vales

A vale, or valley, is a low area between hills or mountains, typically elongated and often containing a river or stream. The plural vales is used for multiple such features; vale is also a literary or archaic term for a valley in English. The word derives from Latin vallis through Old French.

Valleys form through erosion and tectonics. River valleys are carved by running water, creating V-shaped cross-sections in their upper courses and broad, flat floodplains downstream. Glacial valleys are widened and deepened by moving ice, often taking a U-shaped profile with hanging valleys. Tectonic or rift valleys occur where crustal blocks drop relative to neighboring blocks. Valleys accumulate sediments on their floors, creating terraces and alluvial deposits.

Valleys vary in size, climate, and ecology. They commonly host soils favorable for agriculture, mesh with waterways, and support diverse habitats. Human activity—settlements, farming, roads and railways—frequently concentrates in valleys because of easier transport and access to water. Valleys can face hazards such as floods, landslides, or earthquakes.

Notable examples include the Central Valley of California, a long, broad trough supporting intensive agriculture; the Rhine Valley in Europe; and the Loire Valley in France, known for landscape and viticulture.