Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French language as le Midi,[Louis Papy, Le midi atlantique, Atlas et géographie de la France moderne, Flammarion, Paris, 1984.] Spain, the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. It includes southern Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the west, Occitania in the centre, the southern parts of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the northeast, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in the southeast, as well as the island of Corsica in the southeast. Southern France is generally considered part of southern Europe because of its association with the Mediterranean Sea.
The colloquial French name for the region, le Midi, is derived from an Old French compound composed of mi ("middle") and di ("day"), meaning literally "midday".
Geography
The area corresponds in large part to
Occitania in
southern Europe, the historical and cultural region in which
Occitan language (), as distinct from the langues d'oïl of northern
France, was the predominant language. Despite being part of Occitania, the regions of Auvergne and
Limousin are not normally considered part of southern France. The largest cities of southern France are
Marseille,
Toulouse,
Bordeaux,
Nice and
Montpellier. The
Pyrenees and
French Alps are also located in the area, in respectively its southwestern and eastern parts.
Corsica, which is south of Continental France and just north of
Sardinia,
Italy, may also be included.
Tourism
Notable touristic landmarks include the
Roman Empire-era Pont du Gard and the Arena of Nîmes; the
Verdon Gorge, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; the Canal du Midi, linking Toulouse by to the Mediterranean Sea; and the natural regions of
Larzac,
Luberon and
Camargue. The
French Riviera is in southern France's southeastern quadrant. Several towns in southern France are renowned for their architecture and surroundings, such as Roussillon, Ménerbes,
Cordes-sur-Ciel,
Gordes,
Rocamadour, Rennes-le-Château, Les Baux-de-Provence,
Lourmarin,
Gassin, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue,
Seillans,
Crillon-le-Brave and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Nizza-overview-4070938-PanoPS.jpg|Nice is often considered abroad to be southern France's best-known city although Marseille is the largest.
Road-view at Sainte-Maxim with very old pinetrees. Lovely - panoramio.jpg|Coastal road near Sainte-Maxime
Champ de lavande,France.jpg|Lavender fields, a well-known feature of southern France, are mainly in Provence.
Pont du Gard 001.jpg|Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Terroir Vacqueyras.jpg|View of Vaucluse vineyards producing Provence wine
LescunVueVersPasDAzuns.jpg|Traditional landscape of the historical province of Béarn, in Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Fontaine de Vaucluse 03.jpg|Village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, near Avignon
Cuisine
Southern France has a cuisine that is different from those of northern France and other Mediterranean countries. The major difference from the rest of France is in the use of olive oil, instead of butter. Local agriculture supplies the olives for consumption as well as cooking, the ducks and geese to make
foie gras,
haricot beans that are used in
cassoulet, the sheep whose milk produces
Roquefort cheese, tomatoes and melons. To accompany the richer food, the area also supplies much stronger wines, from Bordeaux,
Cahors wine,
Madiran wine, and Languedoc, all of which are washed down with
brandy from
Armagnac.
Films
The following films are set in southern France:
See also
