Jura and Savoie: Geography and Climate

Question 1

What country does Jura share a border with?

Answer 1

Switzerland

Question 2

What regions lie to the west of Jura?

Answer 2

The Saône-et-Loire and Côte d’Or départements of Burgundy.

Question 3

What mountain range is a significant geographical feature of the Jura region?

Answer 3

The forested Jura Mountains.

Question 4

True or False
The Jurassic Era was named after the Jura Mountains.

Answer 4

True: The Jurassic Era was named for these mountains, as it was here that the geologic limestone formations of the age were first studied. The region’s vineyards, found on the mountains’ lower slopes, rest upon Jurassic limestone and marl, with a substantial amount of clay at the lowest sites.

Question 5

What is the climate of the Jura region?

Answer 5

The Jura’s climate is continental, turning harshly cold in the wintertime.

Question 6

What wine region lies to the North of Savoie?

Answer 6

Jura

Question 7

What major geographical factor moderates Savoie’s climate?

Answer 7

Savoie’s continental climate is moderated by Lake Bourget and the larger Lake Geneva, known as Lac Léman in France, Western Europe’s largest freshwater body.

Question 8

True or False: The Vineyards of Savoie are connected and follow the borders of Lake Geneva and Lake Bourget.

Answer 8

False: Vineyards are dispersed throughout this mountainous region, with the disconnected, flatter stretches of land near the upper Rhône River and the lakeshores heavily planted.