Contenu du sommaire : L'espace méditerranéen : interface ou espace intermédiaire ? / Le géographe, l'écologie et la protection de la nature

The Mediterranean sea and its rims are often presented as a cut, a frature line, an interface between countries of the " North ", Europeans, and countries of the " South ", Africans and Asians. That is true only on a small scale, and in neglecting the weak development and the cultural originality of ex - Yugoslavia and Albania. To more large scale, the Mediterranean space can rather be interpreted as a progressive transition band, an intermediate space between North-western Europe, rich, industrialized, center of immigration, and very poor states of saharian and south saharian Africa and Middle -East, earth of emigration. This space is animated by intense internal dynamics, while being strongly linked to the European Union in the framework of an euro-mediterranean partnership that distinguishes it a bit more of the other states of the deep " South ".

The Mediterranean area appears less as a gradient of levels of development than an economic and social fracture line between its two banks. Inequalities do not cease to be worsened between a under way community Europe of homogenization by correction and a South bank including also western Balkans, marked by internal divergences. The evolution is not anything in constrained by mediocre interdependences and non-existent solidarity between countries of the South and East bank and an euro - Mediterranean partnership that can not compensate the crescent inegalization of the powerful mechanisms of globalisation.

The example of Italy illustrates the limits of the Mediterranean Area seen as interface North-South. The official representations of the territory, resulting from the local, national and European institutions, diffuse the image of the Mediterranean Area as a links, but the economic reality, here seen under the angle of trade and ports, remains dominated by a septentrional tropism and European integration. This example led to wonder about the integrating role of the European Union through its regional policy and euro Mediterranean policy.

The city of Naples is commonly represented as a place of contact and exchange between the northern and the southern regions of the Mediterranean. Such a representation of Naples as an 'in-between' place is problematic, as the case of migration flows to the city shows. Naples can be regarded as a space of transition and interaction between the EU and the multiple South(s) of the world. However, this particular role is not exclusively connected to the city's cosmopolitan historical background or to its specific geographic location. This role of the city as an 'interface' place has to be critically reconsidered, particularly in light of the ongoing globalisation of migratory flows and the differentiation of migrants' profiles and trajectories. On the basis of such changes, it can be argued that Naples is becoming a laboratory of emerging forms of international migration. Cross-border traders seek to take advantage of the interface location of the city, especially benefiting from the price and taxation differentials.

The organization of great athhletic and cultural events is the opportunity for regional metropolis (Turin, Valencia, Sevilla) to implement a policy of town planning and urban regeneration while the old latins or mediterranean capitals (Roma, Athens and also Lisbon) insert better in the european city system, thanks to necessary superstructures for the organization and the success of the Olympic games and other universal exhibitions. european city system, thanks to necessary superstructures for the organization and the success of the Olympic games and other universal exhibitions.

The Mediterranean is the first concentration of naturist touristic practices worldwide. These tend to focus on countries of Judeo-Christian cultures, which reflects their spread from northern Europe. However, discrete nudism is to be found on the beaches of those Muslim countries most open to international tourism.

During the 1990s, the biodiversity became a major issue at the global scale. The Conservation Biology aims to understand the root-causes of the biodiversity loss, to stop it and to promote the wise use of natural resources. However, the multi-field approach recommended by its founders often contrast with a lack of integration of social and economical issues. Aiming to prevent geodiversity loss, the geographers can use their knowledge to initiate a Conservation Geography that would contribute to a more integrative approach by extending the study of biodiversity to the study of geodisparity.

Biodiversity conservation requires an understanding of the extent to which a landscape can contribute to species life-cycle. Conceived as a dynamic mosaic of spatial units with different properties, landscape is a very relevant scale for dealing with biodiversity issues. This paper aims at analysing the relationships and overlapping between this geography and landscape ecology as two scientific fields focusing strongly on landscape scale. Landscape ecology can be an useful neutral institutional place for interdisciplinary studies with inputs from separated scientific fields focusing commonly on landscape. Lastly, within interdisciplinary researches in landscape ecology, geography can bring the necessary elements for an integrated analysis of human and ecological processes involved in landscape dynamics.

The « lônes » are secondary channels of the Rhône river which are submited to an ineluctable vanishing. Since the early 1970 's, however, several factors plaid a role for setting a policy of restoration : the interest of the National Rhone C° toward of an efficient policy of flood management, the development of scientific research, the rise of environmental sensitivity of the general public conforted by the nostalgia of waterside communities toward traditional landscapes. scientific research, the rise of environmental sensitivity of the general public conforted by the nostalgia of waterside communities toward traditional landscapes.

The making of the Loire Valley as a world Heritage Site in 2000 leads to a reorganization of all stakeholders and to a new definition of the regional policy at the geographical level of the river basin between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes. More precisely, the political background caracterized by the conflict between anti and pro-dam and chanelizing projects is evoluing towards new perspectives. The article explain how environmental, historical and touristic projects defined under the UNESCO banner are reorganizing the political scene, the discourses, and private as well as public forces in the region.