Editing Alpes-Maritimes (section)

== Geography ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2022}}

=== Overview ===
The Alpes-Maritimes department is surrounded by the departments of [[Var (department)|Var]] in the southwest, [[Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]] in the northwest; [[Italy]] to the north and east; and the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the south. It surrounds the [[Monaco|Principality of Monaco]] on the west, north and east.

[[File:Alpes-Maritimes-06w.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Geography of Alpes-Maritimes]]
Its topography is very mixed. As its name suggests, most of the department is a constituent part of the overall topographic Alps – including the [[Maritime Alps]] – but it also has the distinction of being a coastal district with its Mediterranean coast. The coastal area, urbanized and densely populated (shaded in red on the map), includes all the cities in an almost continuous conurbation from [[Cannes]] to [[Menton]], while the larger but sparsely populated mountainous area (light green) is fully rural with the exception of the three large resorts of [[Valberg (ski resort)|Valberg]] (created in 1936), [[Auron (ski resort)|Auron]] (created in 1937) and [[Isola 2000]] (created in 1971).

==== Summits and passes ====
The highest point of the department is the [[Cime du Gélas]] ({{convert|3143|m|disp=comma}}) on the Franco-Italian border which dominates the [[Vallée des Merveilles]] further east. The summit of [[Monte Argentera]] is higher at {{convert|3297|m}} above sea level, but it is located in Italy. There is also [[Mount Mounier]] ({{convert|2817|m|disp=comma}}), which dominates the south of the vast [[Dôme de Barrot]], formed of a mass more than {{convert|900|m}} thick of red mudstones deeply indented by the gorges of [[Daluis]] and [[Cians]]. Except in winter, four passes allow passage to the north of the [[Massif du Mercantour-Argentera|Mercantour-Argentera massif]] whose imposing {{convert|62|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} barrier is covered in winter snow which is visible from the coast. From the west, the [[Route des Grandes Alpes]] enters the [[Cayolle Pass]] ({{convert|2326|m|disp=comma}}) first on the way to the Alps and the sources of the [[Var (river)|Var]] in the commune of [[Entraunes]]. Then the route follows the [[Col de la Bonette]] – the highest pass in Europe at {{convert|2715|m}} – to connect to the valley of the [[Tinée]] then the Ubaye. Further east, the [[Col de la Lombarde]] ({{convert|2350|m|disp=comma}}) above [[Isola 2000]] allows access to the shrine of Saint-Anne de [[Vinadio]] in Italy. Finally, at its eastern end, the [[Col de Tende]] ({{convert|1871|m|disp=comma}}) links with [[Cuneo]] in Italy.

==== Landscape and forest vegetation ====
The only region of the Alps close to Nice has an afforestation rate of 60.9%, slightly higher than the average of the department and well above the average of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://inventaire-forestier.ign.fr/IMG/pdf/PubDep/06-alpes-maritimes/ifn_06_3_alpes_maritimes_2002.pdf |title=Inventaire forestier départemental Alpes-Maritimes: IIIe inventaire 2002 |trans-title=Forest Inventory for the department of Alpes-Maritimes: Third Inventory 2002 |language=fr |publisher=[[Ministry of Agriculture (France)|Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs]] of France |date=2004}}</ref>

The rivers in alphabetical order are:
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
* [[Aigue Blanche]]
* [[Barlatte]]
* [[Bassera]]
* [[Bendola]]
* [[Bévéra]]
* [[Borrigo]]
* [[Bourdous]]
* Bouyon
* [[Brague]]
* Braisse
* Braus
* [[Cagne]]
* Caramagne
* [[Carei (river)|Carei]]
* Castérine
* [[Chalvagne]]
* [[Cians]]
* [[Cianavelle]]
* Clans
* Coulomb
* [[Estéron]]
* Faye
* [[Fontanalba]]
* Gorbio
* [[Gordolasque]]
* [[Guercha]]
* [[Lévensa]] or Levenza
* [[Loup (river)|Loup]]
* [[Lubiane]]
* [[Maglia (river)|Maglia]]
* [[Magnan (river)|Magnan]]
* [[Malvan (river)|Malvan]]
* [[Mayola]]
* [[Minière]]
* Nieya
* Oglione
* [[Paillon]] (les Paillons)
* [[Raton (river)|Raton]]
* [[Réfréi]]
* Riou
* [[Rioulan]]
* [[Roudoule]]
* [[Roya (river)|Roya]]
* [[Siagne]]
* [[Tinée]]
* Tuébi
* [[Valmasque]]
* [[Var (river)|Var]]
* [[Vésubie]]
* [[Vionène]]
{{div col end}}

=== Climate ===
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2019}}
It is the climate that made the [[French Riviera|Côte d'Azur]] famous. The current department of Alpes-Maritimes, however, does not have only one climate, the complex terrain and high mountains divide the department between those who are well exposed (the south-facing side) and those which are less (the north-facing side) and even with the mild Mediterranean climate there can be violent storms and prolonged droughts.

The coastal area has a [[Mediterranean climate]] (rainfall in autumn [[November]] and spring [[February]] especially, summer drought, mild winter and dry summer). The interior, especially in the north, has a [[mountain climate]] (winter quite bright, summer storms). Around Cannes is a particularly warm micro-climate due to the high hills warming the air which descends on the city.

One of the attractions of the department is its level of sunshine: over 300 days per year. Despite this the department is also the most stormy of France with an average of 70 to 90 thunderstorm days per year, arising from the differences in temperature due to a warm sea in autumn.

As soon as one moves away from the coast, towards the west of the department, the interior plains (in particular near Grasse) the climate is a little less temperate but just as sunny. In summer, the temperature very easily exceeds {{convert|30|C}}, while the average is only {{convert|27|C}} along the Nice coast during July and August. Occasional frost is possible in the interior during winter, unlike in Nice and rest of the coast, where frost is very rare.

In the east of the department, unlike the west, there are no plains. In the [[Menton]] region, the altitude increases very rapidly inland, so the sea tempers the atmosphere much more: the maximum in summer is on average {{convert|25|C}} and the winters are milder than in the interior and frost is very rare.

Snow is also rare along the coast, however, it happens that rare snowfall surprises the Côte d'Azur residents (on average every 5–7 years), as was the case in the winter of 2004–2005 when the city of Nice woke up with a few centimetres of snow, often creating traffic problems. More recently, in February 2010, more than {{convert|10|cm}} of snow was measured in Cannes and nearly {{convert|30|cm}} in the Grasse region.

In the north of the department the climate in the Alps is mountainous, and there is decent snow cover from end of November until late April.

{{Weather box
|location = Nice
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 13.1
|Feb high C = 13.4
|Mar high C = 15.2
|Apr high C = 17.0
|May high C = 20.7
|Jun high C = 24.3
|Jul high C = 27.3
|Aug high C = 27.7
|Sep high C = 24.6
|Oct high C = 21.0
|Nov high C = 16.6
|Dec high C = 13.8
|year high C = 19.6
|Jan mean C = 9.2
|Feb mean C = 9.7
|Mar mean C = 11.6
|Apr mean C = 13.6
|May mean C = 17.4
|Jun mean C = 20.9
|Jul mean C = 23.8
|Aug mean C = 24.2
|Sep mean C = 21.0
|Oct mean C = 17.4
|Nov mean C = 12.9
|Dec mean C = 10.1
|year mean C = 16.0
|Jan low C = 5.3
|Feb low C = 5.9
|Mar low C = 7.9
|Apr low C = 10.2
|May low C = 14.1
|Jun low C = 17.5
|Jul low C = 20.3
|Aug low C = 20.5
|Sep low C = 17.3
|Oct low C = 13.7
|Nov low C = 9.2
|Dec low C = 6.3
|year low C = 12.4
|Jan precipitation mm = 69.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 44.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 38.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 69.3
|May precipitation mm = 44.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 34.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 12.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 17.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 73.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 132.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 103.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 92.7
|year precipitation mm = 733.0
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 4.7
|Mar precipitation days = 4.6
|Apr precipitation days = 7.1
|May precipitation days = 5.2
|Jun precipitation days = 3.8
|Jul precipitation days = 1.8
|Aug precipitation days = 2.4
|Sep precipitation days = 4.9
|Oct precipitation days = 7.2
|Nov precipitation days = 7.2
|Dec precipitation days = 6.4
|year precipitation days = 61.1
|unit precipitation days = 1&nbsp;mm
|Jan sun = 158
|Feb sun = 171
|Mar sun = 217
|Apr sun = 224
|May sun = 267
|Jun sun = 306
|Jul sun = 348
|Aug sun = 316
|Sep sun = 242
|Oct sun = 187
|Nov sun = 149
|Dec sun = 139
|year sun = 2724
|source 1 = [http://www.lameteo.org/index.php/climatologie/1543-normales-climatiques-1981-2010-nice Meteorological data for Nice – 2&nbsp;m altitude, from 1981 to 2010] January 2015 {{in lang|fr}}
}}

{{center|{{Meteo France
|Town=Nice
|Nice=no
|Sunshine=2,724
|Rain=733
|Snow=1
|Storm=29
|Fog=1
}}}}

=== Subdivisions ===
[[File:Alpes-Maritimes.jpeg|thumb|250px|Department map showing its division into the two arrondissements and the location of some of its principal cities and towns]]
Alpes-Maritimes is divided into two [[Arrondissements of the Alpes-Maritimes department|arrondissements]]: [[Arrondissement of Grasse|Grasse]] and [[Arrondissement of Nice|Nice]], twenty-seven [[Cantons of the Alpes-Maritimes department|cantons]] and 163 [[Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department|communes]].<ref name="pop2019" />

As of 1 January 2014, there were seven [[Intercommunality|intercommunalities]]:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/l-intercommunalite-en-ordre-de-marche-361926 |title=L'intercommunalité en ordre de marche |language=fr |date=16 April 2013 |last=Huault |first=Christian |work=[[Nice-Matin]]}}</ref>
* Four [[Agglomeration communities in France|agglomeration communities]]:
** [[Communauté d'agglomération de Sophia Antipolis]]
** [[Communauté d'agglomération Cannes Pays de Lérins]]
** [[Communauté d'agglomération du Pays de Grasse]]
** [[Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera Française]]
* One [[Métropole|metropolis]]:
** [[Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nicecotedazur.org/|title=Métropole NCA &#124; Accueil|website=www.nicecotedazur.org}}</ref>
* Two [[Communauté de communes|communautés de communes]]'':
** {{ill|Communauté de communes du Pays des Paillons|fr}}
** {{ill|Communauté de communes Alpes d'Azur|fr}}

=== Principal communes ===

The most populous commune is the prefecture [[Nice]]. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:<ref name="pop2019" />

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Nice]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 342,669
|-
| [[Cannes]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 74,545
|-
| [[Antibes]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 73,438
|-
| [[Cagnes-sur-Mer]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 52,178
|-
| [[Grasse]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 48,870
|-
| [[Le Cannet]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 41,887
|-
| [[Menton]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 30,525
|-
| [[Saint-Laurent-du-Var]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 29,169
|-
| [[Vallauris]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 27,364
|-
| [[Mandelieu-la-Napoule]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 21,998
|}