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AbstractSynonymous with faunal and floral abundance, the marshes of the St. Lawrence Estuary have been exploited for centuries, first by Amerindians, then by European settlers. Industrialisation, however, brought about their destruction : more than half of the estuary's wetlands have disappeared. Within the context of sustainable development, this article explores the geohistorical relationship between society and the environment in the high marsh area of Isle-aux-Grues, a relationship that respects the natural processes and limits of this ecosystem, unlike what can be observed in many other wetlands in the estuary. Over the past four centuries, humans have developed a sustainable relationship with nature by using the high marsh area of Isle-aux-Grues for hunting, fishing, harvesting marsh hay and leisure activities.

AbstractIn the area of Parc du Bic, south shore of the Lower St. Lawrence estuary, the tombolo between Cap Caribou and Cap Enragé is a complex shore feature built during two different periods of the Holocene. The coarse (sand-gravel) deposit about 4.5 m in thickness overlies a fine-grained intertidal deposit dated 6.6 to 6 ka overlying a sandy gravel deposit (beach?) overlying the Goldthwait Sea clay dated 10 ka and over. This suggests that the relative sea level at that time was similar or slightly lower than today. These new data confirm the geological events formerly identified at Saint-Fabien-sur-Mer and in other localities along the south shore of the St. Lawrence estuary.

I examine the interaction between several typically surreal elements present in the novel Les Méduses ou les orties de mer (1982) by the Congolese writer Tchicaya U Tam'si—the dream, the magic, the premonitions, the supernatural—and some very precise historical data which explains the context where it happens. Strikes and revolts against the arduous conditions of the workers of the colony seem to be one of the major concerns of Tchicaya U Tam'si. How can such diverse elements coexist and come together in the diegetic universe of the novel? This mix of rationality and fantasy, of documentary realism and magic, makes Les Méduses ou les orties de mer a singular work, still poorly known and little studied compared to the other Congolese novels of the same period or later.

AbstractDardanelles and Bosphorus are probably the most emblematic straits in the world. These two narrow and winding waterways, together with the Sea of Marmora lying between them, link the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Basin, which have witnessed numerous conflicts throughout history. In recent years, they have experienced a sharp increase in maritime traffic, which is a threat to waterside residents and the natural environment. This has led to a gradual dispersion of Istanbul's harbour plants and facilities. The rural environment of Dardanelles is in sharp contrast to the very densely urbanized Bosphorus, the hub of a metropolis with 10 million people, confronted with a chaotic urbanization process and intense intra-urban traffic. The Turkish Straits contribute to Istanbul's vantage point in the region of the Black Sea, which is today challenged by Turkey's new commitment to openness to the Mediterranean Basin as a venue for increasing trade with the European Union.

Keywords: Dardanelles, Bosphore, Turquie, trafic maritime, urbanisation littorale, position géopolitique, Dardanelles, Bosphorus, Turkey, sea transportation, coastal urbanization, geopolitical position

By virtue of Article 56 (ex-Article 63) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), some States Parties possessing overseas territories may, by express declaration, extend there in a transitional, temporary or permanent manner, the legal effects of this text. The extension of the scope of application of the Convention, may give rise to an adjustment, with regard to the rights guaranteed, on the one hand, and to the procedures for referral to the control bodies of the Convention, on the other hand, the introduction of Protocol n° 11 establishing a single court, not having modified this possibility. In the Caribbean-Americas area, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were able to make use of this territorial clause, thus placing their dependencies in a variable situation, according to their various declarations. Oscillating between interiority and exteriority vis-à-vis the law of the ECHR, the overseas territories of the Caribbean-Americas area find themselves consequently, within the framework of a differentiated legal regime justified by the existence of "local necessities", but whose meaning and scope have yet to be clarified. The analysis of the territorial scope of application of the Convention with regard to the overseas territories of the Caribbean-Americas space therefore highlights all the ambiguity of this text, of which the Court certainly provides a dynamic interpretation, but nevertheless subject to the formalism of Article 56.

This paper proposes to verify the hypothesis that the adaptation of the island territories would not necessarily be implemented proportionally to the degree of exposure to climatic hazards. After a presentation of the main impacts of climate change which potentially affect, and will affect, small islands, the agenda setting processes and action strategies, deployed by island territories facing the effects of climate change, are analyzed, on the basis of studies, led in 2006 and 2007 on two French islands, a metropolitan one (Ré) and an overseas department (Réunion). Finally, the similarities observed in local-level responses to climate change impacts are highlighted, and the consequences of the adaptation for the principle of territorial solidarity are discussed.

Keywords: Changement climatique, insularité, adaptation, vulnérabilité, politiques publiques, aménagement du territoire, échelle locale, Ré, Réunion, Climate change, adaptation, insularity, vulnerability, public policy, spatial planning, local scale, Ré, Réunion

This paper explores the relationship between elderly people, seaside towns and seafront promenades, in order to interrogate the concept of “Right to the city”. Ageing, a major social challenge that was absent in Lefebvre's works, is questioned in more depth. Elderly women often use seafront promenades as a way to maintain their presence in town. The accessibility of these places ensures social inclusion and is the guarantee of the “Right to the city” in old age.

Keywords: Femmes, vieillissement, citadinité, droit à la ville, villes balnéaires, Women, ageing, citizenship, Right to the city, seaside towns, Mujeres, envejecimiento, citadinidad, derecho a la ciudad, ciudades balnearias

Observations of net radiation at Poste-de-la-Baleine (Great Whale) have shown that low cloud and fog are two important elements in the expianation of the climate along the South-East coast of Hudson Bay. Based on the hourly surface meteorclogical data for 1969, annual and seasonal frequencies have been established of the occurrence of low cloud and fog and their characteristics. From these frequencies, in association with other factors, it is possible to gauge to a certain extent the effect of low cloud and fog on the climate of Poste-de-la-Baleine (Great Whale).The results indicate that low cloud and fog were present at more than 50% of the observations in 1969, mainly during the period of daylight. Their high frequency, specially during the mild season, constitutes a dominant factor in the reduction of the energy available at the surface. Several consequences of their particular climatic conditions on human activities and on the vegetation are indicated.

Keywords: Climat, météorologie, nuages bas, brume, bilan du rayonnement, Poste-de-la-Baleine, Nouveau-Québec, Canada, Climate, meteorology, low cloud, fog, net radiation, Poste-de-la-Baleine (Great Whale), New Quebec, Canada