2) ECONOMY: What is the basis of this gently rolling hills and pasture lands with the region’s economy (agriculture, industry, exception of le Morvan which is a rocky tourism, etc.)? How important is this granite wilderness, in places densely region to the economy of France? forested. 3) HISTORY: What is the historical ECONOMY significance of this region? Did any Due to its gentle topography and its important historical events occur in this continental climate, la Nièvre boasts ideal region? farming conditions. Its economy is based 4) CULTURE: What sets this region apart principally on agriculture as well as on the culturally from the other regions of raising of livestock, primarily cattle. Other France? Are there special traditions, industries have also found a home in la cuisine, sights which cannot be found Nièvre including rubber making at Château- anywhere else in France? Chinon, auto assembly at Fourchambault, 5) RESOURCES: Give a full bibliographic logging in le Morvan, and the bottling of reference for at least two basic mineral water at Pougues-les-Eaux. resources for learning more about this HISTORY region (NOT including an encyclopedia Archeologists have found traces of or Internet addresses!) We encourage ancient habitations dating back over 2000 you to use the World Wide Web to do years. One can find vestiges of a Gaulish some of your research. fortress near Nevers, for example. The Your fact sheet should be one page in region came to have great importance in length, typed and single-spaced. When feudal times when a duchy was established referring to your region, use the French in Nevers. Le château ducal in Nevers, built spelling, placed in italics or quotation