Cévennes

Cévennes, mountain range, southern France, forming an arc from north-east to south-west, and marking the south-eastern limit of the large plateau region of central France called the Massif Central. The Cévennes form the watershed between the river systems of the Rhône and the Saône on the east and those of the Garonne and the Loire on the west. The Cévennes proper have a length of about 64 km (40 mi). The highest peak of the range is Mont Mézenc (elevation 1,754 m/5,755 ft), and the average height is from 910 to 1,220 m (about 3,000 to 4,000 ft). The chief industries in the mountain area are raising sheep, mining coal, and cultivating olives and other fruit. The area was the scene of the persecution of religious groups, including the Albigenses and the Waldenses in the Middle Ages and the Camisards in the 17th century.