Flags of the Administrative Regions of France Quiz

Answer: Corsica

Of the 18 administrative regions of France, 13 are considered metropolitan because they are European France. The other 5 regions of France are overseas and they are Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte.

Corsica is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and it is located southeast of mainland France and west of mainland Italy. A chain of mountains runs through two-thirds of Corsica and the population of the island in July 2023 was just over 351,000. The famed French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born in Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The flag of Corsica depicts a black Moor's head with a white bandana.

Answer: Auvergne-Rhone-Alps

The Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region was created on January 1, 2016, from the merger of the historic regions of Auvergne and Rhone-Alps. With a population over 8 million in July 2023, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was the 2nd most populous region in France. The largest cities in the region are Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne.

The region's flag is a combination of those of Auvergne, Savoie, Lyonnais and Dauphiné.

Answer: New Aquitaine

New Aquitaine was established on January 1, 2016, when three historic regions (Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes) merged. New Aquitaine is known for its vineyards and its aerospace and tourism industries. The region's flag depicts a heraldic lion which was the symbol of the historic Duchy of Aquitaine and three waves symbolizing the sea.

Answer: Normandy

The area of the region of Normandy in France was named by Vikings in the 9th century and its influence was increased when the Duke of Normandy, William, conquered England in 1066. Normandy was also the site of the seaborne invasion known as D-Day by the Allies in 1944.

In addition to Rouen, other prominent cities in Normandy include Caen, Le Havre and Cherbourg. The two lions on the region's flag represent Upper and Lower Normandy and are based on the coat of arms of William the Conqueror.

Answer: Brittany

Brittany is the westernmost region of Metropolitan France and it has strong Celtic roots as evidenced by it being named after the Britons. Rennes and Brest are the most populous cities in Brittany and the region is made up of four departments that all have sea access.

The unique flag of Brittany was developed by Morvan Marchal in 1923, and it is based on the flag of the USA. The stripes on the flag represent the dioceses of Brittany and the 11 symbols in the canton represent the Britons.

Answer: Occitania

Occitania is the southernmost region of mainland France. Its flag is derived from the coat of arms of the Counts of Toulouse and is called the Occitan cross. Occitania is the second-largest region of mainland France and is the fifth most populous. The region's most populous cities include Toulouse, Montpellier and Nîmes.

Answer: Marseille

Marseille is both the capital and largest city of Provence-Alps-Azure Coast. The French name of the region is Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and it is commonly written and spoken as PACA. The region comprises six departments and after Marseille its largest cities are Nice, Toulon and Aix-en-Provence.

The region's flag is a combination of the coat of arms of the historic regions of Provence, Alpes and Côte d'Azur.

Answer: Franche-Comté (Free County)

Burgundy merged with Franche-Comté (Free County) to become Burgundy-Free County, often shortened to BFC. Franche-Comté was an administrative region of France from 1956 to 2015 and much of its culture is related to its proximity to Switzerland. The capital and largest city of Burgundy-Free County is Dijon.

The fleurs-de-lis featured on the flag are representative of Burgundy while the heraldic lions represent Franche-Comté.

Answer: Loire Countries

Pays de la Loire (Loire Countries) is located in western France and it is made up of five departments. Much of its area is part of the Loire Valley which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outside of Nantes and Le Mans, Angers is an influential city in the region.

The left side of the flag is derived from the the flag of the Maine-et-Loire department and the wavy blue border on the right side represents the Loire River.

Answer: Centre-Loire Valley

Centre-Loire Valley is comprised of six departments and it is one of a handful of French regions that are landlocked. The region is named for the famed Loire Valley that runs for 280 km (170 mi) along its namesake river. The favorable climate of the region makes wineries common in the area and the region is also known for its historic towns like Amboise, Orléans and Tours.

The region's flag is based on a combination of the former provincial flags of Berry, Orléanais and Touraine.