Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,000 years, these central mountains are separated from the Alps by the north-south trending Rhone River Basin.
The following d�partements are generaly considered as part of the Massif: Allier, Ard�che, Aveyron, Cantal, Corr�ze, Creuse, Haute-Loire, Haute-Vienne, Loire, Lot, Loz�re and Puy-de-Dome.
The following r�gions are part of the Massif: Auvergne, Limousin. Part of the following r�gions are in the Massif: Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees, Rh�ne-Alpes.
The largest cities are Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-�tienne.
Mountains include: Puy-de-D�me
Plateaus include: Larzac
See also: Geography of France