The Côte d'Albâtre (Alabaster Coast) is a strip about 6 miles (10 km) wide that juxtaposes landscapes of hedgerows and forests in the hinterland and moors on top of imposing chalk cliffs. It would form a wall almost 80 miles (130 km) long without the breaches or valleys formerly dug by rivers. Cities, small ports, and seaside resorts took advantage of this geography to settle and give access to the natural beaches that border the rocks.