French Regions Match Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nouvelle Aquitaine

Nouvelle Aquitaine was formed by adding the former regions Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes. The region Nouvelle Aquitaine is the largest region in France, with a surface of 84,036 km². Twelve departments are grouped in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, from Pyrenées-Atlantique in the southwestern corner of mainland France to Vienne at the northern end of the region.
The regional capital and also the largest city is Bordeaux (known for the wine industry), and other important cities include Limoges (centre of porcelain production) and Poitiers (to historians known as the place near which the Muslim conquest via Spain was halted).
The most important rivers are the Garonne (about 602 km long) and the Dordogne (about 500 km long), which merge into the Gironde near Bordeaux. The Garonne is the habitat of the critically endangered European sea sturgeon, but there are plans to reintroduce this fish into other rivers.
Although the Pyrenees form the southern border of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, there are not many famous Pyrenees mountains in this region - most are more to the east. The Pic du Midi d'Ossau is one of the highest peaks in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, reaching a height of 2,884 m. The Pic du Midi d'Ossau appears as four peaks very close to each other, but only two can be seen from the North (France), and the other two are only visible from the South (Spain).

Answer: Occitanie

Occitanie is the official name chosen in 2016 for the new region formed by the merger of the former regions Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenées. It is a large region in South-France, with a surface of about 72,724 km². The region contains 13 departments and borders Spain and Andorra. Its name was derived from the larger part of France where Occitan (a variant of the French language) was historically spoken.
Capital and the most populated city of the region is Toulouse, centre of the European aerospace industry. Other important cities are Montpellier, which now houses three universities and several other schools of higher education; and Nîmes, in which one can still visit a Roman arena.
The river Tarn is a tributary of the Garonne. One of the most impressive sites on the river Tarn is the Viaduc de Millau, a bridge spanning over the river at a height of 343 m.
Several Pyrenees mountains are in the region Occitanie. Some of these peaks thank their fame to the Tour de France, a cycling race that usually visits peaks such as the Tourmalet (2,115 m), the Protet d'Aspet (1,069 m) and the Peyresourde (1,569 m).

Answer: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was one of a few French mainland regions which chose to retain the provisional name made by concatenating the constituent former regions. Indeed, the former region Auvergne was merged with the former region Rhône-Alpes. The new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes counts a total of 12 departments and has a surface of about 69,711 km².
Within the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the capital and most populated city is Lyon. Gourmands may know this city for the famed restaurants, including Paul Bocuse's restaurant L'auberge du Pont de Collonges - one of the few three-star restaurants according to the Guide Michelin. Other important cities in the region are Grenoble and Saint-Etienne.
The region is partly named after the river Rhône that flows through it. The river Isère is a tributary to the Rhône, and has given its name to the renowned ski resort Val d'Isère.
The Puy de Dôme is a young volcano reaching 1,405 m altitude. Its slopes (which end in desolation near the top) have been the site of many stages of the Tour de France cycling race. Alas, since the opening of a railway to the top, the remaining road has become too narrow to accommodate the Tour de France peloton.

Answer: Grand Est

The region Grand-Est is the merger of former regions Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine. In total the region counts ten departments and stretches a surface of 57,433 km². It is the only region with four national frontiers (with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland), which inspired the proposed name Quatre Frontières. Previously known as the region ACAL (abbreviation for the concatenated name of the three former regions), it was renamed Grand Est in 2016 - a name referring to the region's situation in France.
Strasbourg is the capital as well as the most populated city in the region Grand Est. Strasbourg houses not only the regional council, but also is the official seat of the European Parliament (although extra sessions of the Parliament take place in Brussels and the Parliament's secretariat is based in Luxembourg). Other important cities in Grand Est are Reims, Metz, Mulhouse and Nancy.
Grand Est is the region in which we find the source of the rivers Marne, Meuse and Moselle. The Marne flows to the west and links with the Seine, the Meuse flows to the north and turns to the west in the Netherlands, mouthing in the North Sea. The Moselle flows to the east and merges with the Rhine in Germany.
The Montagne de Reims is named a mountain, but as it reaches only 286m, it would internationally probably be considered a hill rather than a mountain. This peak is also the site of a Parc Naturel Régional (Regional Nature Park) in the midst of the Champagne department. Indeed, most champagne producers have their seats very near the Montagne de Reims and the eponymous Parc Naturel Régional.

Answer: Pays de la Loire

Pays de la Loire is the name for the region just south of Bretagne (Brittany). It counts five departments and has a surface of 32,082 km². The name refers to the main river in this region, but also has positive connotations for tourists - the Loire valley is known for several castles and for the wine production.
The capital and most populated city is Nantes. This city belonged to the Duchy of Brittany until 1532, the date of incorporation of Brittany in the French kingdom. Nantes won the European Green Capital Award in 2013 and is known for a healthy environment. Other noteworthy cities in the Pays de la Loire include Angers, Le Mans and Saint-Nazaire (the latter being Nantes' seaport).
Pays de la Loire was named after the river Loire, which has its source in another region: the region Centre - Val de Loire. The main tributary to the Loire situated in the region Pays de Loire, is the Sarthe, which in turn has the Mayenne and the Loir (without final e) as tributaries. Both the Sarthe and the Mayenne rivers have given their names to French departments.
The Mont des Avaloirs reaches a height of 417m. From the top of the Mont des Avaloirs, one has a nice view of the surroundings, and on a clear day one can use the top of the Mont des Avaloirs to look around for nearly 100 km.

Answer: Hauts de France

Hauts de France is the name chosen in 2016 for the region formed by the merger of the former regions Nord-Pas de Calais and Picardie. Hauts de France covers a surface of 31,813 km² and consists of five departments. Although the name translates to "Heights of France", it is a rather low region near the French coast on the English Channel.
The capital and most populated city is Lille. The old railway station and many surrounding buildings were destroyed during the First World War. Meanwhile, a modern city quarter has arisen, with a major train station on the Eurostar line which connects London with the European mainland through the Chunnel. Other noteworthy cities in Hauts de France are Calais, Dunkirk and Amiens.
Major rivers in the region are the Somme, the Marne and the Oise. Also the Yser and the Scheldt have their source in Hauts de France. All these rivers (except the Scheldt) have been the theatre of fierce battles in the First World War.
The Mont Noir is one of the few peaks in the region Hauts de France. Its slopes are situated on the Belgian-French frontier, while the summit (at 152m) is entirely in France. This peak derives its name from the black pine that abounds on the slopes of the peak.

Answer: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The region Provence - Alpes - Côte d'Azur, former known as PACA but now commercialized under the name Region Sud, has been created in 1970 after the most southwestern region of France was split in two (Corsica was made a new region of the French mainland). This region consists of six departments and covers a surface of 31,400 km².
Marseille is the regional capital and also the most populous city. This harbour city was founded by Greek colonists around 600 BC and thus is one of the oldest cities in France. Other well-known cities are Nice, Aix-en-Provence and Avignon.
The Rhône river makes up the western border of the region, while the western border is the frontier with Italy. The Var is one of the rivers near the Italian frontier. Although this river has given its name to the eponymous department, the Var river does not flow through the Var department.
The Montagne Sainte-Victoire is one of many Alpine mountains in the region. Or rather, it is a mountain range in the Provence-Alpes-Cöte d'Azur, stretching over a span of 18 km, with as its highest peak the Pic des Mouches (which could be translated as "Fly Peak") attaining 1,011 m. This mountain range has inspired many paintings by the impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, but also Pablo Picasso and Vassily Kandinsky have depicted the Montagne Sainte-Victoire.

Answer: Normandy

The region of Normandy was created by the merger of the two regions Upper Normandy and Lower Normandy. It covers an area of 29,906 km² (including the Channel islands), divided in five departments. For a large part, the region Normandy equals the former Duchy of Normandy.
Rouen is the regional capital, as well as the most populated city. Caen, Le Havre and Cherbourg are other main cities. If you ever visit Caen, try to include the two abbeys: the Eglise Sainte-Etienne (previously known as Abbaye aux hommes) and the Eglise de la Sainte-Trinité (formerly Abbaye aux femmes).
The most important river in the region of Normandy is the Seine, which mouths in the Channel near Le Havre. Other rivers of regional importance are the Eure, the Orne and the Vire. The Orne was the site of a brutal battle during the Second World War.
Mont-Saint-Michel may be small in elevation (reaching only 80m), but is one of the most remarkable peaks in Normandy. This hill is on a tidal island about 1 km from the mainland: at low-tide, one can walk towards the hill, but at high tide the hill is an island. The hill contains (on an ascending slope) a number of fisherman's and farmer's homes, some tourist shops and restaurants, a castle and an abbey - thus symbolizing the class structure in the Ancient Regime (farmers and fishers, shop owners and other merchants, nobility, clergy, and God on top of all).

Answer: Ile de France

The region Ile de France is comprised of eight departments : Paris in the centre, three departments around Paris as the Petite Couronne (Little Crown), and four more departments as the Grande Couronne (Greater Crown). It has a surface of about 12,011 km² and the highest income per capita of all the French regions.
Paris is the regional capital, as well as the most populated city in Ile de France (as well as the national capital of France). Paris serves also as the centre of the French fashion industry. Other major cities in Ile de France include Boulogne-Billencourt, Saint-Denis, Argenteuil and Montreuil.
The most important river in the region Ile de France is the Seine, that flows through Paris. The Marne river is one of the tributaries to the Seine, and has been depicted by many painters (including Paul Cézanne and Camille Corot). Other rivers in Ile de France include the Oise and the Yonne.
The highest elevation in the region Ile de France is the Butte Saint-Georges, at 216 m. But the best known peak in this region is Montmartre, the hill (131 m) in Paris with the popular Place du Tertre - where in the tourist season amateur painters gather, but once it was the place to be for professional painters (including Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Maurice Utrillo, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, as well as Pablo Picasso and Amadeo Modigliani).

Answer: Corsica

Corsica is a large Mediterranean island, and was given the status of French region in 1970. It has a territory of about 8,680 km². Corsica became French soil in 1768.
The regional capital and most populous city in Corsica is Ajaccio, also known as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. Other major cities include Bastia, Bonifacio and Porte Vecchio.
The Golo river is the longest river on Corsica, with a length of 90km. There are only a handful of rivers on this island.
One of the few peaks in Corsica is the Monte Cinto, at 2,706m. Some sources state that from the summit of the Monte Cinto, one can see Marseille, the Swiss Monte Rosa and the city of Rome - all about 400 km from Monte Cinto. Of course this is only possible in the clearest weather conditions.