page_title: Camargue
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Camargue / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the Camargue region, southern France
context_page_description: The Camargue is a natural region located south of Arles, France, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western one is the Petit Rhône.
  Administratively it lies within the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, and covers parts of the territory of the communes of Arles, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône. A further expanse of marshy plain, the Petite Camargue, just to the west of the Petit Rhône, lies in the department of Gard.
  Camargue was designated a Ramsar site as a "Wetland of International Importance" on 1 December 1986.
context_section_description: With an area of over 930 km² (360 sq mi), the Camargue is western Europe's largest river delta. It is a vast plain comprising large brine lagoons or étangs, cut off from the sea by sandbars and encircled by reed-covered marshes. These are in turn surrounded by a large cultivated area.
  Approximately a third of the Camargue is either lakes or marshland. The central area around the shoreline of the Étang de Vaccarès has been protected as a regional park since 1927, in recognition of its great importance as a haven for wild birds. In 2008, it was incorporated into the larger Parc naturel régional de Camargue.
caption: Map of the Camargue
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