Human Geography Page 1 of 4 Economy The traditional economy of the Alps is based upon rearing cattle by the seasonal migration between the valley and the high pastures. This is known as transhumance. It is gradually being replaced by a system of keeping cattle in stalls. In the drier areas, the slopes tend to be bare and rocky. There are also forests of pine and larch and pastures with sheep. The past century has seen a great change in rural life in the Alps. The old economy based on pastoralism is only to be found in a few remote locations in the high valleys. Since about 1850, tourists have turned the villages into health resorts, traveling up to the mountain towns, clustering along the shores of lakes like Evian, or taking the waters at Aix-les-Bains. In the 20th century came the new invasion, the winter tourist traffic drawn to the highest settlements in the search of snow slopes. The dead' season has now become the liveliest one of all. A third influence on the regions economy has been the development of hydro-electric power Swift mountain streams have been dammed and the power has brought industrial life to the valleys. There are now metallurgical and electro-chemical industries in the Alps. Serre Poncon Dam In common with most European countries, France has established National Parks in an attempt to preserve specific natural habitats. There are at present, two parks in the Alps, La Vanoise and Les Ecrins. Planning The highland areas are problem regions. They are characterized by remoteness, poor communications, adverse physical conditions, low standards of farming, abandonment of farms, rural depopulation, low standards of living, declining services and an increase in second home ownership. In an attempt to reduce some of the regional imbalances, a regional planning association was created in 1963, the DATAR (Delegation à l'Amenagement du Territoire et à l'Action Regional). This works closely with the National Planning Commission and the principal Government agencies. The main theme has been to attempt to restrict the growth of Paris, to encourage decentralisation of industry and Government offices, especially into the underindustrialised provinces: One way was to create "metropoles d'équilibre", in which 8 urban areas were designated expansion areas, to act as counter-weights to Paris. Lyon, St. Etienne and Grenoble were such areas. Since they were designated in 1964, they have seen an increase in cultural facilities and their range of employment. Lyon has developed as a dynamic banking and industrial center. However much of the French Alps has not had major aid for investment and development. Planning in rural areas has been piecemeal. The highland regions have been designated 'rural renovation zones', with funds to improve their infrastructure as well as to assist agriculture and tourism. In addition, there are a large number of mixed enterprise organizations (i.e. using both public and private capital), concerned with the development of these limited regions. The Alps - A Problem Region The Alps have become:- a recreation area for the urban population and more agricultural where mechanization is possible There are thus two sides to the problem, on the one hand the traditional way of life of mountain peasants needs supporting whereas on the other the new conditions of an industrial and post-industrial age may be encouraged to keep such areas alive. Agricultural problems include having too few land holdings, small farms, need for self-sufficiency, declining rural population, the inability to match lowland areas in efficiency, the abandonment of settlements and buildings as the younger and more dynamic people migrate away. Exposure and slope determine the profitability of agriculture in the Alps. Accessibility is also important, disadvantages in the rural areas are greatest for scattered settlements. Inaccessibility has been reduced as new roads have been built, though some areas are still very isolated. Transhumance is now only practiced in a few isolated areas. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Page 1 of 4