SPACEPHOTOS

Loire and Allier Rivers, France October, 1994 Near the left center of the image, the Allier and the Loire River join in this near-nadir-looking view. The Allier River enters the scene at the bottom left corner of the image. The river is 255 miles (410 km) long and rises in the Cevennes Mountains of southeastern France. The Allier River is navigable for a good portion of its length. The Loire River enters the scene at the bottom center of the image and flows generally northwestward exiting the scene near the top left corner of the image. The Loire River is the longest river in France rising in the Cevennes Mountains and flowing 630 miles (1015 km) to the Bay of Biscay at Saint Nazaire. The industrial city of Nevers is located along the north bank of the Loire River immediately east of the confluence of these two rivers. The city is the center of an iron and steel district and also has important china and pottery industries. The forested uplands (irregular-shaped, dark pattern) of the Langres Plateau can be seen in the center of the image from the bottom center to the top center.