What is the la seine?

Seine, in full Seine River, French Seine, Latin Sequana, river of northwestern France. It rises at the Source-Seine in the Côte d’Or département (department) of Burgundy and flows northwest in a remarkably direct course for 485 miles (780 kilometres) through the Paris Basin and over a chalk cuesta to enter the English Channel at Le Havre. The Côte d’Or portion of the river occupies a narrow trench with a maximum elevation at the source of about 1,550 feet (470 metres). The upper Seine is fed by underground sources and from the rainfall in the surrounding highlands. Between Troyes and Paris, where it is joined by the Aube, Yonne, and Marne rivers, the river’s course is generally westward.

From Melun to downstream of Paris, the river follows a meander pattern through a limestone plain. The Seine enters the Paris Basin at Montereau, and downstream of Paris, it meanders through the Île-de-France (a region centred on Paris) to enter the sea 11 miles (18 km) downstream of Rouen, the main port on the lower Seine. The river’s tidal influence reaches to Rouen, 75 miles (120 km) above its mouth. Its basin covers about 30,000 square miles (77,700 square km).

The Seine is navigable for 350 miles (560 km), from Corbeil to Rouen, and ocean vessels go beyond to the Port of Paris, 190 miles (306 km) inland from the mouth of the river. The Seine has a number of locks, including the Boissise locks near Melun, the Suresnes locks west of Paris, and the Saint-Aubin locks, below Quillebeuf.

The Seine is connected by canals to the Somme, Meuse, Loire, Saône, and Rhine rivers. Important industries along the Seine include engineering and automobile manufacture, oil refining, and chemical production. The Seine has been a route for European exploration and trade for many centuries. Viking forays occurred along the Seine during the 9th and 10th centuries. In addition to fishing, eel raising and shellfish dredging are locally important.