Editing Ardennes (section)

==Geology==
The Ardennes are the remnants of a [[mountain range]] formed during the [[Hercynian orogeny]]; in France similar formations are the [[Armorican Massif]], the [[Massif Central]], and the [[Vosges Mountains|Vosges]]. The low interior of such former mountains often contains coal, plus iron, zinc and other metals in the sub-soil. This geologic fact explains the greatest part of the geography of Wallonia and its history. In the North and West of the Ardennes lie the valleys of the [[Sambre]] and [[Meuse]] rivers, forming an arc ([[Sillon industriel]]) going across the most industrial provinces of [[Wallonia]], for example [[Hainaut Province]], along the river [[Haine]] (the etymology of Hainaut); the [[Borinage]], the ''Centre'' and [[Charleroi]] along the river Sambre; [[Liège Province]] along the river Meuse.

The region the Ardennes are part of has been uplifted further in the last few hundred thousand years by a [[mantle plume]], as measured from the present elevation of old river terraces, with the largest amount of uplift concentrated in the east, where the Ardennes connect with the Eifel, where the same mantle plume is also responsible for volcanic activity.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B_xuyENh5ksFMGFmYjhmYmEtYWRjYi00YmE2LWFkYTUtZGQ4Njc3ODQ1ZjFi&export=download&hl=en|title=Garcia-Castellanos, D., S.A.P.L. Cloetingh & R.T. van Balen, 2000. Modeling the middle Pleistocene uplift in the Ardennes-Rhenish Massif: Thermo-mechanical weakening under the Eifel?|journal= Global and Planetary Change|volume= 27|pages= 39–52|doi=10.1016/S0921-8181(01)00058-3}}</ref>

This geological region is important in the history of Wallonia because this former mountain is at the origin of the economy, the history, and the geography of Wallonia. "Wallonia presents a wide range of rocks of various ages. Some geological stages internationally recognized were defined from rock sites located in Wallonia: e.g., [[Frasnian]] ([[Couvin|Frasnes-lez-Couvin]]), [[Famennian]] ([[Famenne]]), [[Tournaisian]] ([[Tournai]]), [[Visean]] ([[Visé]]), [[Dinantian]] ([[Dinant]]), and [[Namurian]] ([[Namur]])".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/structure/geology/gsb_website/research/geoheritage/geoheritage|title=Geological Heritage &#124; Geology and Tourism in Belgium|date=15 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015222158/http://www.naturalsciences.be/institute/structure/geology/gsb_website/research/geoheritage/geoheritage |archive-date=15 October 2014}}</ref> Except for the Tournaisian, all these rocks are within the Ardennes geological area.