Étang de Berre
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Étang de Berre | |
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Étang de Berre | |
Location | France |
Coordinates | 43°26′45″N 5°06′50″E / 43.44583°N 5.11389°ECoordinates: 43°26′45″N 5°06′50″E / 43.44583°N 5.11389°E |
Primary inflows | Arc, Touloubre, Cadière, canal de la Durance |
Primary outflows | canal de Caronte, canal du Rove |
Catchment area | 1,700 km2 (660 sq mi) (natural) |
Basin countries | France |
Surface area | 155.3 km2 (60.0 sq mi) |
Water volume | 900 million cubic metres (730,000 acre⋅ft) |
Surface elevation | 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) |
The Étang de Berre (in Provençal Occitan: estanh de Bèrra / mar de Bèrra according to classical orthography, estang de Berro / mar de Berro according to Mistralian orthography) is a lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of France, about 25 km north-west of Marseille.
Geography[]
The lake is 155.3 km2.Created by the rise in water levels at the end of the last ice age, this small inland sea is composed of three parts: the principal body of water, the Étang de Vaïne to the east and the Étang de Bolmon to the south-east.
The Étang de Berre is fed with fresh water by the rivers Arc, Touloubre and Cadière and – since 1966 – by the . Two canals link it to the sea: the leading towards Port-de-Bouc and the Canal du Rove which leads towards L'Estaque. However the underground portion of the latter is blocked by a rock fall.
The Marseille Provence Airport is located in the southeast portion of the Étang de Berre, with its main runway extending into the water on reclaimed land.
Administration[]
Ten communes border the Étang de Berre: Istres, Miramas, Saint-Chamas, Berre-l'Étang, Rognac, Vitrolles, Marignane, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, Martigues and Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts.
History[]
The ancient name of the Étang de Berre was Stagnum Mastromela, according to Pliny the Elder (Book III [34]).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Étang de Berre. |
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