A river that divides
At Arles the Rhône splits into two arms: the Petit Rhône to the west and the larger Grand Rhône to the east. Between them lies the island of Camargue and, beyond it towards the Gard, the Petite Camargue.
A vast wetland
The Camargue is a wetland of 150,000 hectares, shared between the Gard and the Bouches-du-Rhône. Marshes, lagoons (Vaccarès, Scamandre), salt works and rice fields sit side by side. Since the 19th century, major hydraulic works (dykes, canals) have controlled fresh and salt water.
A shifting landscape
The river’s course has often changed: the flood of winter 1711 moved the bed of the Grand Rhône over its last 25 kilometres. Le Cailar, now about fifteen kilometres from the sea, was once reached from the coast through a lagoon.
In Antiquity
Hesiod saw the delta as one of the gates of the Underworld. The Ligurians fished here, as shown by harpoons, tridents and net weights found on site.
Test yourself
Where does the Rhône split into two arms?
- In Arles (answer)
- In Avignon
- In Saintes-Maries
How large is the Camargue wetland?
- 15,000 ha
- 150,000 ha (answer)
- 1,500,000 ha
Which arm is the larger?
- The Petit Rhône
- The Grand Rhône (answer)
- The Vidourle
Which flood shifted the bed of the Grand Rhône?
- The 1711 flood (answer)
- The 1993 flood
- The 1840 flood