Southern France, also called the south of France or le Midi in French, is a geographical area that includes parts of France near the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin, Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, and Italy. It includes southern parts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the west, Occitania in the center, the southern areas of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the northeast, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in the southeast, and the island of Corsica in the southeast. Southern France is usually thought of as part of southern Europe because of its connection to the Mediterranean Sea.

The French name le Midi comes from an old French word made up of "mi" (meaning "middle") and "di" (meaning "day"), which together mean "midday." This term is similar in meaning and origin to Mezzogiorno, a word used for southern Italy, and Miazăzi, a word in Romanian that also means "south."

Geography

The area covers much of Occitania in southern Europe, a region with a rich history and culture where Occitan (French: langue d'oc) was the main language, different from the langues d'oïl spoken in northern France. Even though Auvergne and Limousin are part of Occitania, they are usually not considered part of southern France. The largest cities in southern France include Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice, and Montpellier. The Pyrenees and French Alps are also in the area, located in its southwestern and eastern parts, respectively. Corsica, which lies south of Continental France and north of Sardinia, Italy, may also be included in this region.

Tourism

Notable tourist attractions include the Roman-era Pont du Gard and the Arena of Nîmes; the Verdon Gorge in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence; the Canal du Midi, which connects Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea; and natural areas such as Larzac, Luberon, and Camargue. The French Riviera is located in the southeastern part of southern France. Many towns in southern France are known for their buildings and natural beauty, 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.

• Nice became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
• A coastal road near Sainte-Maxime
• Lavender fields, a famous feature of southern France, are mostly found in Provence.
• Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• A view of Vaucluse vineyards that produce Provence wine
• The traditional landscape of the historical province of Béarn in Pyrénées-Atlantiques
• The village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, near Avignon

Cuisine

Southern France has a food style that is different from northern France and other Mediterranean countries. A big difference is that it uses olive oil instead of butter. Local farms provide olives for eating and cooking, ducks and geese for making foie gras, haricot beans for cassoulet, sheep for making Roquefort cheese, and tomatoes and melons. To go with the rich food, the area produces strong wines from places like Bordeaux, Cahors, Madiran, and Languedoc. These wines are often paired with brandy from Armagnac.