Forest of Chaux
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (April 2019) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Forest of Chaux French: Forêt de Chaux | |
---|---|
Map | |
Geography | |
Location | Jura, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France |
Coordinates | 47°04′03″N 5°34′50″E / 47.06754°N 5.58042°E |
Area | 204 square kilometres (79 sq mi) |
Administration | |
Status | National Forest |
Governing body | National Forests Office |
Ecology | |
Dominant tree species | Sessile oak |
The Forest of Chaux is the fifth largest forest in France. Its 20,493 hectares are located in the region of Franche-Comté on the plains west of the Jura mountains.
Exploitation of the forest dates back to the thirteenth century, and there is an ancient tradition of raftsmen floating timber down the Loue to the Saône and the Rhone, and thence to the Mediterranean. Today, the "Confrérie Saint Nicolas" maintains the raftsman tradition on the Loue.[clarification needed]
When Franche-Comté became part of France in 1678, the Crown took possession of the Forest because of its potential for supplying timber for the Royal navy. In 1779, Louis XIV ordered the construction of the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans near the forest so that the works could use its wood to produce salt by boiling brine.
References
- Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
- Articles lacking sources from August 2010
- All articles lacking sources
- Geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
- Articles containing French-language text
- Coordinates on Wikidata
- Wikipedia articles needing clarification from April 2015
- Articles with VIAF identifiers
- Articles with GND identifiers
- Forests of France
- Geography of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
- All stub articles
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté geography stubs