SOMME

dpartement, Picardie rgion, northern France. Somme fronts the English Channel for about 30 miles (48 km) and embraces the valley of the river that bears its name. It was created from a large part of the historic province of Picardy, or Picardie, and also from a small portion of the neighbouring province of Artois. The estuary of the Somme River and the Bay of Somme occupy a large part of the low-lying coast. The Somme River flows generally from the east to the northwest along its marshy valley through Pronne, Amiens (capital of the Somme dpartement), and Abbeville. The Bresle River, to the south, and the Authie, to the north, flow parallel to the Somme along the borders of the dpartement. The climate is mainly maritime, with frequent showers. The land is extremely fertile in the southwest where the cliffs rise above the English Channel. The estuaries of the Somme and the Authie have silted up, creating marshlands beyond the cliffs. Sand dunes have formed along the shore, which is dotted with harbours and small seaside resorts. Cattle and market gardens flourish in the reclaimed marshland and along the river valleys. Cereals, fodder, and sugar beets are grown and cattle are raised on the rolling chalk plateau of Picardie, which extends over most of the dpartement. There are some industries (textiles, food processing, metals, and chemicals) in the vicinity of Amiens, Abbeville, and other towns; but the region is predominantly rural. Many cemeteries mark the Somme valley battlefields of World War I, located in a region over which armies have fought throughout French history. The dpartement has four arrondissements: Amiens, Abbeville, Montdidier, and Pronne. Area 2,382 square miles (6,170 square km). Pop. (1990) 547,930; (1994 est.) 552,398.