Editing Normandy (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Mont_Saint_Michel_bordercropped.jpg|thumb|The island of [[Mont-Saint-Michel]], the most visited monument in Normandy]]
[[File:Falaises Etretat 2012.jpg|thumb|The ''Arche'' and the ''Aiguille'' of the cliffs of [[Étretat]]]]
[[File:Jonquerets-de-Livret- batiment du Pressoir.JPG|thumb|A typical Norman [[Thatching|thatched]] building. This is now a village hall]]

The historical Duchy of Normandy was a formerly independent duchy occupying the lower Seine area, the [[Pays de Caux]] and the region to the west through the [[Pays d'Auge]] as far as the [[Cotentin Peninsula]] and Channel Islands.

Western Normandy belongs to the [[Armorican Massif]], while most of the region lies in the [[Paris Basin]]. France's oldest rocks are exposed in Jobourg, on the [[Cotentin]] peninsula.<ref>[http://www.etab.ac-caen.fr/discip/geologie/precamb/lahagueEcalgrain/ecalgrain.htm ''Bay of Écalgrain and Bay of Cul-Rond''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819194049/http://www.etab.ac-caen.fr/discip/geologie/precamb/lahagueEcalgrain/ecalgrain.htm |date=19 August 2014 }} Website Lithothèque de Normandie.</ref> The region is bounded to the north and west by the [[English Channel]]. There are granite cliffs in the west and limestone cliffs in the east. There are also long stretches of beach in the centre of the region. The ''[[bocage]]'' typical of the western areas caused problems for the invading forces in the [[Invasion of Normandy|Battle of Normandy]]. A notable feature of the landscape is created by the [[meander]]s of the Seine as it approaches its estuary.

The highest point is the Signal d'Écouves (417&nbsp;m), in the Armorican Massif.

Normandy is sparsely forested:<ref>''Normandie'', Bonneton, Paris 2001 {{ISBN|2-86253-272-X}}</ref> 12.8% of the territory is wooded, compared to a French average of 23.6%, although the proportion varies between the departments. Eure has the most cover, at 21%, while Manche has the least, at 4%, a characteristic shared with the Channel Islands.

===Sub-regions===

==== Mainland Normandy ====
* [[Avranchin]]
* [[Bessin]]
* [[Baupte|Bauptois]]
* [[Vire|Bocage virois]]
* [[Alençon|Campagne d'Alençon]]
* [[Argentan|Campagne d'Argentan]]
* [[Caen|Campagne de Caen]]
* [[Falaise pocket|Campagne de Falaise]]
* [[Le Neubourg|Campagne du Neubourg]]
* [[Évreux|Campagne de Saint-André]] (or d’Évreux)
* [[Cotentin]]
* [[Perche]]
* [[Domfront, Orne|Domfrontais]] or Passais
* [[Exmes|Hiémois]]
* [[Lieuvin]]
* [[Mortain]]ais
* [[Pays d'Auge]], central Normandy, is characterized by excellent agricultural land.
* [[Pays de Bray]]
* [[Pays de Caux]]
* [[Le Houlme|Pays d'Houlme]]
* [[Merey, Eure|Pays de Madrie]], area between the Seine and the Eure.
* [[Pays d'Ouche]]
* [[Roumois]] et [[Marais-Vernier]]
* Suisse Normande ([[Norman Switzerland]]), in the south, presents hillier terrain.
* [[Val de Saire]] [[File:Picardy countryside (8930216616).jpg|thumb|Normandy countryside]]
* [[Vexin normand]]

====Insular Normandy (Channel Islands)====
* The [[bailiwick]] of [[Jersey]]
* The [[bailiwick of Guernsey]] (Fr. ''Bailliage de Guernesey'')

The [[Channel Islands]] are considered culturally and historically a part of Normandy. However, they are British [[Crown Dependencies]], and are not part of the modern French [[Normandy (administrative region)|administrative region of Normandy]].

Although the British surrendered claims to mainland Normandy, France, and other French possessions in 1801, the monarch of the United Kingdom retains the title Duke of Normandy in respect to the Channel Islands.<ref>{{cite web|title= Channel Islands|publisher= The official website of The British Monarchy|url= http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandCrowndependencies/ChannelIslands.aspx|access-date= 20 July 2015|archive-date= 21 September 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120921052748/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/QueenandCrowndependencies/ChannelIslands.aspx|url-status= live}}</ref> The Channel Islands (except for [[Chausey]]) remain [[Crown Dependencies]] of the [[The Crown|British Crown]] in the present era. Thus the [[Loyal Toast]] in the Channel Islands is ''Le Roi, notre Duc'' ("The King, our Duke"). The British monarch is understood to ''not'' be the Duke with regards to mainland Normandy described herein, by virtue of the [[Treaty of Paris (1259)|Treaty of Paris of 1259]], the surrender of French possessions in 1801, and the belief that the rights of succession to that title are subject to [[Salic Law]] which excludes inheritance through female heirs.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ie8vXUqHkKIC&q=Salic+Law&pg=PA316|access-date=2 February 2019|title=The Spirit of Laws: Translated from the French of M. de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu by Thomas Nugent, LL.D |author=Baron de Montesquieu, M. de Secondat|year=1873|publisher=ROBERT CLARKE & CO.|pages=328|quote=It would be easy for me to prove that the Salic law did not absolutely exclude the daughters from the possession of the Salic land, but only in the case where they were de barred by their brothers. This appears from the letter of the Salic law; which after having said, that the women shall possess none of the Salic land, but only the males, interprets and restrains itself by adding, "that is, the son shall succeed to the inheritance of the father."}}</ref>

===Rivers===
[[File:Petit-andely-depuis-chateau-gaillard.jpg|thumb|The Seine in [[Les Andelys]]]]
[[File:La Bresle au centre d'Eu (vue vers l'amont).jpg|thumb|right|The Bresle]]
Rivers in Normandy include:
* the [[Seine]] and its tributaries:
** the [[Andelle]]
** the [[Epte]]
** the [[Eure (river)|Eure]]
** the [[Risle]]
** the [[Robec]]
And many coastal rivers:
* the [[Bresle (river)|Bresle]]
* the [[Couesnon]], which traditionally marks the boundary between the [[Duchy of Brittany]] and the [[Duchy of Normandy]]
* the [[Dives (river)|Dives]]
* the [[Orne (river)|Orne]]
* the [[Sée]]
* the [[Sélune]]
* the [[Touques (river)|Touques]]
* the Veules, the shortest French coastal river
* the [[Vire (river)|Vire]]