Somme

River in northern France, on which Amiens and Abbeville stand; length 245 km/152 mi. It rises in Aisne département near St Quentin and flows west through Somme département to the English Channel near St Valéry-sur-Somme. It is connected by canal with the Oise and the Schelde (French Escaut). Its tributaries include the rivers Ancre and Avre.

Some of the heaviest fighting of World War I took place on the banks of the Somme, especially in July–November 1916 (see Somme, Battle of the).

Somme

Département in the Picardy region of France, with a short coastline on the English Channel; area 6,175 sq km/2,384 sq mi; population (1999 est) 555,600. It is crossed east to west by the River Somme. In general the land is level, a great plateau. Somme is an important agricultural area and produces cereals, sugar beet, apples, and livestock. The principal industries are textiles and chemicals, sugar refining, and distilling. The administrative centre is Amiens. Other towns include Abbeville, Montdidier, and Péronne.

Somme is formed from part of the ancient province of Picardy.