History UsefulNotes / DepartementalIssues

->One of the most sparsely populated departments in Metropolitan France, this mountainous region is a favourite of gliders, and at winter, of skieers.

Created from the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie, themselves made out of many different provinces, coming up with a name for this region was a... complicated issue, to say the least. The final result, Hauts-de-France ("Upper France"), had a mixed reception[[note]]"haut" or "high" is traditionally used to refer to places of high altitude, not places further north. This is probably the flattest part of France...[[/note]]. Nord is the historical western half of Flanders, while Pas-de-Calais, as its name implies, contains the port of Calais. This area played key roles in both World Wars. Picardie has a long history and strong cultural identity, but modern Picardy is much larger than the old province, and its southern parts have more in common with Ile de France and Champagne. In France, it used to hold a ''very'' bad reputation for being extremely poor, polluted and [[WorkingClassPeopleAreMorons backward]]. The extremely successful movie ''Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis'' did a lot to change that vision of things. Nord-Pas-de-Calais retains a strong [[WorkingClassHero working class]] identity, with people whose origins come from all over Europe. Think of northern industrial England, only French. The best French beers come from there; Nord in particular shares in the Flemish brewing tradition with Belgium.

'''Regional languages:''' Occitan (Gascon, Languedocian, Provençal), Catalan\\

The constant and significant backlash against the Grand Est in the two departements (Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin) that once formed the Region of Alsace prompted the government of Emmanuel Macron to patch up yet another administrative layer to try calming things down, the "European Collectivity of Alsace", which is the merging of the two departments in practice, with a limited set of competences and with aims that would include better economic cooperation with the neighboring German and Swiss areas, while still not taking Alsace out of the Grand Est. There is still political activity to have the latter happen.

The constant and significant backlash prompted the government of Emmanuel Macron to patch up yet another administrative layer to try calming things down, the "European Collectivity of Alsace", which is the merging of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in practice, with a limited set of competences and with aims that would include better economic cooperation with the neighboring German and Swiss areas, while still not taking Alsace out of the Grand Est. There is still political activity to have the latter happen.

The merger is contested to this day, especially by Alsatians[[note]]Polls regularly put the rejection at over 80% in the two former departments of Alsace[[/note]], citing no significant cultural homogeneity (except between Moselle and the two Alsatian departments) to justify screwing centuries of historical/cultural delimitations, as well as a ploy by the socialist government of then-president François Hollande to drown Alsace's consistently strong right-wing votes, and revived regionalism there as a result[[note]]Hollande gloating about "drawing the new French regions' lines on a table cloth corner" didn't help his case, either[[/note]]. The constant and significant backlash prompted the government of Emmanuel Macron to patch up yet another administrative layer to try calming things down, the "European Community of Alsace," which is the merging of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin in practice, with a limited set of competences and with aims that would include better economic cooperation with the neighboring German and Swiss areas, while still not taking Alsace out of Grand Est.

!!!'''88 -- Vosges'''
-->'''Capital (and largest city):''' Épinal\\
'''Area:''' 5,874 square kilometres (2,268 square miles) [6th of 10 regionally; 52nd of 97 overall]\\
'''Population (2022):''' 364,499 [6th of 10 regionally; 63rd of 97 overall]
->A little-known part of Lorraine whose most famous daughter is UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc, born in Domrémy (now suffixed "-la-Pucelle" in her honour).

->A mostly rural department, though it contains Caen, one of the two capitals of pre-2016 Normandy (specifically, Basse Normandie, the other being Rouen for Haute Normandie). The [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII D-day landings]] took place here, while the town of Bayeux is home to [[Art/TheBayeuxTapestry a tapestry]] depicting the Norman conquest of England in the eleventh century and one of the most iconic pieces of medieval art.

->Corresponding to the ancient county of Périgord, Dordogne is known for its truffles (the other "black gold"). At its eastern frontier lay the caves of Lascaux, famed for its prehistoric paintings.

->The other department that composed the Duchy of Savoy. Its most distinctive feature is Mont Blanc (along the border with Italy), the highest peak of Western Europe at 4,810 metres (15,782 feet).[[note]]The generally accepted highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus, located in the Russian Caucasus at 5,642 metres (18,510 feet). However, the boundary between Asia and Europe is disputed: if the Kuma–Manych Depression is used as the geographical border, Elbrus and all other major Caucasus mountains lie in Asia, making Mont Blanc Europe's highest. If the Greater Caucasus watershed is used, Elbrus lies entirely in Europe.[[/note]] Like its neighbour, it is a major hub of mountain tourism. It is usually satirized as being basically Switzerland, being mostly known for beautiful mountains and gorgeous lakes, and being among the most wealthy parts of France. The TV show ''Series/LesRevenants'' was filmed there.

->The departamental capital, Albi, was known both as the hometown of Art Nouveau pioneer Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the site of an imposing, fortress-like cathedral, built as a show of power by the Roman Catholic Church over the former Cathar stronghold (thus their other denonym, the "Albigensians") and one of the largest brick buildings in the world.

-->A patchwork department formed from leftovers of Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron. The people of Montauban complained to Napoleon that it was unfair their city wasn't the capital of a department, he thought "sure, why not", and thus Tarn-et-Garonne was born.

->No matter what administrative divisions say, Loire-Atlantique is very much Breton at heart. Breton reunification has been a local issue ever since regions were created, but as of 2016 the situation remains the same. The department is located around the Loire's estuary into the Atlantic Ocean, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as its name seems to suggest]]. It is the flattest department in France, and is home to many wetlands and salt marshes. Nantes is a young and dynamic city, and as previously mentioned is the historic capital of Brittany (see why people are making a big deal out of it?). Creator/JulesVerne was born here. At the mouth of the river, Saint-Nazaire is one of the world's most important shipyards, many of the largest ships in history having been built here.

->Roughly corresponds to the old province of Anjou, the homeland of UsefulNotes/HousePlantagenet, which at its peak ruled over England and all of western France. The capital, Angers, has a large castle that was owned by them. Other noteworthy sites are the town of Saumur and Cholet.

->A quiet department, with a strong agriculture. Its southern third was once part of Anjou, the remainder being part of Maine.

->Part of the old province of Poitou, during UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution the modern-day department saw a major [[TheRemnant counter-revolutionary uprising]], which was [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized brutally repressed]] by the Republican Government. Vendée has remained a stronghold of conservative Catholicism, being notably home to Philippes de Villiers, traditionalist politician [[HeAlsoDid and founder of the]] "Puy du Fou" medieval theme park, the second most visited in France.

'''Regional Languages:''' Occitan (Provençal and Vivaro-Alpine)

The southeasternmost region of France, its name is very often abridged as PACA (pronounced "paka"). Besides the Alps, PACA is very touristic, especially the Côte d'Azur (also known as the French Riviera) and Cannes for its annual Film Festival.

The largest city in the region is Marseille which is France's second biggest city and famous for being the oldest French city (founded by Greeks merchants in the 600s BC), and the one with the most intense football fever − its football club notably has a long rivalry with that of Bordeaux. It is also the birthplace of Creator/MarcelPagnol, and later many [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHipHop French rappers]] (most famously the band IAM and anarchist female rapper Keny Arkana). Other big cities includes Toulon, Nice and Avignon.

->A composite of four different regions--Bresse, Dombes, Bugey, and Pays de Gex--the otherwise agriculturally-oriented departement contributes to 10% of France's plastic industry, as well as home to most of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider Large Hadron Collider]] of CERN (which is otherwise headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland), while the town of Ars-sur-Formans is a Catholic pilgrimage site associated with its 19th-century parish priest [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Vianney St. John Vianney]], who spent forty years working for the town's spiritual transformation.

->One of the three departments that composed the historical Dauphiné. Famed for its mountains. Grenoble, nicknamed "Capital of the Alps", is the second-largest city in the region and a major scientific and industrial hub in Europe, as well as centrepiece of the 1968 Winter UsefulNotes/OlympicGames. The combination of high-level education and beautiful nature makes the departement a favored destination for many a NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl.

-> Named after the dormant volcano that towers over the departemental (and regional) capital, Clermont-Ferrand, and a tourist destination in its own right, being the site of several religious compounds, including a Roman one dedicated to Mercury. Clermont-Ferrand is also known as the home of tire-making company Michelin (the one with a rubber-man for a mascot).

->Named after the river that flows through its old capital Lyon and known for Beaujolais wine, it had been expanded greatly from its original extent in order to keep all of the Lyon area in the same department. Although the department no longer includes Lyon, at the present that city still remains the departement's provincial capital.

->Named after the French designation for the Strait of Dover, this is a surprisingly rural departement in spite of its large population. Its capital, Arras, is a historic town and centre of the Artois region along the eastern half of the department, while its largest city, Calais, serves as the French end of the Channel Tunnel which serves as Britain's principal link to continental Europe (the other end being near Dover in Kent, England). Half of the action of the TV show ''Series/TheTunnel'' takes place here.

->A mostly rural departement, though it contains Caen, one of the two capitals of pre-2016 Normandy (specifically, Basse Normandie, the other being Rouen for Haute Normandie). The [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII D-day landings]] took place here, while the town of Bayeux is home to [[Art/TheBayeuxTapestry a tapestry]] depicting the Norman conquest of England in the eleventh century and one of the most iconic pieces of medieval art.

->Another mostly rural departement, with a relatively large but evenly spread out population. The town of Giverny is home to painter [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Monet Claude Monet]], a founder of impressionism.

->Another quiet departement of Poitou, Deux-Sèvres is also one of the fastest growing and developing.

->A departement dominated by Toulouse, the fourth-largest city in France, which prides itself as the heart of the European aerospace industry (Airbus has its main office in the suburb of Blagnac).

->A departement carved from the old province of Languedoc and known for long stretches of beaches. The capital, Montpellier, is home to the oldest school of medicine in the world still in operation.

->The departemental capital, Cahors, is known for its wine industry that predates that of Burgundy, while the town of Rocamadour features a Benedictine abbey and pilgrimage site atop a plateau, upon which a sword was embedded, allegedly belonging to folk hero [[Literature/TheSongOfRoland Roland]].

-->A patchwork departement formed from leftovers of Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron. The people of Montauban complained to Napoleon that it was unfair their city wasn't the capital of a department, he thought "sure, why not", and thus Tarn-et-Garonne was born.

->The departemental capital Foix is home to a castle sitting on a rocky outcrop, while the hilltop fortress of nearby Montségur saw the last major stand of Catharism, snuffed out by a ten-month siege by French Crusaders in 1244.

->Aude has a long culture of wine-making, inherited from the Greeks, and throughout the medieval period was part of the territory of the Cathars, a Christian sect which rejects Christ's human nature and advocates escape from mortal flesh. Its prefectural capital, Carcassonne, is well-known for its restored medieval fortresses, while the slightly larger city of Narbonne to the coast existed since Roman times, remains of which era survive to this day.

->Best-known the Roman arena in the departemental capital, Nîmes, still used to this day, and the Pont du Gard, the highest aqueduct bridge throughout the Roman Empire.

->The departemental capital, Auch, is best-known as the designated hometown of [[Literature/TheThreeMusketeers Charles d'Artagnan]].

->A departement known for long stretches of beaches. The capital, is home to one of the oldest, if not ''the'' oldest, schools of medicine in the world, and is a big student town.

->The departemental capital, Cahors, is known for its wine industry that predates that of Burgundy, while the town of Rocamadour features a rocky outcrop upon which a sword was embedded, allegedly belonging to FolkHero Roland.

!!!'''65 -- Hautes-Pyrénées (Upper Pyrénées)'''

->Home to several popular ski resorts and an almost-fixture on any version of the Tour de France, but perhaps better known for the town of Lourdes, where on 1858 fourteen-year-old shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous received visions attributed to the Virgin Mary, turning the town into one of France's most popular Catholic pilgrimage destinations.

!!!'''66 -- Pyrénées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrénées)'''

->Originally the other half of the Principality of Catalonia just across the Pyrénées Mountains, Pyrénées-Orientales still maintains a nominal Catalan identity, and its capital, Perpignan, is considered the third largest Catalan city (after Barcelona and Lerida) in Europe.

The largest region in France by area, surpassing Austria, Nouvelle Aquitaine includes a large variety of subregions, cultures, and landscapes, but also has a strong historic cohesion, Aquitaine having existed as a group, kingdom, duchy, or region for over 2,000 years. The region's current name, meaning "New Aquitaine", was chosen to distinguish it from a previous, smaller region that existed between 1982 and 2016. "Grande Aquitaine," or just "Aquitaine," were popular favourites for the name, but were met with political resistance, "Grande Aquitaine" being accused of implying a sense of superiority ([[CoughSnarkCough *cough* Grand-Est *cough*]]). Among the many historical sub-regions are Bearn (in the southeast), the Basque Country (in the southwest), Gascony (south of the Garonne), Guyenne (in the center, used in medieval times as an alternative name for the region), Limousin and La Marche (to the east), Poitou (in the north), and Saintonge (along the the river Charente). The region's landscape consists mainly of green, rolling plains, gradually raising from the Atlantic to the highlands of the Massif Central, but there are also the dramatic high peaks of the Pyrenees, in the far south. Despite being scarcely populated for it size, Nouvelle Aquitaine is one of the most dynamic regions economically, and one of the fastest growing demographically thanks to its growing transport network.

->A quiet département of western France, named after the river which flows through it, Charente is home to the Cognac liqueur and the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the third largest in the world.

->A coastal département, this Charente's big sister contains many islands, the large Isles of Ré and Oleron, and the smaller Isles Madame and Aix, and is a popular holiday destination. A protestant stronghold, the capital La Rochelle was famously besieged and largely destroyed by Cardinal Richelieu in 1628. The siege is depicted in ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' and most of its sequel, ''Literature/TwentyYearsAfter'', takes place there. The iconic ''Series/FortBoyard'' is both set and located off the coast.

->An otherwise quiet department which produced two French presidents: Jacques Chirac, who began as deputy representative for the national lower house, François Hollande, former mayor of Tulle.

->Least populated department of the region and second least populous across Metropolitan France, the capital, Guéret, is home to some of the last native wolves in France. One of the least populated department and is home to Aubusson, a town reknowned for its tapestry history.

->The largest department of France by area, its capital Bordeaux is considered the seat of the world's wine industry, and holds an annual wine exhibit. 60 kilometers away (and into the sea) is the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. Named after the Gironde estuary, by which the Garonne river goes into the Atlantic after merging with the Dordogne river.

->Created from parts of the ancient provinces of Guyenne and Gascony, Landes is the second-largest department of France by area, as well as home to the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe. It was artificially planted on a now largely defunct heathland/swamp during the 19th century that ironically gave its name to the department ("landes" means "moor").

!!!'''64 -- Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Pyrénées [Mountains]-Atlantic [Ocean])'''

->The western part of this department is the ''other'' half of the "Basque country" (including that in Spain, just beyond the Pyrénées), and is also the home department of such glamorous beach towns as Biarritz. The eastern half is a part of Gascogne called Béarn, where politician François Bayrou was born.

->Halfway between Bordeaux and Paris, Vienne is home to the Futuroscope theme park.

->The departemental (and regional) capital, Limoges, is best-known for its porcelain, enamels and cork barrels used to store cognac wine. To the northwest lies Oradour-sur-Glane, infamous for a massacre upon its civilians in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII 1944]] by the Nazis, said to have been their [[DisproportionateRetribution retribution for the alleged kidnapping of an SS commander]].

In the tenth century, King Charles III of France granted territory to a group of [[HornyVikings Vikings]] (then known as "Normans") led by the ''jarl'' Rollo on the condition that they stopped raiding his lands. Thus, Normandy was born. At various points in history, the region has been divided into Haute ("Upper") and Basse ("Lower") Normandie, though since 2016, the two regoins have been reunited. Normandy is famous for its food (cream! fruits! Camembert!), apple beverages (cider! Calvados!) and beautiful rural landscapes. Birthplace of a certain [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman conqueror]].

->A mostly rural departement, though it contains Caen, one of the two capitals of pre-2016 Normandy (specifically, Basse Normandie, the other being Rouen for Haute Normandie). The [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII D-day landings]] took place here.

->Another mostly rural departement, with a relatively large but evenly spread out population.

!!!'''50 -- Manche (The [English] Channel)'''

->The westernmost departement of Normandy, it consists mainy of the Cottentin peninsula, that juts into the Channel. "La Manche" is the French name for the English Channel. The famous [[BrightCastle Mont Saint-Michel]] is located in the south-west, right next to the border with Brittany. Cherbourg, its capital, is famous for its [[Film/TheUmbrellasOfCherbourg umbrellas]].

->The only landlocked departement of Normandy, Orne is also the least populated. The legendary Camembert cheese comes from here.

->The largest and most populated Norman département. At the mouth of the Seine, Le Havre is one of the largest ports in France, and the largest municipality in the département, though if one includes the urban area, it is largely surpassed by Rouen. Located further upstream, Rouen is one of the two capitals of Normandy (along with Caen) and has a rich cultural heritage. The city notably has one of the largest (and most spectacular) cathedrals in France ; [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Joan of Arc]] was famously burnt here on 1431. Other noteworthy sites include the coastal town of Dieppe and the famous cliffs of Étretat, the secret hideout of [[Literature/ArseneLupin a certain gentleman-thief]].

->Comprising much of the former Duchy of Bourbonnais, Allier played a major role during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. The spa city of Vichy served as the capital of the Nazi-sponsored French government, while the countryside around nearby Montluçon was a hotbed of resistance activity led by New Zealand-born Australian agent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Wake Nancy Wake]].

-> One of the most sparsely populated departements in France, Cantal is also one of France's most isolated, with its capital, Aurillac, being the farthest-removed departemental capital from any major motorway. Its most famous son is probably the scholar [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope]] Sylvester II, who was originally Gerbert d'Aurillac.

-> One of the three departments that composed the historical Dauphiné. Valence is situated in the Rhône valley and is usually seen as the door between Northern and Southern France due to being at the transition between continental and Mediterranean climate and because of the light southern accent of its inhabitants.

-> One of the three departments that composed the historical Dauphiné. Famed for its mountains. Grenoble, nicknamed "Capital of the Alps", is the second-largest city in the region and a major scientific and industrial hub in Europe, as well as host of the 1968 Winter UsefulNotes/OlympicGames. The combination of high-level education and beautiful nature makes the departement a favored destination for many a NewAgeRetroHippie and GranolaGirl.

-> Saint-Étienne was long known in France as the city of the "weapon, cycle, and ribbon", from its history as an industrial center for arms manufacture, ribbons, and later bicycles. It also became a major coal mining center. In the 21st century, the city has been transforming itself into a design center, with some success.

-> Le Puy-en-Velay is famous for its cathedral, which served as part of the route of the Camino de Santiago (the pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain) as well as a pilgrimage site in its own right.

-> Named after the river that flows through its old capital Lyon, it had been expanded greatly from its original extent in order to keep all of the Lyon area in the same department. Although the department no longer includes Lyon, at the present that city still remains the departement's provincial capital.

-> Separated from Rhône in 2015, Lyon is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area in France. Known as a major center of [[UsefulNotes/SnailsAndSoOn French cuisine]], and also with a significant place in the history of cinema, being where Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph, an early motion picture camera. The city also boasts numerous architectural and historic landmarks, as well as significant banking, pharmaceutical, biotech, and video game development industries. Also notable in French sports, with its football club Olympique Lyonnais being one of France's most historic clubs and its basketball club ASVEL being the country's most dominant in this century. Officially, the metropolis is now a "territorial collectivity" (''collectivité territoriale'') with the same powers as a department.

-> One of the two departments that composed the Duchy of Savoy. Dominated by the Alps, it's a major hub of mountain tourism; the 1992 Winter Olympics were held in this department, specifically in and around Albertville. Historically known for agriculture, especially the cheeses coming from its dairies, its rugged nature has lent itself in recent decades to extensive hydroelectric installations, in turn allowing for a large metals processing industry to develop.

-> The other department that composed the Duchy of Savoy. Its most distinctive feature is Mont Blanc (along the border with Italy), the highest peak of Western Europe at 4,810 metres (15,782 feet).[[note]]The generally accepted highest point in Europe is Mount Elbrus, located in the Russian Caucasus at 5,642 metres (18,510 feet). However, the boundary between Asia and Europe is disputed: if the Kuma–Manych Depression is used as the geographical border, Elbrus and all other major Caucasus mountains lie in Asia, making Mont Blanc Europe's highest. If the Greater Caucasus watershed is used, Elbrus lies entirely in Europe.[[/note]] Like its neighbour, it is a major hub of mountain tourism. It is usually satirized as being basically Switzerland, being mostly known for beautiful mountains and gorgeous lakes, and being among the most wealthy parts of France. The TV show ''Series/LesRevenants'' was filmed there.

-> Côte-d'Or is home to some of France's most prestigious vineyards, while much of the department's economic activity is centered on Dijon. The area is also the birthplace of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistercians Cistercians]], a Roman Catholic monastic order which stresses on austerity.

-> A department built around the Roman-era trade post of Besançon, the birthplace of Creator/VictorHugo, overlooked by an imposing hilltop fortress.

-> Jura is a predominantly wine-making region, and for lack of industrial activity, much of the department's business is concentrated in small towns such as Lons-le-Saunier and Dole.

-> A rural department that largely thrives on the wine industry, its capital, Nevers, is home to a cathedral literally made of two earlier ones patched together, as well as the final resting place of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous St. Bernadette Soubirous]], the recipient of visions attributed to the Virgin Mary at the town of Lourdes farther south.

-> A quiet, rural department amidst a hotspot of economic activity that straddles the French-German border.

-> Dominated by a series of hills, Saône-et-Loire is most famous for the Benedictine abbey at Cluny, once ''the'' center of monastic activity in medieval Europe, as well as the town of Taizé, home to a Christian ecumenical community.

-> An otherwise quiet department largely known for Sens, the town whose Roman Catholic Archdiocese once covered Paris and its surrounding areas until the 17th century.

-> For such a small department, Belfort is distinct from the rest of the region by being a remnant of Alsace retained by the French after the rest was lost to the Germans after the UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar (partly as a show of respect to the 17,000 Frenchmen who defended the eponymous capital against 40,000 Germans during a 103-day siege; in their honor a massive stone lion was sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, finished a few months before he started work on the Statue of Liberty).

Modern-day Brittany is actually only roughly 80% of the historical region, with the rest now belonging to Pays de Loire [[TheArtifact just because]]. Pretty Celtic in culture (it's part of the six Celtic nations with UsefulNotes/{{Ireland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}, Cornwall, and the Isle of Man), this is the last Celtic country in continental European (established by Cornish/Welsh refugees from Britain[[note]]We say "Cornish/Welsh" because there wasn't a strong difference at the time. They would have called themselves "Britons" (or something close to that, anyway), but that would be needlessly confusing. They are also reverse Normans as they left Britain for France.[[/note]] looking for somewhere like home; they found it). The local language, Breton, historically spoken in the western part of the region, is being revived as part of France's gradual relaxation of its restrictions on dissemination of local cultures. It is very closely related to Cornish and slightly more distantly related to Welsh. A romance language called Gallo is also still in use in the eastern part of the region, though it has much fewer speakers.

-> An unusually liberal department amidst an otherwise conservative region, centered on the socialist stronghold of Guingamp.

->Literally named after its location at the westernmost end of the peninsula, Finistère remains Brittany's largest speaker of the Breton language, with an annual festival held at its capital, Quimper, while much of its economic activity revolves at the port city of Brest, only a few kilometers away from the westernmost end of the peninsula.

-> The heart of eastern Brittany, the bustling city of Rennes serves as the heart of both the department and the region, while the tidal fortress-island of Saint-Malo was a primary destination for merchants and pirates alike.

-> The department completely surrounds the eponymous gulf, which is a famous surfing and bird-watching destination, but is better-known as home to what is said to be the largest collection of megalithic structures in the world, of which the most famous is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnac_stones stone formations at Carnac]].

Simply known as "Centre" until 2014, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin it is located in the center of France]] (well, more in the North-West. Ish.). It is known for two things: the Loire Valley and its famous ''châteaux'', and the fact that it is the only region with no individual cultural identity whatsoever. In fact, it's constituted of various smaller historical provinces (Berry, Touraine, and Orléans), and some of them were even in conflict. It is often said that Centre was made with the leftovers when all the other regions where created. After a long campaign, it was renamed "Centre-Val de Loire" in January 2015.

->Half of the ancient province of Berry, its capital, Bourges, was also the said province's capital.

->A largely agricultural region, Eure-et-Loir is created from parts of the old province of Orléans. The skyline of its capital, Chartres, is dominated to this day by the twin spires of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral its cathedral]], arguably the best-preserved Gothic church in France.

->The other half of the former province of Berry. Most famous for Saint-Benoît-du-Sault and Gargilesse-Dampierre, said to be two of the most beautiful villages in France.

->Formerly part of the province of Touraine, Indre-et-Loire saw a crucial battle during the 8th century which saw invading Moors repelled by Frankish duke Charles Martel near Tours. The town of Chinon is home to a riverside château that once served as a residence of French and English kings in the 11th century, while another town, Chenconceaux, is host to another château built over an old flour mill literally straddling the Cher river.

->Formerly of the province of Orléans, its same-named capital is also the capital both of the departement and the region. The city of Orleans is better known, however, for a siege during UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar, which saw a 19-year-old peasant girl from Lorraine named UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc help the beleaguered French repel the English and turn the tide of the war.

->Directly facing Sardinia, the capital Ajaccio is the birthplace of Napoleon, while the town of Bonifacio literally sits on top of a seaside cliff.

->The capital, Troyes, was a former centre of international trade and namesake of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_weight a system of weight measurement for precious metals and stones once used widely in Britain and America]]. The village of Clairvaux is home to St. Bernard, reformer of the Cistercians.

->In a predominantly wine-making region, the town of Épernay is ''the'' place where barrels of champagne are gathered from all over the region. Near Châlons-en-Champagne is a military camp which served both as training grounds and exhibition centre, while Reims is a cathedral town where French kings were crowned; British readers, think Westminster Abbey, only French and Catholic.

->An otherwise quiet departement mostly known for Lake Der-Chantecoq, the largest manmade lake in Europe and its game-rich forests appreciated by hunters. The capital Chaumont bore witness to an accord between Prussia, Russia, Britain, and Austria refusing any peace deal with UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, leading to his final defeat at Waterloo. The town of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises was also UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle's home for the last years of his life.

->The capital Nancy was the centre of the historic Lorraine region, and is the birthplace of art nouveau.

->Moselle is a centre of Lorraine culture, and Metz has both a very old city centre and a policy of eco-friendly urban planning.

->Disproportionately for its size and population, Haut-Rhin is one of the richest departments in France. Mulhouse hosts a Peugeot car factory (and was the birthplace of Creator/WilliamWyler), while Colmar and takes pride as the "capital of Alsatian wine" as well of its native son Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, of the UsefulNotes/StatueOfLiberty fame.

'''Largest city:''' St Quentin\\

->Made up of three old provinces--Vermandois in the north, Ile de France in the centre, and Champagne in the south--Aisne was the site of some of the biggest battles of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

->The western half of the historic realms of Flanders and Hainaut (the other halves being in UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}), Nord is France's most populous departement (even more so than Paris, although obviously at a much lower density) and is the only one with its own Flemish dialect. Nord once stood at the forefront of France's 19th-century industrial renaissance, and has slowly rebuilt itself as a commercial and tourist hub following the devastation of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

->Pronounced "wahz", this département is economically and culturally turned towards Paris and Ile de France. Its most noteworthy sites are the Parc Asterix theme park and the Beauvais's unfinished cathedral, which has the highest vault of any gothic church.

!!!'''62 -- Pas-de-Calais (Strait of Dover)'''

->A surprisingly rural departement in spite of its large population, Pas-de-Calais is better-known for its largest city, Calais, which serves as the French end of the Channel Tunnel which serves as Britain's principal link to continental Europe. Half of the action of the TV show Series/TheTunnel takes place here.

->The core of old Picardy, Somme was the site of one of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI's biggest battles. Its capital is home to one of France's largest cathedrals, which unlike that of Beauvais, is complete.

->Best known for Disneyland Paris, as well as the Palace of Fontainebleau, which used to be Napoleon's seat of power. It also roughly corresponds to the historic region of Brie Française, the western part of the Brie region historically under the direct authority of the Kings of France, and is the source of the two varieties of the famous Brie cheese that have AOC appellations (''Brie de Melun'', from the departmental seat, and ''Brie de Meaux'', from the department's largest settlement).

->Best known for the Palace of Versailles, Music/{{Air}}, and Music/DaftPunk.

->Home to the École Polytechnique, the most prestigious engineering school in France, as well as Arianespace, builders of the near-eponymous rockets frequently launched from French Guiana.

->Forming the western half of the "Petite Couronne", its largest city, Boulogne-Billancourt, is the largest and richest of the Parisian suburbs. Hauts-de-Seine is also home to La Défense, Europe's largest purpose-built business district, home to Manhattanesque skyscrapers that house France's major corporate headquarters and the famous modernist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche Grande Arche]] (designed to form a line with the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre; it houses a museum and government offices as well as a train station).

->The northeastern part of the Petite Couronne, the department is home to several French hip-hop acts. The cathedral of its largest city, Saint-Denis, is also the final resting place of the kings of France since the 10th century, built on the spot where, so legend goes, the eponymous first Bishop of Paris expired after preaching to the masses carrying his severed head after being beheaded in Paris.

->Completing the "Petite Couronne", Val-de-Marne is famous for its [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinguette ginguettes]]. The town of Vincennes is most famous for its château.

->Its largest city, Argenteuil, is the second-largest Parisian suburb after Boulogne-Billancourt.

While the regional language Provençal is considered a variant of Occitan, it uses a different spelling norm called "Mistralian spelling" (writer Frédéric Mistral was a famous proponent of the language), which is a little more phonetic and also closer to French spelling ("gn" instead of "hn", "ill" instead of "lh", "ou" instead of "o", etc.)

'''Regional languages:''' Occitan (Vivaro-Alpine and Auvergnat variants)\\

->Made up of three old provinces--Vermandois in the north, Ile de France in the centre, and Champagne in the south--Aisne was the sight of some of the biggest battles of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI.

->The core of old Picardy, Somme was the sight of one of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI's biggest battles. Its capital is home to one of France's largest cathedrals, which unlike that of Beauvais, is complete.

The heart of France, covering its capital Paris and its outskirts (''la banlieue''), whose inhabitants are known as ''Franciliens''. Urban and businesslike in culture, of course it is the most populated of the regions, though the most far-off outskirts still manage to remain rural. Can be divided into three "rings": the city of Paris; the ''petite couronne'' ("little crown") of inner-ring suburbs, which might as well be part of the city; and the outer ring of departments which are less densely populated. The ''petite couronne'', together with Paris, have a population two-thirds that of New York City on only half the land. Probably the biggest victim of France's LandOfOneCity syndrome; even its inhabitants don't know it very much. Americans, compare [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState upstate New York]]; Brazilians, compare the state of Sao Paulo.

'''Population (2022):''' 76,604 [13th of 13 regionally; 97th of 997 overall]

->Corresponds wroughly with the historical county of Agenais. The area is especially famous for its dried prunes and its numerous ''bastides'', fortified towns built during the Middle Ages.

!!!'''35 -- Ille-et-Vilaine (Ille and VIlaine)'''

Created from the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie, themselves made out of many different provinces, coming up with a name for this region was a... complicated issue, to say the least. The final result, Hauts-de-France ("Upper France"), had a mixed reception[[note]]"haut" or "high" is traditionally used to refer to places of high altitude, not places further north. This is probably the flattest part of France...[[/note]]. Nord is the historical western half of Flanders, while and Pas-de-Calais, as its name implies, contains the port of Calais. This area played key roles in both World Wars. Picardie has a long history and strong cultural identity, but modern Picardy is much larger than the old province, and its southern parts have more in common with Ile de France and Champagne. In France, it used to hold a ''very'' bad reputation for being extremely poor, polluted and [[WorkingClassPeopleAreMorons backward]]. The extremely successful movie ''Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis'' did a lot to change that vision of things. Nord-Pas-de-Calais retains a strong [[WorkingClassHero working class]] identity, with people whose origins come from all over Europe. Think of northern industrial England, only French. The best French beers come from there; Nord in particular shares in the Flemish brewing tradition with Belgium.

''Départements'' (often rendered in English as "departments") are the primary administrative divisions of France. As you can imagine given that bit about France being big, there's rather a lot of them. Nowadays they are grouped for administrative efficiency into 18 ''régions'', 13 within "Metropolitan France" (i.e., in continental Europe, including Corsica), and the remaining five elsewhere, but this is a [[NewerThanTheyThink fairly recent creation]]. Several regional projects aborted, the first one in 1919, the second one during [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII the Vichy regime]], and the third one rejected by referendum in 1969 (which is what led to UsefulNotes/CharlesDeGaulle's retirement from power). The current regions were created in 1972 by George Pompidou, but were only given significant power by 1983's decentralization law under François Mitterrand. In 2014, after a long, tedious, and at times very controversial political debate, the number of regions was brought down from 27 to 18, merging many regions. Reception to this reform was highly mixed, the re-unification of Normandy being almost unanimously praised, while the merger of Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne, or the fact the problems surrounding Brittany were blatantly ignored, left a lot of people ''very'' unhappy.

Each département is allocated a number[[note]]Numbers are supposed to be allocated alphabetically, but with départements changing names and new ones being created by dividing old ones, this rule has several exceptions.[[/note]], which appears on French postcodes and car registrations.

The départements are purely administrative, having been created during UsefulNotes/{{the French Revolution}} as a means to "rationalize" administration: originally, the idea was to divide along the lines of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChassisFiguratif.jpg rigid grid]], and although that idea was quickly scrapped, the départemental lines are drawn with more consideration for compactness and equality of geographic size than anything else − nobody had to be "more than a day of horseriding" away from the main city of their department. Most of these departments are named after rivers, mountains or seas (or several at once like ''Pyrénées Atlantiques'').

The regions, on the other hand, tend to vaguely follow the old provinces of the ''Ancien Régime'', although not always (Centre-Val de Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Pays de la Loire, Grand Est and Midi-Pyrénées in particular are noted for their artificiality). The historic provinces tend to be very much a focus for attachment for ordinary French people, as do the towns, cities, and other municipalities that form the next level down below the département. The old provinces tend to have their own characteristic dialects[[note]] and in some cases even regional languages such as Basque or Breton that have nothing to do with French whatsoever[[/note]], cuisines, customs, and traditions -- to say nothing of the cheese and the wine. Although the dialects largely have been worn away into mere regional accents by generations of concerted attempts to impose Standard French as well as immigration, the rest have remained -- and that's why we talk about it.

!!Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Burgundy-Franche-Comté)

!!!'''70 -- Haute-Saône'''

!!!'''71 -- Saône-et-Loire'''

!Bretagne (Brittany / Breizh)

!!!'''29 -- Finistère'''

-> Literally named after its lovation at the westernmost end of the Brittany Peninsula, Finistère remains Brittany's largest speaker of the Breton language, with an annual festival held at its capital, Quimper, while much of its economic activity revolves at the port city of Brest, only a few kilometers away from the westernmost end of the peninsula.

!!!'''35 -- Ille-et-Vilaine'''

'''Population (2012):''' 2,573,180 [12th of 13]\\

Known as the "Centre" region until 2014, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin it is located in the center of France]] (well, more in the North-West. Ish.). It is known for two things: the Loire Valley and its famous ''châteaux'', and the fact that it is the only region with no individual cultural identity whatsoever. In fact, it's constituted of various smaller historical provinces (Berry, Touraine, and Orléans), and some of them were even in conflict. It is often said that Centre was made with the leftovers when all the other regions where created. After a long campaign, it was renamed "Centre-Val de Loire" in January 2015.

!!!'''28 -- Eure-et-Loir'''

!!!'''37 -- Indre-et-Loire'''

!!!'''41 -- Loir-et-Cher'''

![[UsefulNotes/{{Corsica}} Corse]] (Corsica)

'''Regional languages:''' Corsican\\

'''Regional languages:''' Picard, Western Flemish\\

!!!'''59 -- Nord'''

!!!'''62 -- Pas-de-Calais'''

!!!'''94 -- Val-de-Marne'''

!!!'''95 -- Val-d'Oise'''

In the tenth century, the king of France granted a province to a group of [[HornyVikings vikings]] (then known as "normans"), on the condition they stopped raiding his lands. Thus, Normandy was born. At various points in history, the region has been divided into Haute ("Upper") and Basse ("Lower") Normandie, though since 2016, the two regoins have been reunited. Normandy is famous for its food (cream! fruits! Camembert!), apple beverages (cider! Calvados!) and beautiful rural landscapes. Birthplace of a certain [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman conqueror]].

!!!'''50 -- Manche'''

!!!'''76 -- Seine Maritime'''

!!!'''17 -- Charente-Maritime'''

!!!'''40 -- Landes'''

!!!'''47 -- Lot-et-Garonne'''

!!!'''64 -- Pyrénées-Atlantiques'''

!!!'''79 -- Deux-Sèvres'''

!!!'''65 -- Hautes-Pyrénées'''

!!!'''66 -- Pyrénées-Orientales'''

!!!'''82 -- Tarn-et-Garonne'''

!!!'''44 -- Loire-Atlantique'''

!!!'''49 -- Maine-et-Loire'''

!Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

!!!'''05 -- Hautes-Alpes'''

!!!'''06 -- Alpes-Maritimes'''

!!!'''13 -- Bouches-du-Rhône'''

-->'''Capital (and largest city): Nantes\\

Southeastern part of the Country, its name is very often abridged as PACA (pronounced "paka"). Besides the Alps, the Region is very touristic, especially the ''Côte d'Azur'' (the French Riviera) and Cannes for its annual Film Festival.

!!!'''04 -- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence'''

'''Area:''' 6,944 km
(2,681 mi
)\\
'''Population (2016):''' 161,588

'''Area:''' 5,549 km
(2,142 mi
)\\
'''Population (2016):''' 141,107

'''Area:''' 4,299 km
(1,660 mi
)\\
'''Population (2017):''' 1,083,310

'''Area:''' 5,112 km
(1,974 mi
)\\
'''Population (2016):''' 2,019,717

'''Area:''' 5,973 km
(2,306 mi
)\\
'''Population (2016):''' 1,055,821

'''Area:''' 3,566 km
(1,377 mi
)\\
'''Population (2016):''' 559,014

-->A patchwork departement formed from leftovers of Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Aveyron. The people of Montauban complained to Napoleon that it was unfair their city wasn't the capital of a departement, he thought "sure, why not", and thus Tarn et Garonne was born.

Made from Anjou[[note]]Maine-et-Loire[[/note]], Maine[[note]]Mayenne + Sarthe[[/note]], and pieces from Brittany (Loire-Atlantique) and Poitou (Vendée). Capital is Nantes, which happened to be the capital of ''Brittany'' in the past [[note]]the Castle of the Briton Dukes is located in Nantes[[/note]]. Whether or not Nantes should or should not be part of the region is... [[FlameBait a sensitive issue]]. Some argue Nantes is Brittany's rightful capital, and that its culture and history make it a Breton city, while others argue that Nantes is the obvious cultural, political, and economic capital for the lower Loire valley, and that for the remainder of the region, not having Nantes as a capital makes little sense. Polls show Nantes very largely favors reunification with Brittany, but there is a sizable (and vocal) minority that ardently opposes it. There is a campaign to have Loire-Atlantique (the Breton part containing Nantes) reattached to Brittany and move the capital of the smaller Pays de la Loire from Nantes to Angers (historic capital of Anjou) or Le Mans (historic capital of Maine and seat of Sarthe département). Another proposal is to attach Vendée to Poitou, and have the rest merge with Centre-Val de Loire. The other provinces are famous for the ''châteaux'' of the Loire Valley.

->''''' 44-- Loire Atlantique''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Nantes/ '''Area:''' 6,809km
(2,629mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 1,254,609) -- No matter what administrative divisions say, Loire-Atlantique is very much part of Brittany. Breton reunification has been a local issue ever since regions were created, but as of 2016 the situation remains the same. The departement is located around the river Loire's estuary into the Atlantic Ocean, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as its name seems to suggests]]. It is the flattest departement in France, and is home to many wetlands and salt marshes. The city of Nantes is a young and dynamic city, and as previously mentioned is the historic capital of Brittany (see why people are making a big deal out of it?). Creator/JulesVerne was born here. At the mouth of the river, Saint-Nazaire is one of the world's most important shipyards, many of the largest ships in history having been built here.
->''''' 49-- Maine et Loire''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Angers/ '''Area:''' 7,172 km
(2,769mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 800,191) -- Roughly corresponds to the old province of Anjou, the homeland of UsefulNotes/HousePlantagenet, which at its peak ruled over England and all of western France. The capital, Angers,has a large castle that was owned by them. Other noteworthy sites are the town of Saumur and Cholet.
->''''' 53-- Mayenne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Laval/ '''Area:''' 5,175 km
(1,998mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 307,500) -- A quiet departement, with a strong agriculture. The southern third of this departement was once part of Anjou, the remainder of it being part of Maine.
->''''' 72-- Sarthe''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Le Mans/ '''Area:''' 6,206 km
(2,396mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 569,035) -- The Sarthe département corresponds to the eastern half of the old province of Maine. Le Mans, the capital and largest city, was a roman city and has been home to the "24 heures du Mans", an endurance sports car race that first happened in 1923.
->''''' 85-- Vendée''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' La-Roche-sur-Yon/ '''Area:''' 6,206 km
(2,396mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 655,506) -- Part of the old province of Poitou, in the [[UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution 1790's]] Vendée saw a major [[TheRemnant counter-revolutionary uprising]], which was [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized brutally repressed]] by the Republican Government. Vendée has remained a stronghold of conservative Catholicism, being notably home to Philippes de Villiers, traditionalist politician [[HeAlsoDid and founder of the]] "Puy du Fou" medieval theme park, the second most visited in France.

'''Area:''' 72,724 km (28,079 mi)\\
'''Population (2012):''' 5,774,185\\
'''Regional languages:''' Occitan (Gascon, Languedocian, Provençal), Catalan

The southernmost region in mainland France, Occitanie owes its name to the Occitan languages, that were traditionally spoken throughout the southern half of France. Roughly corresponds to the medieval county of Toulouse, or the early-modern Parliament of Toulouse, but like all regions has many subcultures. A large eastern half corresponds to the old province of Languedoc, while the west was historically part of Guyenne and Gascony, Toulouse being on the cultural border. Also includes the small county of Foix, in the Pyrenees mountains, and the Catalan Roussillon, who weren't exactly happy about the name. Maintains a sense of unity thanks to the rather homogenous culture of southwestern France, though the easternmost parts are closer to Provence than the rest of the region. This is [[UsefulNotes/RugbyUnion rugby]] [[RugbyIsSlaughter country]]--they even prefer it to [[UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball the beautiful game]].

->'''''09 -- Ariège''''' ('''Capital:''' Foix / '''Largest City:''' Pamiers / '''Area:''' 4,890km
(1,890mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 152,366) -- The departemental capital, Foix is home to a castle sitting on a rocky outcrop, while the hilltop fortress of nearby Montségur saw the last major stand of Catharism, snuffed out by a 10-month siege by French Crusaders in 1244.
->'''''12 -- Aveyron''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Rodez / '''Area:''' 8,735km
(3,373mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 276,229) -- Home to several scenic castles and monasteries, including the one in Conques, a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The town of Miliau is also well-known for what is now known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct the highest bridge in the world]], spanning the gaping Tarn Valley.
->'''''11 -- Aude''''' ('''Capital:''' Carcassonne / '''Largest City:''' Narbonne / '''Area:''' 6,139km
(2,370mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 362,339) -- Aude has a long culture of wine-making, inherited from the Greeks, and throughout the medieval period was part of the territory of the Cathars, a Christian sect which rejects Christ's human nature and advocates escape from mortal flesh. Its prefectural capital, Carcassonne, is well-known for its restored medieval fortresses, while the slightly larger city of Narbonne to the coast existed since Roman times, remains of which era survive to this day.
->'''''30 -- Gard''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Nîmes / '''Area:''' 5,853km
(2,260mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 725,618) -- Best-known the Roman arena in the departemental capital, Nîmes, still used to this day, and the Pont du Gard, the highest aqueduct bridge throughout the Roman Empire.
->'''''32 -- Gers''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Auch / '''Area:''' 6,257km
(2,416mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 189,530) -- The departemental capital, Auch, is best-known as the designated hometown of [[Literature/TheThreeMusketeers Charles d'Artagnan]]. More infamously, the departement is home to the town of... Condom (actually a shorthand of the Gaulish "Condatómagos", or "Market of the Confluence").
->'''''31 -- Haute-Garonne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Toulouse / '''Area:''' 6,309km
(2,436mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,279,349) -- A departement dominated by Toulouse, the fourth-largest city in France, which prides itself as the heart of the European aerospace industry (Airbus has its main office in the suburb of Blagnac).
->'''''34 -- Hérault''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Montpellier / '''Area:''' 5,853km
(2,356mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,077,627) -- A departement known for long stretches of beaches. The capital, is home to one of the (if not ''the'') oldest schools of medicine in the world, and is a big student town.
->'''''46 -- Lot''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Cahors / '''Area:''' 5,217km
(2,014mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 174,346) -- The departemental capital, Cahors, is known for its wine industry that predates that of Burgundy, while the town of Rocamadour features a rocky outcrop upon which a sword was buried, allegedly belonging to FolkHero Roland.
->'''''48 -- Lozère''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Mende / '''Area:''' 5,167km
(1,995mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 76,889) -- The most sparsely populated département in France, Lozère made headlines almost 300 years ago through a bunch of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_of_G%C3%A9vaudan lupine man-eaters]] which terrorized the countryside.
->'''''65 -- Hautes-Pyrénées''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Tarbes / '''Area:''' 4,464km
(1,724mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 228,854) -- Home to several popular ski resorts and an almost-fixture on any version of the Tour de France, but perhaps better known for the town of Lourdes, where on 1858 14-year-old shepherdess Bernadette Soubirous received visions attributed to the Virgin Mary, turning the town into one of France's most popular religious pilgrimage destinations.
->'''''66 -- Pyrénées-Orientales''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Perpignan / '''Area:''' 4,116km
(1,589mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 457,793) -- Originally the other half of the Principality of Catalonia just across the Pyrénées Mountains, Pyrénées-Orientales still maintains a nominal Catalan identity, and its capital, Perpignan, is considered the third largest Catalan city (after Barcelona and Lerida) in Europe.
->'''''81 -- Tarn''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Albi / '''Area:''' 5,758km
(2,223mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 378,947) -- The departamental capital, Albi, was known both as the hometown of Art Nouveau pioneer Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and the site of an imposing, fortress-like cathedral, built as a show of power by the Roman Catholic Church over the former Cathar stronghold (thus their other denonym, the "Albigensians") and one of the largest brick buildings in the world.
->'''''82 -- Tarn-et-Garonne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Montauban / '''Area:''' 3,717km
(1,436mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 246,971) -- A patchwork departement formed from leftovers of Lot, Haute-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers and Aveyron. The people of Montauban complained to Napoleon that it was unfair their city wasn't the capital of a departement, he thought "sure, why not", and thus Tarn et Garonne was born.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pays de la Loire]]
!Pays de la Loire (Loire Countries)
Made from Anjou[[note]]Maine-et-Loire[[/note]], Maine[[note]]Mayenne + Sarthe[[/note]], and pieces from Brittany (Loire-Atlantique) and Poitou (Vendée). Capital is Nantes, which happened to be the capital of ''Brittany'' in the past [[note]]the Castle of the Briton Dukes is located in Nantes[[/note]]. Whether or not Nantes should or should not be part of the region is... [[FlameBait a sensitive issue]]. Some argue Nantes is Brittany's rightful capital, and that its culture and history make it a Breton city, while others argue that Nantes is the obvious cultural, political, and economic capital for the lower Loire valley, and that for the remainder of the region, not having Nantes as a capital makes little sense. Polls show Nantes very largely favors reunification with Brittany, but there is a sizable (and vocal) minority that ardently opposes it. There is a campaign to have Loire-Atlantique (the Breton part containing Nantes) reattached to Brittany and move the capital of the smaller Pays de la Loire from Nantes to Angers (historic capital of Anjou) or Le Mans (historic capital of Maine and seat of Sarthe département). Another proposal is to attach Vendée to Poitou, and have the rest merge with Centre-Val de Loire. The other provinces are famous for the ''châteaux'' of the Loire Valley.

----

->'''Capital (and largest city):''' Rouen\\

'''Largest city: Le Havre\\

'''Area:''' 88,861 square kilometres (32,456 square miles)\\
'''Population (2014):''' 5,879,149\\
'''Regional languages:''' Occitan (Gascon, Languedocian, Limousin), Basque

The largest region in France, being bigger in area than Austria, Nouvelle Aquitaine includes a large variety of subregions, cultures, and landscapes, but also has a strong historic cohesiveness, Aquitaine having existed as a people group, kingdom, duchy, or region for over 2000 years. The region's current name meaning "new Aquitaine", was chosen to distinguish it from a previous, smaller administrative region, that existed between 1982 and 2016. "Grande Aquitaine", or just "Aquitaine", were popular favorites for the name, but were met with political resistance, "Grande Aquitaine" being accused of implying a sense of superiority ([[CoughSnarkCough *cough* Grand-Est *cough*]]). Among the many historical sub-regions are Bearn (in the south east), the Basque Country (in the south west), Gascony (south of the Garonne), Guyenne (in the center, used in the middle ages as an alternative name for the region), Limousin and La Marche (to the east), Poitou (in the north), and Saintonge (along the the river Charente). The region's landscape consists mainly of green, rolling plains, gradually raising from the Atlantic to the highlands of the Massif Central, but there are also the dramatic high peaks of the Pyrenees, in the far south. Despite being scarcely populated for it size, Nouvelle Aquitaine is one of the most dynamic regions economically, and one of the fastest growing demographically thanks to its growing transport network.

->''''' 16-- Charente''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Angoulême/ '''Area:''' 5,956 km
(2,000mi) / '''Population (2013):''' 353,482) -- A quiet département of western France, named after the river which flows through it, Charente is home to the Cognac liqueur and the Angouleme International Comics Festival, the third largest in the world.
->''''' 17-- Charente Maritime''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' La Rochelle/ '''Area:''' 6,864 km
(2,650mi) / '''Population (2013):''' 633,417) -- A coastal département, this Charente's big sister contains many islands, the large Isles of Ré and Oleron, and the smaller Isles Madame and Aix, and is a popular holiday destination. A protestant stronghold, the capital La Rochelle was famously besieged and largely destroyed by Cardinal Richelieu in 1628. The siege is depicted in ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' and most of its sequel, ''Literature/TwentyYearsAfter'', takes place there. The iconic ''Series/FortBoyard'' is both set and located off the coast.
->'''''19 -- Corrèze''''' ('''Capital:''' Tulle / '''Largest City:''' Brive-la-Gaillarde/ '''Area:''' 5,857km
(2,261mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 241,247) -- An otherwise quiet departement which produced two of France's presidents: Jacques Chirac, who began as its deputy representative for the national lower house, and president François Hollande, former mayor of the departemental capital, Tulle.
->'''''22 -- Creuse''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Guéret / '''Area:''' 5,565km
(2,149mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 121,517) -- The departemental capital, Guéret, is home to some of the last native wolves in France. One of the least populated department and is home to Aubusson, a town reknowned for its tapestry history.
->''''' 79-- Deux Sèvres''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Niort/ '''Area:''' 5.999 km
(2,316mi) / '''Population (2013):''' 371,632) -- Another quiet departement of Poitou, Deux-Sèvres is also one of the fastest growing and developing.
->'''''24 -- Dordogne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Périgueux / '''Area:''' 9,060km
(3,500mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 416,384 -- Corresponding to the ancient county of Périgord, Dordogne is known for its truffles (the other "black gold"). At its eastern frontier lay the caves of Lascaux, famed for its prehistoric paintings.
->'''''33 -- Gironde''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Bordeaux / '''Area:''' 10,000km
(4,000mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,483,712 -- The departemental (and regional) seat, Bordeaux, is considered the capital of the world's wine industry, and holds an annual wine exhibit. 60 kilometers away (and into the sea) is the Dune of Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe. Named after the Gironde estuary, by which the Garonne river goes into the Atlantic after merging with the Dordogne river.
->'''''87 -- Haute-Vienne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Limoges / '''Area:''' 5,520km
(2,130mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 375,869) -- The departemental (and regional) capital, Limoges, is best-known for its porcelain, enamels and cork barrels used to store cognac wine. To the northwest lies Oradour-sur-Glane, infamous for a massacre upon its civilians in [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII 1944]] by the Nazis, said to have been their [[DisproportionateRetribution retribution for the alleged kidnapping of an SS commander]].
->'''''40 -- Landes''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Mont-de-Marsan / '''Area:''' 9,243km
(3,569mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 392,884 -- Created from parts of the ancient provinces of Guyenne and Gascony, Landes is home to the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe. It was artificially planted on a now largely defunct heathland/swamp during the 19th century that ironically gave its name to the department ("landes" means "moor").
->'''''47 -- Lot-et-Garonne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Agen / '''Area:''' 5,361km
(2,070mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 332,119 -- Corresponds wroughly with the historical county of Agenais. The area is especially famous for its dried prunes and its numerous ''bastides'', fortified towns built during the middle ages.
->'''''64 -- Pyrénées-Atlantiques''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Pau / '''Area:''' 7,645km
(2,952mi) / '''Population (2012):''' 660,871 -- The western part of this department is the ''other'' half of the "Basque country" (including that in Spain, just beyond the Pyrénées), and is also the home department of such glamorous beach towns as Biarritz. The eastern half is a part of Gascogne called Béarn, where politician François Bayrou was born.
->''''' 86-- Vienne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Poitiers/ '''Area:''' 6,990 km
(2,700mi) / '''Population (2013):''' 431,248) -- Halfway between Bordeaux and Paris, Vienne is home to the Futuroscope theme park.

'''Area:''' 1,246 square kilometres (481 square miles) [4th of 8 regionally; 91st of 97 overall]

->'''Capital:''' Rouen\\
'''Area:''' 29 906 km2\\
'''Population:''' 3 327 477 (2018)\\
'''Regional languages:''' Norman


In the tenth century, the king of France granted a province to a group of [[HornyVikings vikings]] (then known as "normans"), on the condition they stopped raiding his lands. Thus, Normandy was born. At various points in history, the region has been divided into "upper normandy" and "lower normandy (Haute Normandie and Basse Normandie), though since 2016, the two regoins have been reunited. Basse-Normandie's capital is Caen, while Haute-Normandie's is Rouen. Normandy is famous for its food (cream! fruits! Camembert!), apple beverages (cider! Calvados!) and beautiful rural landscapes. Birthplace of a certain [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman conqueror]].

->'''''14 -- Calvados''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Caen/ '''Area:''' 5,548km
(2,142mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 689,945) -- A mostly rural departement, though it contains Caen, one of the two capitals of Normandy (the other being Rouen, in Seine Maritime). The [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII D-day landings]] took place here.

->''''' 27-- Eure''''' ('''Capital :''' Évreux/ '''Area:''' 6,040km
(2,330mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 595,043) -- Another mostly rural departement, with a relatively large but evenly spread out population.

->'''''50 -- Manche''''' ('''Capital :''' Saint-Lô/ '''Largest city :''' Cherbourg/ '''Area:''' 5,938km
(2,293mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 499,919) -- The westernmost departement of Normandy, it consists mainy of the Cottentin peninsula, that juts into the Channel. "La Manche" is the French name for the English Channel. The famous [[BrightCastle Mont Saint-Michel]] is located in the south-west, right next to the border with Brittany. Cherbourg, its capital, is famous for its [[Film/TheUmbrellasOfCherbourg umbrellas]].
->''''' 61 -- Orne''''' ('''Capital :''' Alençon/ '''Area:''' 6,103km
(2,356mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 288,848) -- The only landlocked departement of Normandy, Orne is also the least populated. The legendary Camembert cheese comes from here.
->''''' 76-- Seine Maritime''''' ('''Capital :''' Rouen/'''Largest City: Le Havre/ '''Area:''' 6,278km
(2,424mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 1,254,609) -- The largest and most populated Norman département. At the mouth of the Seine, Le Havre is one of the largest ports in France, and the largest municipality in the département, though if one includes the urban area, it is largely surpassed by Rouen. Located further upstream, Rouen is one of the two capitals of Normandy (along with Caen) and has a rich cultural heritage. The city notably has one of the largest (and most spectacular) cathedrals in France ; [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Joan of Arc]] was famously burnt here on 1431. Other noteworthy sites include the coastal town of Dieppe and the famous cliffs of Étretat, the secret hideout of [[Literature/ArseneLupin a certain gentleman-thief]].

'''Area:''' 6,211 square kilometres (2,398 square miles) [3rd of 10 regionally; 35th of 97 overall]\\

'''Area:''' 6,211 square kilometres (2,398 square miles) [4th of 10 regionally; 36th of 97 overall]\\

'''Population (2022):''' 12,262,544 [1st of 13]

The heart of France, covering its capital Paris and its outskirts (''la banlieue''), whose inhabitants are known as ''Franciliens''. Urban and businesslike in culture, of course it is the most populated of the regions, though the most far-off outskirts still manage to remain rural. Can be divided into three "rings": the city of Paris; the ''petite couronne'' ("little crown") of inner-ring suburbs, which might as well be part of the city; and the outer ring of departments which are less densely populated. The ''petite couronne'', together with Paris, have a population two-thirds that of New York City on only half the land. Probably the biggest victim of France's LandOfOneCity syndrome; even its inhabitants don't know it very much. Americans, compare [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState upstate New York]]; Brazilians, compare the state of Sao Paulo.
----

!!!''' 60-- Oise'''

'''Area:''' 12,012 km (4,638 mi)\\
'''Population (2012):''' 11,898,502

The center and heart of France, covering Paris and the outskirts (''la banlieue''), whose inhabitants are known as ''Franciliens''. Urban and businesslike in culture, very populated of course (11 million as of 2008), though the most far-off outskirts still manage to remain rural. Can be divided into three "rings": the city of Paris; the ''Petite Couronne'' ("little crown") of inner-ring suburbs, which might as well be part of the city; and the outer ring of ''départements'', which are less densely populated. The inner-ring together with Paris have a population 2/3 that of New York on only half the land. Probably the biggest victim of France's LandOfOneCity syndrome; even its inhabitants don't know it very much. Americans, compare [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState upstate New York]]; Brazilians, compare the state of Sao Paulo.

->'''''75 -- Paris''''' ('''Area:''' 105km
(41mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 2,240,621)
->'''''77 -- Seine-et-Marne''''' ('''Capital:''' Melun / '''Largest City:''' Meaux / '''Area:''' 1,804km
(2,284mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,353,946) -- Best known for Disneyland Paris, as well as the Palace of Fontainebleau, which used to be Napoleon's seat of power. It also roughly corresponds to the historic region of ''Brie française''--the western part of the Brie region historically under the direct authority of the Kings of France--and is the source of the two varieties of the famous Brie cheese that have AOC appellations (''Brie de Melun'', from the departmental seat, and ''Brie de Meaux'', from the department's largest settlement).
->'''''78 -- Yvelines''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Versailles / '''Area:''' 2,284km
(882mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,412,356) -- Best known for the Palace of Versailles, Music/{{Air}} and Music/DaftPunk.
->'''''91 -- Essonne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Évry / '''Area:''' 1,804km
(697mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,237,507) -- Home to the École Polytechnique, the most prestigious engineering school in France, as well as Arianespace, builders of the near-eponymous rockets frequently launched from French Guiana.
->'''''92 -- Hauts-de-Seine''''' ('''Capital:''' Nanterre / '''Largest city:''' Boulogne-Billancourt / '''Area:''' 176km
(68mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,586,434) -- Forming the western half of the "Petite Couronne", its largest city, Boulogne-Billancourt, is the largest and richest of the Parisian suburbs. Hauts-de-Seine is also home to La Défense, Europe's largest purpose-built business district, home to Manhattanesque skyscrapers that house France's major corporate headquarters and the famous modernist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche Grande Arche]] (designed to form a line with the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre; it houses a museum and government offices as well as a train station).
->'''''93 -- Seine-Saint-Denis''''' ('''Capital:''' Bobigny / '''Largest city:''' Saint-Denis / '''Area:''' 231km
(91mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,538,726) -- The northeastern part of the "Petite Couronne", the departement is home to several French hip-hop acts. The cathedral of its largest city, Saint-Denis, is also the final resting place of the Kings of France since the 10th century, built on the spot where, so legend goes, the eponymous first Roman Catholic Bishop of Paris died after walking six miles preaching to the masses while ''carrying his severed head on his arms after being beheaded''.
->'''''94 -- Val-de-Marne''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Créteil / '''Area:''' 245km
(95mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,341,831) -- Completing the "Petite Couronne", Val-de-Marne is famous for its [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinguette ginguettes]]. The town of Vincennes is most famous for its château.
->'''''95 -- Val-d'Oise''''' ('''Capital:''' Pontoise / '''Largest City:''' Argenteuil / '''Area:''' 1,246km
(481mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,187,081) -- Its largest city, Argenteuil, is the second-largest Parisian suburb after Boulogne-Billancourt.

'''Area:''' 31,813 km (12,283 mi)\\
'''Population (2018):''' 6 004 108\\
'''Regional languages:''' Picard, Western Flemmish

Created from the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie, themselves made out of many different provinces, coming up with a name for this region was a... ''complicated'' issue. The final result, Hauts de France ("heights of France"), had a mixed reception[[note]]"haut"
or "high" is traditionally used to refer to places of high altitude, not places further north. This is probably the flattest part of France...[[/note]]. Nord is the historical western half of Flanders and Pas-de-Calais contains, as the name implies, the port of Calais. This area played key roles in both World Wars. Picardie has a long history and strong cultural identity, but modern Picardy is much larger than the old province, and its southern parts have more in common with Ile de France and Champagne. In France, it used to hold a ''very'' bad reputation for being extremely poor, polluted and [[WorkingClassPeopleAreMorons backward]]. The extremely successful movie ''Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis'' did a lot to change that vision of things. Nord-Pas-de-Calais retains a strong [[WorkingClassHero working class]] identity, with people whose origins come from all over Europe. Think of northern industrial England, only French. The best French beers come from there; Nord in particular shares in the Flemish brewing tradition with Belgium.

->''''' 02-- Aisne''''' ('''Capital :''' Laon/'''Biggest city :''' St Quentin/'''Area:''' 7,369 km
(2,845mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 540,067) -- Made up of three old provinces (Vermandois in the north, Ile de France in the centre,Champagne in the south), this departement was the sight of some of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI WWI]]'s biggest battles.
->'''''59 -- Nord''''' ('''Capital [and largest city]:''' Lille / '''Area:''' 5,743km
(2,217mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 2,587,128) -- The western half of the historic realms of Flanders and Hainaut (the other halves being in UsefulNotes/{{Belgium}}), Nord is France's most populous departement (being more populous even than Paris, although obviously at a much lower density) and is the only one with its own Flemish dialect. Nord once stood at the forefront of France's 19th-century industrial renaissance, and has slowly rebuilt itself as a commercial and tourist hub following the devastation of World War II
->''''' 60-- Oise''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Beauvais/ '''Area:''' 5,860 km
(2,260mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 815,400) -- Pronounced "wahz", this département is economically and culturally turned towards Paris and Ile de France. Its most noteworthy sites are the Parc Asterix theme park and the Beauvais's unfinished cathedral, which has the highest vault of any gothic church.
->'''''62 -- Pas-de-Calais''' ('''Capital:''' Arras / '''Largest City:''' Calais / '''Area:''' 6,671km
(2,576mi
) / '''Population (2012):''' 1,463,628) -- A surprisingly rural departement in spite of its large population, Pas-de-Calais is better-known for its largest city, Calais, which serves as the French end of the Channel Tunnel which serves as Britain's principal link to continental Europe. Half of the action of the TV show Series/TheTunnel takes place here.
->''''' 80-- Somme''''' ('''Capital [and largest city] :''' Amiens/ '''Area:''' 6,170 km
(2,380mi
) / '''Population (2013):''' 571,675) -- The core of old Picardy, Somme was the sight of one of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI's biggest battles. Its capital is home to one of France's largest cathedrals, which unlike that of Beauvais, is complete.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Île de France]]
!Île-de-France (Island of France)
->'''Capital (and largest city):''' UsefulNotes/{{Paris}}\\
'''Area:''' 12,012 km (4,638 mi)\\
'''Population (2012):''' 11,898,502
----

!!!'''2B -- Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica)'''\\

'''Area:''' 57,433 square kilometres (22,175 square miles)\\
'''Population (2014):''' 5,554,645\\
'''Regional languages:''' Alsatian, Lorrain, Champenois

Merged from three major regions -- Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne. For centuries Alsace and Moselle (also known as, respectively, ''Elsass'' and ''Lothringen'' in German -- Germans called Moselle "Lothringen" despite it only covering one fourth of Lorraine) constantly changed hands between France and Germany -- they were both part of France since the UsefulNotes/ThirtyYearsWar; of UsefulNotes/ImperialGermany [[UsefulNotes/FrancoPrussianWar in 1871]]; of France in 1919 after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI; of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII in 1940 and back to France in 1944-1945]] -- which left its mark on the local culture, where it's not uncommon to meet Frenchmen with Germanic surnames [[note]]a good portion of said surnames originate from UsefulNotes/{{Switzerland}} actually, many German-speaking Swiss people moved to Alsace to repopulate after the Thirty Years War devastated the area[[/note]]. In contrast, the latter region is a patchwork of the historic province of Champagne (obviously famous for its wine-making industry) and the Ardennes forest.

The merging is contested to this day, especially by Alsatians [[note]]Polls regularly put the rejection at over 80% in the two former departments of Alsace[[/note]], citing no significant cultural homogeneity (except between Moselle and the two departments of Alsace) to justify screwing hundreds of years of historical/cultural delimitations, as well as a ploy by the then-Socialist government of the Hollande presidency to drown Alsace's consistently strong right-wing votes, and revived regionalism there as a result [[note]]Then-president François Hollande didn't help matters when he gloated about "drawing the new French regions' lines on a table cloth corner".[[/note]]. The constant and significant backlash prompted the government of the Macron presidency to patch up yet another administrative layer to try calming things down, the "European Community of Alsace", which is the merging of the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments in practice, with a limited set of competences and with aims that would include better economic cooperation with the neighboring German and Swiss areas, while still not taking Alsace out of the Grand Est.

'''Area:''' 5,229 square kilometres (2,019 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 280,907
->Named after a heavily-wooded valley cut by the Meuse river, giving it a strategic importance that never went unseen throughout the two World Wars -- during the first, AcePilot Roland Garros was shot down, and in his honour a tennis centre in Paris, host of the French Open, is named after him; in the runoff to the second, this was the northern end of the UsefulNotes/MaginotLine. The capital Charleville-Mézières is home to Arthur Rimbaud, as well as a medieval fair.

-->'''Capital [and largest city]:''' Troyes\\
'''Area:''' 6,004 square kilometres (2,318 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 306,581
->The capital, Troyes, was a former centre of international trade, and in whose honour [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_weight a weight measurement system for precious metals and stones once used widely in Britain and America]] is named. The village of Clairvaux is home to St. Bernard, reformer of the Cistercians, a Roman Catholic order of monks which stress on austerity.

'''Largest City:''' Reims\\
'''Area:''' 8,162 square kilometres (3,151 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 569,999
->In a predominantly wine-making region, the town of Épernay is ''the'' place where barrels of champagne are gathered from all over the region. Near Châlons-en-Champagne is a military camp which served both as training grounds and exhibition centre, while Reims is a cathedral town where French kings were crowned (for British readers, think Westminster Abbey, only French and Roman Catholic).

'''Largest City:''' Saint-Dizier\\
'''Area:''' 6,211 square kilometres (2,398 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 181,521
->An otherwise quiet departement mostly known for Lake Der-Chantecoq, the largest manmade lake in Europe and its game-rich forests appreciated by hunters. The capital Chaumont bore witness to an accord between Prussia, Russia, Britain and Austria refusing any peace deal with UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, leading to his final defeat at Waterloo. The town of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises was also Charles de Gaulle's home for the last years of his life.

-->'''Capital [and largest city]:''' Nancy\\
'''Area:''' 5,246 square kilometres (2,025 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 731,004

'''Largest City:''' Verdun\\
'''Area:''' 6,211 square kilometres (2,398 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 192,094
->Another of the departements carved out of Lorraine. The strategic valley around Verdun saw its fair share of conflict, but one during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI became perhaps one of the worst real-life cases of the "WarIsHell" trope, claiming over 700,000 Frenchmen and Germans in a war of attrition that lasted almost ''all'' of 1916.

-->'''Capital [and largest city]:''' Metz\\
'''Area:''' 6,216 square kilometres (2,400 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 1,046,873

-->'''Capital [and largest city]:''' Strasbourg [Regional Capital]\\
'''Area:''' 4,755 square kilometres (1,836 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 1,112,815
->The more populous of the two Alsatian departements, its capital Strasbourg is home to the [[UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion European Parliament]], as well as the second-largest cathedral in France (after that in Rouen) and the birthplace of Creator/GustaveDore, Creator/MarcelMarceau, [[FashionDesigner Thierry Mugler]], Creator/GermainMuller, Creator/TomiUngerer and [[UsefulNotes/BritishFootyTeams Arsène Wenger]], among others. Facing the German border is Ouvrage Schoenenbourg, the largest visitable fortification of the Maginot Line.

'''Largest City:''' Mulhouse\\
'''Area:''' 3,525 square kilometres (1,361 square miles)\\
'''Population (2013):''' 760,134
->Disproportionately for its size and population, Haut-Rhin is one of the richest departements in France. Mulhouse hosts a Peugeot car factory (and was the birthplace of Creator/WilliamWyler), while Colmar and takes pride as the "capital of Alsatian wine" as well of its native son Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, of the UsefulNotes/StatueOfLiberty fame.

-->'''Capital [and largest city]:''' Épinal\\
'''Area:''' 5,874 square kilometres (2,268 square miles)
'''Population (2013):''' 375,226