Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the eastern Brie champenoise, forming a portion of the modern department of Marne in the historic region of Champagne (part of modern-day Champagne-Ardenne); and the northern Brie pouilleuse, forming part of the modern department of Aisne in Picardy.
The Brie forms a plateau with few eminences, varying in altitude between 300 and 500 feet in the west, and between 500 and 650 feet in the east. Its scenery is varied by forests of some size—the chief being the Forêt de Senart, the Forêt de Crécy, and the Forêt d'Armainvilliers. The surface soil is clay in which are embedded fragments of siliceous sandstone, used for millstones and constructional purposes; the subsoil is limestone. The Marne and its tributaries the Grand Morin and the Petit Morin are the chief rivers, but the region is not abundantly watered and the rainfall is only between 20 and 24 inches.
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Main towns:
- Brie-Comte-Robert
- Château-Thierry
- Coulommiers
- Crécy-la-Chapelle
- La Ferté-Gaucher
- Meaux
- Nangis
- Melun
- Provins
Main rivers:
- Marne
- Grand Morin
- Petit Morin
Main forests:
- Forêt d'Armainvilliers
- Forêt de Crécy
- Forêt de Ferrières
- Forêt de Notre-Dame
- Forêt de Sénart
- Forêt de Villefermoy
Coordinates: 48°40′N 03°00′E / 48.667°N 3°E / 48.667; 3