Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of

Metropolitan France Metropolitan France ( or ), also known as European France (), is the area of France which is geographically in Europe and chiefly comprises #Hexagon, the mainland, popularly known as "the Hexagon" ( or ), and Corsica. This collective name for the ...

. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of

Aquitaine Aquitaine (, ; ; ; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne (), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former Regions of France, administrative region. Since 1 January 2016 it has been part of the administ ...

Limousin Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...

, and

Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes (; ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ) was an administrative region on the southwest coast of France. It comprised four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. It included the historical provinces of Angoumo ...

in a territorial reform. Nouvelle-Aquitaine has an area of – more than of

– and has a population of 6,033,952 . The new region was established on 1 January 2016, following the regional elections in December 2015. It is the largest region in France by area (including

overseas regions The overseas departments and regions of France (, ; DROM) are the five departments and regions of the French Republic which are located outside European France (also known as "metropolitan France"). These overseas entities have exactly the sam ...

such as

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

), with a territory slightly larger than that of

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Its

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

and largest city,

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, together with its suburbs and satellite cities, forms the seventh-largest metropolitan area of France, with 850,000 inhabitants. The region has 25 major urban areas, among which the most important after Bordeaux are

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

(288,000 inhabitants),

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...

(283,000),

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

(255,000), Pau (241,000) and

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

(206,000), as well as eleven major clusters. New Aquitaine has five universities (

and Pau) and several

Grandes Écoles Grandes may refer to: *Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician * Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia * Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain ...

. It has three of the four historic resorts on the French Atlantic coast:

Arcachon Arcachon (; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for p ...

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; also spelled ; ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. It is a luxu ...

and

Royan Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; ) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the Departments of France, department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Capital of the Côte de Beauté, Royan is one of the mai ...

, as well as several ski resorts (most notably

Gourette Gourette (; Béarnese: ''Goreta'') is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the D 918 road which passes th ...

). Its economy is based on

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

and

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

( vineyards of Bordeaux and

Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cogn ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

, a powerful

aerospace industry Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...

digital economy The digital economy is a portmanteau of digital computing and economy, and is an umbrella term that describes how traditional Brick and mortar, brick-and-mortar economic activities (production, distribution, trade) are being transformed by the ...

and design, parachemical and pharmaceutical industries,

financial sector Financial services are economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of service sector activities, especially as concerns financial management and consumer finance. The financ ...

(

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; ; ) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area. Geography T ...

) and industrial ceramics (

). The new region includes major parts of

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

("''Midi de la France''"), marked by

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

, Poitevin and

Saintongeais Saintongeais (; endonym: ''séntunjhaes'') is a dialect of Poitevin–Saintongeais spoken halfway down the western coast of France in the former provinces of Saintonge, Aunis and Angoumois, all of which have been incorporated into the current ...

cultures. Historically, it is the "indirect successor" to medieval Aquitaine; it extends over a large part of the former Duchy of

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

Toponymy

The region's interim name ''Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes'' was a hyphenated placename, known as ALPC, created by hyphenating the merged regions' names – ''

'', ''

'' and ''

'' – in alphabetical order. In June 2016, a working group headed by historian , a former vice-president of

, proposed the name "Nouvelle Aquitaine". The decision came after the popular favourite, "Aquitaine", faced resistance by regional politicians from

and

. The other popular favourite, "Grande Aquitaine", was rejected for its connotation with a feeling of superiority.

Alain Rousset Alain Rousset (; born 16 February 1951) is a French politician. Rousset is the Socialist president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, and a Deputy in the National Assembly of France, representing the 7th constituency of the Gironde. ...

, president of the region, concurred with the working group's conclusion, reaffirming that he considered the acronym "ALPC" no choice at all. For those deploring the loss of "Limousin" and "Poitou-Charentes", he noted that the predecessor region of Aquitaine subsumed the identities of the

Périgord Périgord ( , ; ; or ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is divided into f ...

or the

Pays Basque The French Basque Country (; ; ), or Northern Basque Country (, or , ), is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitutes the Basque Municipal Community (; ) presided o ...

, which did not disappear during its 40 years of operation. On 27 June 2016, just a few days ahead of 1 July deadline, the Regional Council almost unanimously adopted ''Nouvelle-Aquitaine'' as the region's permanent name. France's

Conseil d'État In France, the (; Council of State) is a governmental body that acts both as legal adviser to the executive branch and as the supreme court for administrative justice, which is one of the two branches of the French judiciary system. Establ ...

approved ''Nouvelle-Aquitaine'' as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, effective two days later.

History

* For the recent history of each former administrative regions and departments before 2016, * For the history of past entities covering much of the area of the region before the French revolution,

Geography

At 84,061 square kilometres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is larger than

, which makes it the largest region of

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

and

overseas France Overseas France (, also ) consists of 13 France, French territories outside Europe, mostly the remnants of the French colonial empire that remained a part of the French state under various statuses after decolonisation. Most are part of the E ...

. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is delimited by four other French regions (

Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...

to the north-west,

Centre-Val de Loire Centre-Val de Loire (; ,In isolation, ''Centre'' is pronounced . ) or Centre Region (, ), as it was known until 2015, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France. It straddles the middle Loire Valley in the interior ...

to the northeast,

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...

to the east, and

Occitania Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...

to the south-east), three autonomous communities in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

to the south (from east to west,

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

, and Basque Country), and the North

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

(the eastern part of

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay ( ) is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Point Penmarc'h to the Spanish border, and along the northern coast of Spain, extending westward ...

, ''Golfe de Gascogne'' in French) to the west.

Departments

Nouvelle-Aquitaine comprises twelve

departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military * Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Charente Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, and also the r ...

Charente-Maritime Charente-Maritime (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Chérente-Marine''; ) is a Departments of France, department in the French Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, on the country's west coast. Named after the river Charente (river), Charen ...

Corrèze Corrèze (; ) is a département in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the bo ...

Creuse Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.

, Landes,

Lot-et-Garonne Lot-et-Garonne (, ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres (, Poitevin-Saintongese: ''Deùs Saevres'') is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a ...

Vienne Vienne may refer to: Places *Vienne (department), a department of France named after the river Vienne *Vienne, Isère, a city in the French department of Isère * Vienne-en-Arthies, a village in the French department of Val-d'Oise * Vienne-en-Bessi ...

and

Haute-Vienne Haute-Vienne (; , ; Upper Vienne) is a département in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwest-central France. Named after the Vienne River, it is one of the twelve départements that together constitute Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The prefecture an ...

Urban centers

Its largest city and only metropolis is

, in the heart of an urban agglomeration of over one million inhabitants. Taking into consideration the urban area, the new region is home to six of the fifty largest metropolitan areas of French territory (population 2011): *

(1,140,668 inhabitants) *

(283,571) *

(282,876) *

(254 051) * Pau (240,898) *

(205,822). In addition, the region has a network of medium-sized towns scattered throughout its territory, including: *

Angoulême Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; ) is a small city in the southwestern French Departments of France, department of Charente, of which it is the Prefectures of France, prefecture. Located on a plateau overlooking a meander of ...

(108,304) *

Agen Agen (, , ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux. In 2021, the commune had a population of 32,485. Geography The city of Agen l ...

(79,764) *

Brive-la-Gaillarde Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of ), commonly known as simply Brive, is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the aggl ...

(75,925) *

(71,046) *

Périgueux Périgueux (, ; or ) is a commune in the Dordogne department, in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Périgueux is the prefecture of Dordogne, and the capital city of Périgord. It is also the seat of ...

(66,423) * Bergerac (64,427) *

Villeneuve-sur-Lot Villeneuve-sur-Lot (; in the Languedocien dialect of Occitan language: ''Vilanuèva d'Òlt'' ) is a town and Communes of France, commune in the southwestern French Departments of France, department of Lot-et-Garonne. The commune was formerly name ...

(49,354) *

Dax The DAX (''Deutscher Aktienindex'' (German stock index); ) is a stock market index consisting of the 40 major German blue chip companies trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. It is a total return index. Prices are taken from the Xetra t ...

(48,820) *

Mont-de-Marsan Mont-de-Marsan (; Gascon dialect, Occitan: ''Lo Mont de Marçan'') is a communes of France, commune and capital of the Landes (department), Landes Departments of France, department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Population Milit ...

(40,269)

Geographical features

The region covers a large part of the

Aquitaine Basin The Aquitaine Basin is the second largest Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary basin in France after the Paris Basin, occupying a large part of the country's southwestern quadrant. Its surface area covers 66,000 km2 onshore. It formed on Varisca ...

and a small portion of the

Paris Basin The Paris Basin () is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in ...

(the border between the two being located at the "

Seuil du Poitou Seuil () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Ardennes department The following is a list of the 447 communes of the Ardennes department of France France, officially ...

") and the Limousin plate (part of the Massif Central) and the western part of the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

. It is part of five watersheds facing the Atlantic Ocean:

Loire The Loire ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône. It rises in the so ...

Garonne The Garonne ( , ; Catalan language, Catalan, Basque language, Basque and , ; or ) is a river that flows in southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux � ...

and

(and their extension, the

Gironde estuary The Gironde estuary ( , US usually ; , ; , ) is a navigable estuary (though often referred to as a river) in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just downstream of the centre of Bordeaux. Coverin ...

) and

Adour The Adour (; ; ) is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High- Bigorre ( Pyrenees), in the commune of Aspin-Aure, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost ca. is known as the ' ...

, giving rivers bordering land dedicated mostly to viticulture and to agriculture. Dune du Pyla 2014 3

Nouvelle-Aquitaine features a large open coastline along the

, extending from the National Nature Reserve of Aiguillon Bay and the estuary of the Sèvre (near Charron) to

Bidasoa __NOTOC__ The Bidasoa (; ; , ) is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the village of Oronoz-Mugairi (municipality of Baztan) in the province of Navar ...

(south of

Hendaye Hendaye (; Basque: ''Hendaia'',HENDAIA
Ré,

Oléron The Isle of Oléron or Oléron Island (, ; Saintongese dialect, Saintongese: ''ilâte d'Olerun''; , ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, Rochefort), on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antio ...

Aix Aix or AIX may refer to: Computing * AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems *Alternate index, for an IBM Virtual Storage Access Method key-sequenced data set * Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point Places Belg ...

, and Madame) and the inlet of Arcachon. The region is notable for its oyster farming (Marennes-Oléron and the Bassin d’Arcachon), mussel farming (Baie de l’Aiguillon), and tourism. Prominent resorts in the area include

(Côte d’Argent),

(Côte Basque), and

(Côte de Beauté). From the to the coast of

Labourd Labourd (; ; ; ) is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques '' département'' of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is one of the traditional Basque provinces, and identified as one of the territorial component pa ...

, the coastline is predominantly straight and characterized by high dunes, including

Dune du Pilat The Dune of Pilat ( , official name), also called ''Grande Dune du Pilat'', is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km (37.2 mi) southwest of Bordeaux along France's At ...

, large lakes (such as

Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans The Hourtin-Carcans Lake (, ; ) is a lake in the natural region of Médoc, located in the French department of Gironde, Aquitaine. It is one of the largest lakes in France, and the largest freshwater lake, by surface area, situated entirely in Fr ...

, Étang de Lacanau,

Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet is a lake in Gironde / Landes, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in ...

, and

Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis is a lake in Landes, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South Amer ...

), and wetlands (including the Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Dunes et Marais d'Hourtin), all situated above vast pine forests planted in the 19th century. The

Landes forest The Landes forest (; La forêt des Landes in French) in the Landes de Gascogne (las Lanas de Gasconha in the Gascon language), in the historic Gascony natural region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest man-made woodlan ...

, the most extensive in the region, covers nearly one million hectares (approximately 950,000 hectares of maritime pines), making it the largest artificial forest in Western Europe. This forest forms a vast triangle extending from the

Pointe de Grave 300px, The American monument marking the country's entry into World War 1 as it was proposed in 1921 The Pointe de Grave (in occitan : ''Punta de Grava'') is the northernmost tip of the Médoc Peninsula and marks the Northern end of the pine-cla ...

, north of

Soulac-sur-Mer Soulac-sur-Mer (; , , ), commonly known as Soulac (''Solac''), is a commune in the department of Gironde, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (formerly Aquitaine), France. It is a seaside resort on the Côte d'Argent, on the peninsula o ...

, to

Hossegor Soorts-Hossegor (; ) is a commune in the French department of Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France, 20 km (12 miles) north of Biarritz. The town is on a plot of land with 4 beaches on 3.5 km of European Atlantic shoreline, and a ...

in the south and

Nérac Nérac (; , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot-et-Garonne Departments of France, department, Southwestern France. The composer and organist Louis Raffy was born in Nérac, as was the former Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and FC Girondins de Bo ...

in the east, replacing the sandy and marshy

moorland Moorland or moor is a type of Habitat (ecology), habitat found in upland (geology), upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and the biomes of montane grasslands and shrublands, characterised by low-growing vegetation on So ...

that characterized the region for centuries. The Landes forest is partially included in the

Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park (, ) is a protected area of pine forest, wetland and oceanic coastline located in the Landes de Gascogne natural region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. History The lands comprising the par ...

, which begins south of Bordeaux. Further north, adjacent to the Landes forest, the

forest of la Coubre The Forest of la Coubre () is a large forest in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, near the city of Royan. Its area is roughly 7916 hectares, making it the third largest ''National Forest (France), forêt domaniale'' (French State's inalienable ...

on the right bank of the

shares similar characteristics, covering nearly 8,000 hectares. Other significant forests in the region include the

Irati Forest The Irati Forest (; ; ；), found in the western Pyrenees, covers of the Navarre region, astride on the Soule ( Larrau) and Basse-Navarre ( Mendive and Lecumberry) provinces (France) and Navarre (Spain), framed by Mount Okabe (1,466 m) and Pic d ...

in the Basque Country, which spans over 17,000 hectares, and the Forest of the Double, located at the borders of Charente, Charente-Maritime, and Dordogne, which covers about 50,000 hectares and is dotted with nearly 500 lakes. Additionally, near Poitiers, the extends over nearly 6,800 hectares, and to the east, near Guéret, the encompasses 2,000 hectares. Ossau face est01

The extreme southern region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is characterized by the presence of the

. The western part, known as the mountains of Labourd, consists mostly of high green hills. Further east, the highest point in the French Basque Country is

Pic d'Orhy Mount Orhy ( French), also Ori or Orhi in Spanish and Basque, is a mountain at the border of Navarre and Soule, in the Pyrenees, and is high. It is the westernmost peak above in the entire range. A prominent mountain, it is very important in ...

, which reaches 2,017 meters. The Pau region is notable for its more rugged, mineral landscapes, featuring high peaks often exceeding 2,000 meters. The highest point in the region, , stands at 2,974 meters. Other significant Pyrenean peaks in the region include

Pic du Midi d'Ossau The Pic du Midi d'Ossau (; ; 2,884 m) is a mountain rising above the Ossau Valley in the French Pyrenees. Despite possessing neither a glacier nor, in the context of the range, a particularly high summit, its distinctive shape makes it a symbo ...

(2,884 m), (2,824 m), Pic de Ger (2,613 m) near the winter resort

Pic d'Anie Pic d'Anie (Basque Auñamendi) is a mountain of the Pyrenees in France, located close to the Spanish border. It is high. The mountain boasts an almost perfect pyramidal shape and is surrounded by the spectacular karst landscape of. ''Larra'', ...

(2,504 m), (2,472 m), (2,377 m), (2,147 m), and (2,044 m). This hilly region is traversed by numerous mountain streams, known as gaves. Notable gaves in the area include the

Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and although its source is considered to be on the Cirque de Gavarnie in t ...

, the , the

Gave d'Ossau The Gave d'Ossau () is the torrential river flowing through the Ossau Valley, one of the three main valleys of the High- Béarn ( Pyrénées-Atlantiques), in the Southwest of France. It is formed in Gabas from the confluence of two gaves comin ...

, and the

Gaves réunis The Gaves réunis () is a 9.4 km river in southwestern France connecting Peyrehorade to the Adour at Bec du Gave. It is formed by the confluence of the Gave de Pau and the Gave d'Oloron. It is navigable for 8 km from the confluence with the ...

on the border of Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The

Ossau Valley The Ossau Valley ( ; / ) is a valley of the France, French Pyrénées, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''departments of France, département''. Administration 18 communes of France, communes belong to the Valley: Arudy, Aste-Béon, Béost, Besca ...

, one of the three valleys of

Béarn Béarn (; ; or ''Biarn''; or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in Southwestern France. Along with the three Northern Basque Country, ...

, extends from the suburbs of Pau to

Col du Pourtalet The Col du Pourtalet, El Portalet or Portalet d'Aneu is a mountain pass and border crossing in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. The pass reaches an elevation of , and links the Ossau and Tena valleys. The road across the pass is known ...

at the Spanish border. The region's glacial lakes, along with their diverse fauna and flora, contribute to its inclusion in the

Pyrénées National Park Pyrénées National Park (; ) is a French national park located within the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.Le Parc national des Pyrénées (2014). Le Parc national des Pyrénées, un établissement public. Retrieved on ...

. Belonging to the Massif Central,

features a varied landscape with high plateaus and some eroded peaks that dominate green valleys and forests of oak and chestnut trees. The Limousin plateau, intersected by the valleys of the

(which flows through its capital,

), Isle,

Vézère The Vézère (; ) is a 211-km-long river in southwestern France. It is an important tributary to the Dordogne (river), Dordogne. Its source is in the northwestern part of the elevated plateau known as the Massif Central. It flows into the Dordog ...

, and the picturesque

with its deep reliefs, seldom exceeds 500 meters in elevation. It forms the watershed between the

basin to the north (including the sources of the

Briance The Briance (; ) is a long river in the Haute-Vienne ''département'', central France. Its source is at La Croisille-sur-Briance. It flows generally northwest. It is a left tributary of the Vienne into which it flows between Condat-sur-Vienne ...

, , , and Gorre), the Dordogne basin to the south (including the sources of the

Dronne The Dronne (, also , ; ) is a long river in southwestern France, right tributary of the Isle, which itself is a tributary of the Dordogne. The source of the Dronne is in the north-western Massif Central, east of the town of Châlus (south-wes ...

, Isle, and

Auvézère The Auvézère (; Occitan dialect: ''Auvesera'') is a 112 km long river in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It is a tributary of the river Isle, which is itself a tributary of the Dordogne. Geography The river begins at above sea ...

), and the maritime watershed of the Charente to the west. The mountains of Limousin, which include a series of small mountains (Mont Fayat, Monedières Hills, Mont de Châlus) peak at Mont Bessou (976 m), in Corrèze. Further north, the mountains of Marche, which are divided into mountains of Monts de Guéret, mont d'Ambazac and Monts de Blond, are more like high wooded hills dotted with pastures, as real peaks. They culminate in Signal de Sauvagnac (701 m), in Haute-Vienne. Southwest of Limousin and Périgord northwest since 1998 are integrated into the

Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin The Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin (, "Périgord Limousin Regional Natural Park") was created March 9, 1998. It consists of 78 communes situated in the Dordogne and Haute Vienne départements. The park has a surface area of 1,800 square ...

. The northern part of the region, which corresponds to the Haut-Poitou history, is organised around a tray agricultural and viticultural (vineyard of Haut-Poitou) irrigated by the

Clain The Clain (; ) is a long river in western France, a left tributary of the river Vienne. Its source is near Hiesse, Charente. The Clain flows generally north, through the following departments and towns: *Charente * Vienne: Pressac, Vivon ...

or the

Gartempe The Gartempe () is a French river, long. It is a left tributary of the Creuse, which it joins in La Roche-Posay. Its source is in the municipality of Peyrabout. Among its tributaries are the Anglin, the Brame, the Semme and the Ardour. T ...

, which form so little valleys, often lined with oak forests. Further south, the Niortais this open landscapes (openfields) in grain-dominant, but also rich wetland areas such as the

Marais Poitevin The Marais Poitevin () or Poitevin Marsh is a large area of marshland in the former province of Poitou in western France. It is a remnant of what was the former . The western zone near the sea (about two-thirds of the area) is called the "dry ...

, a legacy of an old marine gulf filled with alluvium, which is divided into wet marshes (we speak more readily of "Green Venice") and marshes dried up, converted into mixed farming.

, on the

Sèvre Niortaise The Sèvre Niortaise () is a long river in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire regions in western France, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Its source is in the Deux-Sèvres department, near Sepvret, north of Melle. It flows through t ...

, the main town of the Haut-Poitou outside

, is like a door of this "Green Venice" much of which belongs to the parc naturel régional du Marais poitevin, established in 1979, classified "Grand site de France". Further south lie the Charentes, which correspond to the former provinces of

Aunis Aunis () is a historical Provinces of France, province of France, situated in the north-west of the department of Charente-Maritime. Its historic capital is La Rochelle, which took over from Châtelaillon-Plage, Castrum Allionis (Châtelaillon) t ...

Angoumois Angoumois (), historically the County of Angoulême, was a county and province of France, originally inferior to the parent duchy of Aquitaine, similar to the Périgord to its east but lower and generally less forested, equally with occasional ...

and

Saintonge Saintonge may refer to: *County of Saintonge, a historical province of France on the Atlantic coast * Saintonge (region), a region of France corresponding to the historical province * Saintonge ware, a medieval pottery type produced in Saintes reg ...

. Aunis is not unlike the landscape of Niortais, with large marshes that extend from either side of

and

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...

(Baie d'Yves, marais de Rochefort, Broue and

Brouage Hiers-Brouage () is a former commune in the Charente-Maritime department, southwestern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the n ...

) but also the islands of Ré and

, with varied landscapes where pine forests mingle, sandy beaches or the curious lagoon of Fier d'Ars, the sands in constant motion, which houses a bird sanctuary. The interior of the territory is marked by the presence of a rich plain cereal evoking the

Beauce Beauce may refer to: * Beauce, France, a natural region in north-central France * Beaucé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, France * Beauce, Quebec Beauce (; ) is a historical and traditional region of Quebec, Canada, lo ...

by its open relief on the horizon. At the center of this space, the city of

Surgères Surgères () is a Communes of France, commune in the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department, southwestern France. It is the home of the Surgères 48 Hour Race. History Middle ages The site of Surgères was occupied in Neolithic tim ...

remained a pastureland where dairy farming has retained its importance: the small city is thus a production centers butter, Beurre de Charentes-Poitou. Le Vanneau-Passerelle

The

forms a transitional space between the coastal plains of Aunis, large "champagne" of Saintonge and Limousin plateau. Dotted with small hills, he seems to live to the rhythm of the Charente, real artery watering its major cities,

and

Jarnac Jarnac (; ; Saintongese: ''Jharnat'') is a commune in the Charente department, southwestern France.cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cogn ...

, and a water spirits called

Pineau des Charentes Pineau des Charentes (; Pineau Charentais, or simply Pineau) is a regional aperitif of western France, made in the départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime, and (to a lesser extent) Dordogne. While popular within its region of production, ...

. The western quarter of Charentes consists of Saintonge, organised territory around the towns of

Saintes Saint is the designation of a holy person. Saint(s) may also refer to: Places Saint *Le Saint, Brittany, France Saints *Saints, Luton, Bedfordshire, England *Saints, Seine-et-Marne, France *Saints-en-Puisaye, formerly Saints, France * The Sa ...

, the first capital of Aquitaine in Roman times, and

. In continuation of the Angoumois, the Dordogne approximately corresponds to the former province of

. Taking its name from the river of the same name, which flows Bergerac but not its prefecture,

(the edge of the Isle), the area with varied landscapes has a large afforestation rate (45%) making it the third most wooded department France. The great forests of oak and chestnut trees of green Périgord, organised around

Nontron Nontron (; ) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. History The name Nontron probably derives from the Gallo-Roman personal name ''Nantironius''. Over time, the placename has been spelt Natadun, ...

, meet the great grain fields of the White Périgord, nicknamed "the breadbasket of the Périgord", the oak, walnut and black Périgord truffle, around Sarlat-la-Caneda and vineyards of Bergerac or purple Périgord, which produces Bergerac, monbazillac or pécharmant. The

, which acts as a link between

, ,

Médoc The Médoc (; ) is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the '' département'' of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, northwest of Bordeaux. Its name comes from ''( Pagus) Medullicus'', or "country ...

and western

Guyenne Guyenne or Guienne ( , ; ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of '' Aquitania Secunda'' and the Catholic archdiocese of Bordeaux. Name The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transform ...

, is in itself a world apart. Wild largest estuary in Europe, being classified in the marine park with the "Pertuis charentais", it is lined with large marshes ("Petite Camargue" and hillsides which produces most of the great Bordeaux wines from the Côtes-de-Bordeaux and Côtes-de-Bourg on the right bank to the great wines of the left bank Médoc (Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien. The vineyards of Bordeaux, with international reputation, has done for centuries the reputation of the region. His productions are exported worldwide. Farther south lies the vast plain Landes (south of Gironde and Landes), which begins near Bordeaux and go to the Pyrénées. Largely occupied by the

, it is also a major agricultural area (maize farming) and hosts a spa of international reputation, Dax, also the capital of

Chalosse Chalosse (; or ) is a wine-growing area in Gascony, in south-west France. It lies in the ''departement'' of Landes and is centred on the town of Dax. Chalosse also gives its name to ''coteaux de Chalosse'', the wine of the area, and is used to d ...

, important breeding ground. The coastline subject to severe erosion, remained very wild. Some resorts have been built in the dunes from

in the north of the Gironde, via

Lacanau Lacanau (; , ) is a commune in the Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Lacanau is a surfing area. Lacanau is a member of the Community of Municipalities Médoc's Lakes which includes the municipalities of Lacanau, Ca ...

Hourtin Hourtin (; , ) is a communes of France, commune of southwestern France, located in the Gironde (department), Gironde departments of France, department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine). It is located in the Can ...

Biscarrosse Biscarrosse (; ) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is located southwest of Bordeaux, and inland from the seaside resort of Biscarrosse-Plage on the Atlantic coast. Near Biscarrosse is the ...

Mimizan Mimizan (; ) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in south-western France. There are two separate districts of the town: Mimizan-Bourg (town center) and Mimizan-Plage (resort). Geography Mimizan is a seaside resort on t ...

and

Capbreton Capbreton (; ) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Located at the mouth of the Boudigau and Bourret rivers, the town is situated about 40 km north of Biarritz. The town is a popular holi ...

, without forgetting those bordering the Bay of Arcachon:

Andernos-les-Bains Andernos-les-Bains (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department, southwestern France. Andernos-les-Bains is located on the northeast shore of Arcachon Bay. To its northwest is the town of Arès. Andernos-les-Bains consists of four other small c ...

Lège-Cap-Ferret Lège-Cap-Ferret (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The commune stretches along the length of the Cap Ferret peninsula, from the village of Lège in the north to the point of Cap Ferret i ...

, . This vast lagoon, wide open ocean, houses since 2014 the marine natural park of Arcachon basin. Eastern Guyenne corresponds in part to the department of

Lot-et-Garonne Lot-et-Garonne (, ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the rivers Lot and Garonne, it had a population of 331,271 in 2019.Lot Lot, LOT, The Lot or similar may refer to: Common meanings Areas *Land lot, an area of land *Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *A great many of something, as in, "There are a lot of beetles," or "There are ...

and the

, it is famous for its "

prune A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica'') tree. Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. Use of the term ''prune'' for fresh plums is obsolete except when applied to varieties of ...

aux", who took the name of its capital,

(nearly 8000 hectares of land are dedicated to Ente plum orchards) while

Marmande Marmande (; in Occitan language, Occitan, ''Marmanda'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot-et-Garonne ''Departments of France, département'' in south-western France. Geography Marmande is located 35 km north-west of Agen, on the ...

is famous for its tomatoes. The mild climate explains that also cultivated

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

, as well as strawberries ("gariguettes") and vines, used to produce the Côtes du marmandais the buzet or Côte de Brulhois, that relate to the broad vineyard of the Southwest. But the real glory of this land is

Armagnac Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac (region), Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni ...

, a famous brandy, exported around the world. Its vineyards cover some of the departments of Lot-et-Garonne, Landes but also the

Gers Gers (; or , ) is a departments of France, department in the regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southwestern France. Gers is bordered by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques to ...

(in the neighbouring region of

). It also produces the

floc de Gascogne The Floc de Gascogne is a regional apéritif from the Côtes de Gascogne and Armagnac (province), Armagnac regions of South West France (wine region), Sud-Ouest wine region of France. It is a ''vin de liqueur'' Fortified wine, fortified with Arm ...

, with delicate floral accents. The extreme south of the region consists of two territories in strong identity, the Basque Country (Northern Basque Country or "Iparralde") and

. The first, which is organised around

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; ,Donibane Lohitzune
Auñamendi Encyclopedia, Auñamendi Eu ...

(Labourd)

Mauléon-Licharre Mauléon-Licharre (; , Occitan: Maulion e Lisharra), or simply Mauléon, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It is the capital of the Soule (''Zuberoa'') historical Basque province. It is home to the ...

(Soule) and

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally "Saint John

t the T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is d ...

Foot of hePass"; ; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. It is close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean f ...

(Lower Navarre) has its warm and humid climate its green side, the Atlantic rains from butter against the Pyrenean barrier. The coast, with both high-end and family resorts, is a popular holiday resort. The interior is more rural and retains a strong agricultural tradition, and is a solid wine region, symbolised by the vineyard Irouléguy but also by traditional liquors such as izarra and

patxaran Patxaran (; ) is a sloe-flavoured liqueur commonly drunk in Navarre, as well as in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country. It is usually served as a digestif either chilled or on ice. Etymology The word ''patxaran'' is the Upper Na ...

, eau-de-vie characteristic of

. Anchored in the heart of the Pyrenees, the Béarn opposes its Gascon traditions. It has a succession of gently accented hills and valleys (that of Pau river, where the capital is located, Pau, and others named

Orthez Orthez (; ; , ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, and region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies 40 km NW of Pau on the Southern railway to Bayonne. The town also encompasses the small village of Sai ...

and

Navarrenx Navarrenx (; ; , ) is a town and commune in the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The demonym is Navarre. Since 2014, the town has been in the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. It is ...

, being the most populated), it comprises the

Aspe Aspe (, ) is a town and municipality located in the '' comarca'' of Vinalopó Mitjà, in the province of Alicante, Spain. The town is located in the valley of the river Vinalopó, from Alicante city. The economy of Aspe is based on textile and ...

, the and

Ossau The Ossau Valley ( ; / ) is a valley of the French Pyrénées, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département''. Administration 18 communes belong to the Valley: Arudy, Aste-Béon, Béost, Bescat, Bielle, Bilhères, Buzy, Castet, Eaux-Bonne ...

valleys along with the

Col du Soulor Col du Soulor (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees in France, linking Argelès-Gazost with Arthez-d'Asson. It connects the Ouzom and Arens valleys. A road leaves the pass to the west to reach the higher Col d'Aubisque. The road over ...

. Agriculture will always be prominent, as viticulture (jurançon, Madiran) even if the aeronautical and petrochemical sectors are also represented. The main ski resorts in the area, such as

Artouste Artouste, or Artouste-Fabrèges, (Occitan: ''Artosta e Habrèjas'') is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Laruns in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The res ...

, , and are concentrated in the Béarn area. File:Dune à Boyardville.JPG, Sand dune on the

Île d'Oléron Ile or ILE may refer to: Ile * Ile, a Puerto Rican singer * Ile District (disambiguation), multiple places * Ilé-Ifẹ̀, an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria * Interlingue (ISO 639:ile), a planned language * Isoleucine, an amino a ...

File:Baretous piemont Pyreneen.jpg, The in

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

File:Castelnaud-la-Chapelle 2 Stevage.jpg, Medieval city of

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle Castelnaud-la-Chapelle (; ) is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It was created in 1973 by the merger of two former communes: Castelnaud-Fayrac and La Chapelle-Péchaud.Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

File:BordLac.jpg, The main lake of

, Landes File:2009 Aubusson Creuse France 3820681551.jpg, Old town of Aubusson in

Languages

In 2008, the region

made a survey on the languages in the region, and gave the following results.

Climate

The climate of Nouvelle-Aquitaine is classified as an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

scheme. The climates within the region can be sub-classified as follows: *The Aquitaine oceanic climate, which includes a majority of the region from Charentes to Landes *The Paris oceanic climate, in

Poitou Poitou ( , , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical ...

*The Limousin oceanic climate, in

*The Basque microclimate, in the Basque Country *The Pyrenean climate, which varies with altitude Une Vague - A wave

In the north of the region, the Paris oceanic climate is marked by moderate rainfall, warm summers and cool winters, but moderately so. The

acts as a relative climatic barrier and regions further south belong to the Aquitaine oceanic climate area. Coastal areas are wetter overall, with moderate rainfall spread throughout the year, except for the summer months, where droughts are not uncommon. Summer, which is relatively warm, is tempered by sea breezes, and winters are cool-mild. Frosts and snow are unusual. Sunshine is quite high, with around 2,000 to 2,200 hours per year, which is comparable to some Mediterranean regions (

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...

). Summer precipitation often take the form of thunderstorms, possibly violent, while winter is sometimes marked by storms, some of which have marked the area with their exceptional:

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

in 1999 (record of 198 km / h in Saint-Denis-d'Oléron),

Klaus Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas. Notable persons whose family name is Klaus * Billy Klaus (1928–2006), American base ...

in 2009 (172 km / h to

) and Xynthia in 2010 (160 km / h on the

Île de Ré Île de Ré (; variously spelled Rhé or Rhéa; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''ile de Rét''; , ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France near La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait. Its high ...

). The climate in

and

is wetter and cooler, remains temperate with warm spring and has relatively warm summers, with variations due to altitude. The annual sunshine averages at 1850 hours. The climate of the Basque country and southern Landes is marked by its warm summers, mild winters but especially by its high rainfall, with Atlantic depressions that hit the Pyrenean foothills. This Microclimate explains the presence of lush vegetation and the green aspect of the region. Fogs are not rare, but usually dissipate very quickly. As for the Pyrenean climate, suboceanic trend

, it is subject to frequent "cap effect" when the north-west of disturbances abut against the Pyrenean mountains. Valley bottoms, true "funnels clouds" are particularly watered. The winter snow is important above 1200 meters. Pau valley has a microclimate, however, marked by strong sunlight (about 1900 hours a year) but high rainfall (1100 mm per year) and a near absence of frost in winter. Rainfall is usually brief there, but regular, and spread throughout the year.

Transport

Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a region of transit between the Paris Basin (including Île-de-France) and the Iberian Peninsula, but also between the Rhône Valley and the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions (noon Toulouse). This situation implies several years developing roads and major highways, especially in the context of the road Estuaries, but also the high-speed Paris-Bordeaux-Toulouse-Spain, which should help significantly shorten rail journeys.

Roads and highways

Many roads and highways in the region radiate from

and just attach to its peripheral belt (Bordeaux ring road or A630). The main lines used for reinforcing roads and highways are in addition some terminal bonds designed to streamline access to two major resorts in the area,

(via Highway A660) and

(by via the N150, partly making 2X2 routes). The

A10 autoroute The A10, also called L'Aquitaine, is an Autoroute in France, running for 549 km (341 mi) from the A6 south of Paris to the A630 at Bordeaux. It is the longest motorway in France. It generally parallels the N10 Route Nationale, but d ...

(the "Aquitaine") is the major artery between Bordeaux and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, commissioned in 1981. It is part of the network of "autoroutes du Sud de la France" and provides access to several cities:

. From Saintes, highway A837 allows drivers to reach the town of

. Further north, in Niort, an interchange provides access to the A83 motorway, the

Vendée Vendée () is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

(Pays de la Loire). The N10 is the main road of the

and an important road for connecting between Bordeaux and Poitiers including

. Connecting the east of Bordeaux (

Libourne Libourne (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Geog ...

) to Greater Lyon, the A89 motorway (called "La transversale") irrigates the eastern part of the region, facilitating travel between the cities of Bordeaux and

Tulle Tulle (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in central France. It is the third-largest town in the former region of Limousin and is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Corrèze, in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle- ...

and Ussel. A little further south, the D936, which roughly follows the course of the Dordogne, is grafted on the Bordeaux ring road via an interchange at the municipalities of

Cenon Cenon (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Senon'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the ea ...

and Floirac. It gives access to the towns of Branne,

Castillon-la-Bataille Castillon-la-Bataille (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Castillon station has rail connections to Bordeaux, Bergerac and Sarlat-la-Canéda. This area was the site of the last battle of t ...

and

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Sainte-Foy-la-Grande (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is on the south bank of the Dordogne. History The town was founded in 1076, near a priory where Sainte Foy was worshipped. The t ...

(Gironde) and Bergerac (Dordogne). Southwest of Bordeaux, the A63 is a major focus of the regional motorway network. Forming a large artery almost straight through the vast expanses of flat

Landes de Gascogne The Landes de Gascogne (; in Gascon, classic spelling ''las Lanas de Gasconha'', Fébusienne spelling ''leus Lanes de Gascougne''), or Gascony Moors, is a natural region of France of nearly 14000 km². It extends over three departments: Gironde, ...

, it crosses the south of Gironde and Landes (passes near

but avoids the prefecture, Mont-de-Marsan) before joining

and the Basque Country, to

Irun Irun (, ) is a town of the Bidasoaldea region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. History It lies on the foundations of the ancient Oiasso, cited as a Roman- Vasconic town. During the Spanish Civil War, ...

, on the Spanish border, the main border crossing. The other border crossings, less frequented but less direct, are the Somport tunnel and Col du Pourtalet. The Basque Country and Béarn are also served by a road parallel to the Pyrenees, which facilitates access to Toulouse and the Mediterranean regions: the A64, called "La Pyrénéenne". It starts from

Briscous Briscous (; Beskoitze

Pau before reaching

Tarbes Tarbes (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Tarba'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of southwestern France. It is ...

in the neighbouring region of

) and the Toulouse ring road. The eastern region is well served by the A20 north–south axis between Paris and Toulouse and opens up Limousin. It thus goes through

La Souterraine La Souterraine (; Limousin dialect, Limousin: ''La Sotarrana'') is a Communes of France, commune in the west-central French Departments of France, department of Creuse. Geography La Souterraine is an area of farming and light industry, comprisi ...

and

. Another important way, the European route E603 connects

and

. It represents one of the key elements of the road Central Europe Atlantic important channel of communication between the Rhône Valley and the Atlantic coast, which is divided into multiple plots at Angoulême and Saintes (Bordeaux, Royan and La Rochelle).

Rail network

The regional rail network is organised around the main towns:

and

. The main line is the one between

and

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

via Poitiers, Bordeaux and

Hendaye Hendaye (; Basque: ''Hendaia'',HENDAIA
Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

, which serves

, both served by

TGV The TGV (; , , 'high-speed train') is France's intercity high-speed rail service. With commercial operating speeds of up to on the newer lines, the TGV was conceived at the same period as other technological projects such as the Ariane 1 rocke ...

trains. Other lines are served mostly by the

TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno ob ...

network of

TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the regional rail network serving the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It is operated by the French national railway company SNCF. It was formed in 2017 from the previous TER networks TER Aquitaine, TE ...

The largest station in the region is Bordeaux-Saint-Jean, which accommodates 10 million passengers per year; then comes

Limoges-Bénédictins station Limoges-Bénédictins ( French: ''Gare de Limoges-Bénédictins'') is the main railway station of Limoges. It is situated on the Orléans–Montauban railway. It was named Bénédictins due to the presence of a Benedictine monastery closed duri ...

and its 2.5 million passengers. Poitiers has two stations:

Poitiers station Poitiers station (French: ''Gare de Poitiers'') is a major railway station in the France, French city of Poitiers, in the department of Vienne (department), Vienne and region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The station is situated on the Paris–Bordeau ...

and Futuroscope station which serves the technology park

Futuroscope Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope (), formerly known as Planète Futuroscope, is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic, and audiovisual techniques.Piriou, Jerome. The Tourist Region: A Co-Construction of Tourism Stakehol ...

Angoulême station Angoulême station ( French: ''Gare d'Angoulême'') is a railway station located in Angoulême, Charente, south-western France. The station was opened in 1852 and is located on the Paris–Bordeaux railway, Saintes-Angoulême railway and Limoge ...

sees around 1.45 million passengers per year; Agen station links the

region; Pau station,

Dax station Dax station is a railway station serving the town Dax, Landes department, southwestern France. It is situated on the Bordeaux–Irun railway The railway from Bordeaux to Irun is an important French 235-kilometre long railway line, that connects ...

. The implementation of the

LGV Sud Europe Atlantique The LGV Sud Europe Atlantique (LGV SEA, English: South Europe Atlantic High Speed Rail Line), also known as the LGV Sud-Ouest or officially named LGV L'Océane by SNCF since April 2016, is a high-speed railway line between Tours and Bordeaux, i ...

, which is part of a priority program initiated by the state. Another important project for the region, the LGV Bordeaux–Spain extends of the South Europe Atlantic TGV line to connect with the

Basque Y Basque Y or the Basque Triangle is the high-speed rail network being built between the three cities of the Basque Autonomous Community, in Spain; Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián. Route It will transport cargo and passen ...

(high-speed line linking the Spanish cities of

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória ( ...

, San Sebastian and

). It is part of the great South West Rail project and should facilitate regional connections between Bordeaux, Mont-de-Marsan, Dax, Bayonne, long-distance connections between the south of the region and Île-de-France, as well as international links to

(including Madrid). The LGV Bar project between Poitiers and Limoges is part of this context, and should significantly shorten travel between the two cities (from just over an hour and a half to 45 minutes), facilitate interregional connections and access to Île-de-France. This project is one of the links of "Transline project" (Transversal Auvergne Atlantic Alpes), still under study.

Airports

The region benefits from the presence of several airport infrastructure. The main airport is Bordeaux-Merignac, world class, which hosts nearly four and a half million passengers per year and offers flights to many destinations; It is the seventh metropolitan France Airport (fifth if we except the Paris airports). The second airport is Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne, third is

Pau Pyrénées Airport Pau Pyrénées Airport () is an airport serving Pau, France. It is located northwest of Pau in Uzein, a '' commune'' of the ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques (named for the Pyrénées mountains and the Atlantic Ocean). Airlines and ...

, then Limoges-Bellegarde, and

Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport () is an international airport serving Bergerac, a '' commune'' of the Dordogne department (formerly the Périgord province) in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The airport is located south-southeas ...

. The airport of La Rochelle - Île de Ré offers flights to several French and European cities. Smaller, airports Poitiers-Biard, Brive Dordogne, Agen-La Garenne and Périgueux-Bassillac offer mainly domestic flights. Airports Angoulême-Cognac and Rochefort-Charente-Maritime are only turned to business flights in the absence of regular commercial lines.

Harbours

Cruise ships mostly dock in the ports of La Rochelle (terminal

La Pallice La Pallice (also known as ''grand port maritime de La Rochelle'') is the commercial deep-water port of La Rochelle, France. During the Fall of France, on 19 June 1940, approximately 6,000 Polish soldiers in exile under the command of Stanisła ...

), Verdon-sur-Mer (shuttles for

Pauillac Pauillac (; ) is a municipality in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The city is mid-way between Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave, along the Gironde, the largest estuary in western Europe. Population Acces ...

and

. Many marinas are open to smaller boats. The main ones are those of

(4800 rings),

(2600 rings), Port-Médoc (1200 rings),

(1000 rings), of

(950 rings),

Hendaye Hendaye (; Basque: ''Hendaia'',HENDAIA
Saint-Denis-d'Oléron (750 rings) and

Anglet Anglet (; , )ANGELU
Auñamendi Encyclopedia, Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia is a Communes of Fra ...

(425 rings). River transport is active on several rivers in the region:

(mainly between

and

Lot Lot, LOT, The Lot or similar may refer to: Common meanings Areas *Land lot, an area of land *Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *A great many of something, as in, "There are a lot of beetles," or "There are ...

Baise Baise ( zh, c=百色, p=Bǎisè, Bósè; local pronunciation: ), or Bose, is the westernmost prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China bordering Vietnam as well as the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan. The city has a population of 4.3 million, of wh ...

and

. Landmark river tourism, the Canal de Garonne is an extension of the

Canal du Midi The Canal du Midi (; ) is a long canal in Southern France (). Originally named the ''Canal Royal en Languedoc'' (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to ''Canal du Midi'' in 1789, the canal is considered one of the g ...

(which together form the "Canal des Deux-Mers" between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean). It passes including

(Agen aqueduct) and continues until

Castets-en-Dorthe Castets-en-Dorthe (; Gascon: ''Castèths Andòrta'') is a former commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Castets et Castillon.Gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...

(GDP) of the region was 177.0 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 7.5% of French economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,500 euros or 88% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 101% of the EU average. The economy of the region is based on several pillars: diversified

, a set of famous vineyards (

Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine (; ) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gi ...

, brandies of

and

), but also a decisive role in the industry sectors

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

, defence,

biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and more generally for

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...

, relying on a network of universities and

Grandes Ecoles Grandes may refer to: *Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician *Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia * Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain ...

. Nouvelle-Aquitaine can also count on a large image and digital sector ("Campus de l'Image" of

, future "Cité Numérique" of

Bègles Bègles (; Gascon language, Gascon: ''Begla'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Gironde Departments of France, department in southwestern France. It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux and is adjacent to it on the south. Bègles station h ...

), a dense network of small and medium enterprises, the presence in its territory of large

agribusiness Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy, in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise. The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...

as well as a port network including three major commercial ports being balanced due to their geographical position (

Grand Port maritime de La Rochelle La Pallice (also known as ''grand port maritime de La Rochelle'') is the commercial deep-water port of La Rochelle, France. During the Fall of France, on 19 June 1940, approximately 6,000 Polish soldiers in exile under the command of Stanisław ...

in the north, Grand Port maritime de Bordeaux and port of Bayonne in the south).

Agricultural and wine sectors

An important rural Region, Nouvelle-Aquitaine has a varied agriculture. Cattle breeding (regional races:

, Bordelais,

Parthenais The Parthenaise is a French breed of beef cattle. It is named for the town of Parthenay in the département of Deux-Sèvres, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of western France. It was formerly a triple-purpose breed, raised for milk, meat an ...

Blonde d'Aquitaine The Blonde d'Aquitaine is a modern French breed of large domestic beef cattle. It was created in 1962 by merging three blonde draught breeds of south-western France, the Blonde des Pyrénées, the Blonde de Quercy and the Garonnaise. Since a ...

, Gasconne,

Bazadais Bazas (; ) is a commune in Gironde, a department in southwestern France. Geography Bazas stands on a narrow promontory above the Beuve valley 60 km/37 mi southeast of Bordeaux and 40 km/25 mi southwest of Marmande. His ...

and Béarnais) is predominant in the Bressuirais and Confolentais grove and in the Aunisienne plain, on the high Limousin plateau, in the Bazadaises and Chalossiennes Hills and is used both in the production of meat to milk production. There are also two other bovine regional breeds do not belong to the list of official French breeds (Marinelandaise and Betizu) endangered. The area has many quality labels ("Veau fermier élevé sous la mère", Limousin beef ...). Blonde Aquitaine

Goats (regional breeds: Poitevine, Pyrenees and Massif Central) are mainly concentrated in the north of the region (Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne) and are used for cheese production (

chabichou Chabichou (; also known as Chabichou du Poitou) is a traditional semi-soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French goat cheese (''or Fromage de Chèvre'') with a firm and creamy texture. Chabichou is formed in a cylindrical shape which is called ...

, mothais sur feuille, jonchée). Some departments complement this area (Corrèze and Dordogne with a part of the production of

Rocamadour Rocamadour (; ''Rocamador'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Lot department in southwestern France. It lies in the former province of Quercy. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Associati ...

AOC). Sheep farming (regional races: Basque-béarnaise, Landes, limousine, manech black head, red head and Xaxi Ardia) is well represented in the Limousin (Limousin lamb) the Charentes (lamb Poitou-Charentes), the Médoc (Pauillac lamb) and the Basque and Bearn Pyrenees. Pig farming, which represents a significant part of the agri-food sector is distributed throughout the region (regional races: black ass Limousin, Gascon pork pie black Basque) and is guaranteed by the label "porc du Sud-Ouest ". The pigs in the region are used to produce many meat products, starting with the famous Bayonne ham. Many farms have also specialised in poultry production including yellow chicken Saint-Sever and poultry of Sèvres val (regional races

Barbezieux Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire () is a Communes of France, commune in the Charente Departments of France, department, Southwestern France. The commune was formed in 1973 by the merger of the former communes Barbezieux and Saint-Hilaire.Marennes-

(in the estuary of the

Seudre The Seudre () is a river in the Charente-Maritime ''département'', southwestern France, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. It is long. Its source is near Saint-Genis-de-Saintonge. It flows northwest through Saint-André-de-Lidon, Saujon and La Tre ...

) and those of

and

Cap Ferret Cap Ferret (; English: Cape Ferret) is a headland situated at the south end of the commune of Lège-Cap-Ferret in the Gironde department in the French southwestern Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The headland takes the form of a spit, which separa ...

and a stronghold of the mussel with mussels from Aiguillon Bay (near

) and mussel Boyardville and

Port-des-Barques Port-des-Barques () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Population See also * Communes of the Charente-Maritime department The following is a list of the 462 communes of the Charent ...

Remy Martin XO - Louis XIII - Hennessy Paradis

Viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

is a key sector of the local economy, the region with the presence of some of the most prestigious French vineyards: vineyards of Bordeaux, Bergerac, Cognac (production of

and

) and partially, Armagnac (production of

and

Floc de Gascogne The Floc de Gascogne is a regional apéritif from the Côtes de Gascogne and Armagnac (province), Armagnac regions of South West France (wine region), Sud-Ouest wine region of France. It is a ''vin de liqueur'' Fortified wine, fortified with Arm ...

), Southwest vineyards in the valleys of the Garonne and Lot, vineyard slopes of the Pyrenees (

jurançon Jurançon (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It is part of the traditional province of Béarn. Population See also *Jurançon AOC, a wine from this commune *Communes of the Pyrénées-A ...

irouléguy Irouléguy (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre. It is mainly known for the Irouléguy AOC wine which is grown on the vineyards of the are ...

) and vineyards of Haut-Poitou. The vineyards of the Limousin, formerly prolific now confidential, but continues to provide quality wines (vineyards

Verneuil-sur-Vienne Verneuil-sur-Vienne (, literally ''Verneuil on Vienne''; or ) is a commune in the French department of Haute-Vienne and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France. It is home of one of the last vineyards in Haute-Vienne. Population Inha ...

and Correze vineyard, including giving the wine country and the Correze "vin paillé" of

Queyssac-les-Vignes Queyssac-les-Vignes (; ) is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France. History In the historical past, the village was under control of the Viscounty of Turenne, with a castle which they owned until the 13th century before it pa ...

). The region plays a vital role for cereal crops (wheat), herbage and oil (corn, sunflower), which bloom in the valleys of the Adour, Charente and the Garonne. Large agricultural cooperatives are located in the area: Lur Berri, Maïsadour, or Natea Charentes Alliance.

Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

production remains important in

Langon Langon may refer to: * Langon, Gironde, a commune in the Gironde department, France * Langon, Ille-et-Vilaine, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, France * Langon, Loir-et-Cher, a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department, France * Långön, ...

area around

La Réole La Réole (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Geography La Réole is located on the right bank of the Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux by rail. La Réole station has rail connections to Age ...

, Auros, Monségur and

Bazas Bazas (; ) is a commune in Gironde, a department in southwestern France. Geography Bazas stands on a narrow promontory above the Beuve valley 60 km/37 mi southeast of Bordeaux and 40 km/25 mi southwest of Marmande. Hi ...

(Gironde) in Bergerac, in Dordogne and in the Lot-et-Garonne. Mixed farming has led to the establishment of more localised cultures, but nevertheless considered: Périgord walnuts, Limousin apples, strawberries valleys of the Dordogne and Lot, Charentais melons hillsides, beans ("mojhettes") of val d'Arnoult and the Marais Poitevin, the

tomatoes, peppers from Landes and the Basque Country, the

Espelette pepper The Espelette pepper (French language, French: ''piment d'Espelette'' ; Basque language, Basque: ''Ezpeletako biperra'') is a variety of ''Capsicum annuum'' that is cultivated in the French Communes of France, commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-At ...

. The agri-food sector is characterised by the presence of several national brands and international production sites, including Madrange (

), Blédina (

), Marie (

Airvault Airvault () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is located on the River Thouet. In January 1973 Airvault absorbed the former communes Borcq-sur-Airvault, Boussais et Soulièvres. ...

and

Mirebeau Mirebeau (; ; Poitevin: ''Mirebea'') is a commune in the Vienne department, in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, western France. History Fulk Nerra (970–1040), Count of Anjou conquered Mirebeau and built a castle there. His son, Geoffrey ...

) Senoble (

Aytré Aytré () is a Communes of France, commune in the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Aytré is especially known for its long beach, which is easily accessible from neighbouring La Rochel ...

, near

), Lu (

Cestas Cestas (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population Economy Cestas Solar Park was the biggest solar park in Europe when Neoen opened it in December 2015. See also *Communes of the ...

, near

)

Cémoi Cémoi is a French chocolate manufacturer founded by Jules Pares in 1814 in Arles-sur-Tech, Pyrénées-Orientales. Cémoi is the biggest French chocolate manufacturer and the 26th in the world. The Cémoi group owns 15 factories and 4 warehouses ...

(

, near

), Charal (

Égletons Égletons (; ''Aus Gletons'' in Occitan language, Occitan) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Corrèze, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Geography Location Égletons is located in the Massif Cen ...

, in Corrèze), Valade Group (

Lubersac Lubersac (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corrèze département in central France near Arnac-Pompadour and Uzerche. Formerly called ''Louparsat'' ("lou percé" in Limousin (province), Limousin, can be translated to "pierced wolf" i ...

, in Corrèze) or

Lindt & Sprüngli Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, doing business as Lindt, is a Swiss chocolatier and confectionery company founded in 1845 and known for its chocolate truffles and chocolate bars, among other sweets. It is based in Kilchberg, Zürich, K ...

(

Oloron-Sainte-Marie Oloron-Sainte-Marie (; ; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. History The town was founded by the Romans in the 1st century, then known as ''Illoronensium''. Situated on the Roman way between the ...

). Labeyrie headquartered in

Came A came is a divider bar used between small pieces of glass to make a larger glazing panel. There are two kinds of came: the H-shaped sections that hold two pieces together and the U-shaped sections that are used for the borders. Cames are mostl ...

in the

and Delpeyrat in

, in the Landes.

Forest resources

The region has significant forest resources. The timber industry consists of two main types of activities that mainly use the wood of the Landes forest and secondarily of the Dordogne, Creuse, Corrèze and Haute-Vienne. The primary processing industries (pulp, sawing, slicing, etc.) are very often the result of large companies to perform operations that require large investments. The secondary processing industries (paper / cardboard, furniture, woodwork and plywood, etc.) do not require as many resources. They are more dispersed geographically and in the hands of smaller-scale undertakings or craft.

Industries

The region is a major international center in the field of aeronautics and space industry. Together with the neighbouring region

, it belongs to the

Aerospace Valley Aerospace Valley () is a French cluster of aerospace engineering companies and research centres. The cluster is located in the regions of Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest of France and is mainly concentrated in and around the ...

world-class industry cluster. The regional aerospace sector is closely linked to the defence sector, leading to talk of industry "ASD" (aeronautics, space and defence). The regional

aircraft industry An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its e ...

is a world leader for business aircraft, high-tech batteries, high performance composite materials, landing gear systems and turbines for helicopters, the European leader for military aircraft, cockpit equipment and systems, ground tests and flight, launchers, solid propulsion, airborne radars and systems, weapons systems deterrence, atmospheric re-entry technology and national leader in the interior design of 'business aircraft, aircraft maintenance, UAV systems. Rafale 070412-N-8157C-542

The main sites are located in the city of Bordeaux, but also in the

and in

. Of these,

Dassault Aviation Dassault Aviation SA () is a French Aerospace manufacturer, manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Dassault, Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (Marcel Bloch Aircraft Company). After ...

has five establishments in Mérignac (final assembly and commissioning flight Rafale and Falcon),

Martignas-sur-Jalle Martignas-sur-Jalle (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Historically, the town is known to have been the theater of the , where 500 to 600 longbowmen commanded by John Talbot were slaughtered ...

(wing civilian and military aircraft), Biarritz (composites and assembly of structures),

Cazaux Cazaux () is a commune of the Ariège department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Ariège department The following is a list of the 325 communes of the Ariège department of France France, officia ...

(integration and armament test) and Poitiers (production of military aircraft canopy).

Thales Group Thales S.A., Trade name, trading as Thales Group (), is a French multinational corporation, multinational aerospace and defence industry, defence corporation specializing in electronics. It designs, develops and manufactures a wide variety of aer ...

has two sites near Bordeaux: Pessac (aircraft embedded systems: mission computers, airborne radars combat and surveillance, unmanned aerial systems) and Hailsham (design and development of cockpit systems for major aircraft manufacturers in the world ).

Airbus Defence and Space Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus SE. Formed in 2014 in the restructuring of European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS), Airbus SE comprises the former Airbus Military, Astrium, and divisions. Contributing 21% of Airbus reven ...

(development and production of

Ariane Ariane may refer to: *Ariana (name), also Ariane, Arianne Arts * ''Ariane'' (Martinů), an opera by Bohuslav Martinů, first performed 1961 * ''Ariane'' (Massenet), an opera by Jules Massenet, first performed 1906 * ''Ariane'' (film), a 1931 ...

launchers and of ballistic missiles for the French nuclear force) is located in

Saint-Médard-en-Jalles Saint-Médard-en-Jalles (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Located west-northwest of the city of Bordeaux, it is the fifth-largest suburb of the city and a member of the Bordeaux Métropol ...

Safran Safran S.A. () is a French Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace, defence industry, defence and computer security, security corporation headquartered in Paris. It designs, develops and manufactures both commercial and military airc ...

has two major production facilities in the region: Turbomeca (world leader in helicopter turbines) near Pau and Snecma (maintenance and repair of military engines) in

Châtellerault Châtellerault (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Châteulrô/Chateleràud''; ) is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in France. It is located in the northeast of the former province Poitou, and the residents are cal ...

. The region is also home to several military airbases, including a command center of the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

. It also hosts major defence-related facilities such as the

Megajoule laser The joule ( , or ; symbol: J) is the unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). In terms of SI base units, one joule corresponds to one kilogram- metre squared per second squared One joule is equal to the amount of work done ...

and the main rocket testing facility of the

Direction générale de l'armement The Direction générale de l'armement (, , abbr. DGA), established in 1961, is the French Government defence procurement and technology agency, responsible within the Ministry of Armed Forces for project management, development, and purchase of ...

. The pharmaceutical and parachemical industry is particularly well represented in the city of Bordeaux:

Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. The corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 200 ...

has three sites on the outskirts of Bordeaux,

Ambarès-et-Lagrave Ambarès-et-Lagrave (; ''Ambarés e La Grava'' in Gascon dialect) is a commune in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern France. Twinned with Midsomer Norton in the BANES area of the United Kingdom. Geography ...

(production) Floirac (IT) and

Saint-Loubès Saint-Loubès (; Gascon: ''Sent Lobés'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. The Assyriologist René Labat (1904–1974) was born in Saint-Loubès, as well as silent movie actor Max Linder (18 ...

(logistics); Meda Pharma Group is located in Mérignac; The

Merck Group The Merck Group, branded and commonly known as Merck, is a German Multinational corporation, multinational science and technology company headquartered in Darmstadt, with about 60,000 employees and a presence in 66 countries. The group include ...

operates a production unit in

Martillac Martillac (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department The following is a list of the 534 communes of the Gironde department of France. ...

. Finally, CEVA Animal Health in

. In

, there is the UPSA Company (scientific pharmacology Union applied), sold to the US group Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) in 1994. Two factories and a logistics platform allow the market to deliver the full range of analgesics from aspirin and paracetamol to morphine. Since 1994, the US group has invested regularly in its two Agenais units that deliver half of their export production.

, long specialised in manufacturing and luxury (shoes, porcelain ...), is now a major cluster in the field of ceramics research (European Ceramics Pole). Legrand, French industrial group historically based in Limoges in the Limousin, is a world leader in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks. Ester Technology Park, is a business and research center that develops north of the city on several areas: ceramics; materials and surface treatments; electronics, optics and telecommunications; Health biotechnology; water and environment; Engineering in association with the

University of Limoges The University of Limoges (''Université de Limoges'') is a French public university, based in Limoges. Its chancellor is the rector of the Academy of Limoges (an administrative district in France for education and research). It counts more than ...

has developed over many years a financial sector based economy (insurance). The oil and gas industry is also represented in the region, with the

Lacq gas field The Lacq gas field is a natural gas field located in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Discovered in 1950, it was developed by Total S.A., determining it to have initial total proven reserves of the Lacq gas field are around 8.8 trillion ft3 (251 ...

near Pau, which was France's main source of natural gas in the 1970s.

Tourism

View of castle of Fayrac from castle of Beynac

Tourism is an important sector in a region with significant assets, starting with a mild and sunny climate, famous vineyards (wine tourism) and many heritage sites, some of international renown. Its wide ocean frontage, stormed by thousands of vacationers - and surfers - every summer is characterised by sandy beaches that often stretch to the horizon. Indirect consequence of increasingly popular for water sports, many surf-related brands (mainly clothing and equipment) are present in the region, earning him the nickname "Glissicon Valley" in reference to

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...

Rip Curl Rip Curl is an Australian designer, manufacturer, and retailer of Surfing#Equipment, surfing sportswear (also known as ''boardwear'') and accompanying products, and a major athletic sponsor. Rip Curl has become one of the largest surfing compan ...

Billabong In Australian English, a billabong ( ) is a small body of water, usually permanent. It is usually an oxbow lake caused by a change in course of a river or creek, but other types of small lakes, ponds or waterholes are also called billabongs ...

Quiksilver Quiksilver is a brand of surf-inspired apparel and accessories that was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Victoria, but is now based in Huntington Beach, California. It is one of the world's largest brands of surfwear and boardsport-related equip ...

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty ( Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically one of the most prominent family of the Nor ...

In the northern part of the coast, the Charente archipelago consists mainly islands of Ré,

and

, where alternate sheltered coves and beaches opening onto the open sea. The aunisiennes coast, near

, greet some family seaside resorts such as

Châtelaillon-Plage Châtelaillon-Plage (, also ), commonly known as Châtelaillon, is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It is located south of the city of La Rochelle and is also a suburb. It is ...

Fouras Fouras, also known as Fouras-les-Bains (), is a commune in the French department of Charente-Maritime, administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes). It lies 34 km south of La Rochelle. Geography Fouras is on ...

. Further south, in the heart of the Côte de Beauté (Coast of Beauty),

is one of three major seaside resorts in the region. She has five beaches, not to mention those of neighbouring towns and the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast) of the peninsula of Arvert, Mecca of surfing and board sports. Beyond the Gironde estuary begins the Côte d’Argent (Silver Coast), large expanse of almost straight sand bordered by pine trees and large lakes Landes, punctuated by small resorts such as

Vendays-Montalivet Vendays-Montalivet (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in Southwestern France. Climate Demographics See also *Communes of the Gironde department The following is a list of the 534 communes of t ...

(famous for its naturist center)

. The Bassin d'Arcachon, which forms an indentation between Gironde and Landes coast, focuses on

, another seaside resort, nestled in the heart of the pine forest. It faces the

, beaten by the waves of the ocean. In continuation of the Côte d'Argent, the Basque coast is structured around

, Mecca of seaside tourism,

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; ,Donibane Lohitzune
Auñamendi Encyclopedia, Auñamendi Eu ...

and

Hendaye Hendaye (; Basque: ''Hendaia'',HENDAIA
Gourette Gourette (; Béarnese: ''Goreta'') is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the D 918 road which passes th ...

, La Pierre Saint-Martin, Issarbe, Le Somport, Iraty or Somport-Candanchu. Many spas are located in the region, starting with

, but also

Eaux-Bonnes Eaux-Bonnes (, "good waters"; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. Description Eaux-Bonnes is close to the small town of Laruns. It is situated at a height ...

Eugénie-les-Bains Eugénie-les-Bains (; ) is a commune in the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. Eugénie-les-Bains is best known for housing a spa resort and three restaurants, all belonging to chef Michel Guérard, inventor of cuisi ...

Saint-Paul-lès-Dax Saint-Paul-lès-Dax (, literally ''Saint-Paul near Dax''; Gascon: ''Sent Pau d'Acs'') is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Landes department The followi ...

Salies-de-Béarn Salies-de-Béarn (, literally ''Salies of Béarn''; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. The name comes from its naturally occurring saline water ( Gascon ''salias'' for Standard Occitan ''salinas'' ...

Cambo-les-Bains Cambo-les-Bains (; ) is a town in the traditional Northern Basque Country, Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive ...

Jonzac Jonzac (; ) is a commune of the Charente-Maritime department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. The historian Jean Glénisson (1921–2010) was born in Jonzac as well as the philosopher Jean Hyppolite (1907–1968). Geography The r ...

Saujon Saujon () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. Population See also * Communes of the Charente-Maritime department The following is a list of the 462 communes of the Charente-Maritime department of Fr ...

La Roche-Posay La Roche-Posay () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. Situated in the Vienne region of France, La Roche-Posay is renowned as the European capital of Hydro-Dermatology. The town’s therma ...

Évaux-les-Bains Évaux-les-Bains (; ) is a commune in the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. History A spa town founded by the Romans in the first century, who developed thermal baths and called the place “Ivaonum,” p ...

References

External links

*
Merger of the regions - France 3
{{Authority control 2014 establishments in France States and territories established in 2014 Regions of France 2014 establishments in Europe States and territories established in 2016 2016 establishments in France Massif Central Southern France