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When the scheme of morphological subdivision propounded is applied to Western Europe, the Central Massif of France appears as a physiographic province with a unity of major relief type and structural evolution. The geographical regions within this province have two other important features in common: they have a similar history and the majority are characterized by a "mountainous centrality" with regard to the rest of France. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the emergence of the general patterns of road and rail communications in these regions.

The population and economic power of France are concentrated east of a line from Le Havre to Marseille, and especially in the Paris agglomeration. A policy of aménagement du territoire has attempted to counter the weight of Paris by encouraging decentralization of factories and offices. Regional metropolises, or métropoles d'équilibre, can provide more effective leadership and better prospects for a new national equilibrium than reliance upon the largest center in each of the twenty-one planning regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the history of population in Europe is known in broad outline, there are few precise estimates of its size and distribution in pre-censal periods. An attempt is made to review the evidence for population size and population change in the fifteenth century; to calculate densities for as many areas as possible, and by extrapolation. to prepare a population map for France and the Low Countries in the fifteenth century. The primary sources are the hearth rolls, which were compiled for the purposes, and give the number of hearths in each named settlement in a number of areas. Collateral materials of similar quality were used for some urban places not included in the hearth rolls. The map compiled from these data indicates that France and the Low Countries in the fifteenth century were a well-peopled region in which the density of population varied directly with the quality of the soil. Land quality was utilized in extrapolating from the areas for which population density is established to the remainder of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Publication trends provide insights into the changing character of geographic research and the evolution of national school of geography. Analysis of articles appearing in the Annales de Géographie, a major French geographical publication, reflects changing patterns of emphasis of French geographers. Systematically, topics of Physical geography have been consistent in their importance. Topics of economic geography have increased sharply at the expense of cultural geography. Regionally, articles on metropolitan France have invariably been greatest importance. Africa and other parts of western Europe have been of secondary importance, whereas Asia and Latin America are proving increasingly attractive as research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Caribbean region, there is an ever-growing awareness of problems which have been brought about by increasing population pressures and limited economic development. This study attempts to analyze the underlying cultural conditions-especially French governmental policies and social structure of Guadeloupean society-that affect, and have affected, agricultural production on Guadeloupe. The study illustrates how these conditions have changed in their impact from time to time, creating different circumstances of crop production.

This article presents an ethno-telephonic survey of French Louisiana. The Louisiana French, with distinctive language and culture, number more than half a million whites and additional thousands of African Americans. Surprisingly, the significant culture region of French Louisiana does not appear to have been delimited in detail upon a map hitherto. In the belief that the occurrence of French names would be a valid basis for mapping the distribution of the Louisiana French, the author made a regional analysis of names in the telephone directories of 1939. Directories were assembled from 115 Louisiana and 6 nearby Texas communities, including all exchanges of the regular Bell system of Louisiana and 18 exchanges of local telephone companies.

Delves into the geography of some countries. Discussion of the conditions of countries such as France, Great Britain, Germany and Belgium; Analysis of local causes of factors such as low prestige of geography in some countries; Importance of improving the conditions for geographic research.