Aquitaine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aquitaine
Region
Flag Symbol
Country	France
Préfecture	Bordeaux
- coordinates	44°50′19″N 0°34′42″W / 44.83861°N 0.57833°W / 44.83861; -0.57833
Area	41,284 km² (15,940 sq mi)
Population	3,285,970 (2012)
Density	80 /km² (207 /sq mi)
Subdivisions	5 departments 18 arrondissements 235 cantons 2,296 communes
President	Alain Rousset
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Aquitaine (which is Aquitània in Occitan) is a region in southwestern France. It used to be its own administrative region. Now, it is part of a larger region called Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Aquitaine is quite big, covering over 41,000 square kilometers. This makes it one of the largest regions in mainland France. The biggest French region overall is French Guiana, which is in South America.

The main city and capital of Aquitaine was Bordeaux. People from this region are called Aquitain in French.

The region was made up of five departments: Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Exploring Aquitaine's Geography

Aquitaine was the third largest region in Metropolitan France. It covered an area of about 41,284 square kilometers (15,940 square miles).

Where is Aquitaine Located?

Aquitaine shared borders with three other French regions:

• To the north: Poitou-Charentes
• To the northeast: Limousin
• To the east: Midi-Pyrénées

To the south, Aquitaine bordered Spain, specifically the regions of Aragon and Navarre. To the west, it met the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline along the Atlantic is known as the Côte d'Argent (Silver Coast).

		Poitou-Charentes	Limousin
	Atlantic Ocean		Midi-Pyrénées
		Aquitaine
		Spain (Aragon and Navarre)

The Greenwich Meridian, which is the imaginary line marking 0 degrees longitude, passes through Aquitaine.

Mountains and Rivers

Most of Aquitaine is a fairly flat area called the Aquitanian basin. It has a young geological landscape. High mountains are only found in the southern part of Aquitaine. These are part of the Pyrenees mountain range.

The highest point in Aquitaine is Pic Palas. It stands at 2,974 meters (9,757 feet) tall and is located on the border with Spain.

Several important rivers flow through the region:

• The Garonne flows through the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments.
• The Dordogne flows through the Dordogne and Gironde departments.
• The Lot flows through the Lot-et-Garonne department.
• The Dropt flows through the Dordogne, Gironde, and Lot-et-Garonne departments.
• The Adour flows through the Landes department.

Aquitaine's Climate

The climate in Aquitaine is generally mild throughout the year, except in the high mountains. Along the Atlantic coast, the average yearly temperature is above 15°C (59°F). In Bordeaux, it's about 14°C (57°F). Even near the border of Limousin, it's still around 11°C (52°F). The region also gets a good amount of rain, especially more in the south.

A Look at Aquitaine's History

In the Middle Ages, Aquitaine was sometimes a kingdom and sometimes a duchy. Its size changed often due to various wars.

Aquitaine came under the control of England in 1152. This happened when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England. It remained under English control until 1453. This was at the very end of the Hundred Years' War.

Departments of Aquitaine

The Aquitaine region was made up of five departments:

People of Aquitaine

In 2012, the Aquitaine region had a population of 3,285,970 people. This means there were about 80 people living in each square kilometer.

Place de la Bourse at night with the Miroir d'eau and tram in Bordeaux.

Here are the 10 largest cities in the region:

Gallery

• 

  Trencat dune.

• 

  Sainte-Madeleine church, Montagrier, Dordogne

• 

  Sunflowers in Dordogne

• 

  The Ossau Valley in the French Pyrenees

Images for kids

• 

  Landscape in Dordogne, Aquitaine

• 

  Landscape in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitaine

• 

  14th-century representation of the wedding of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Louis of France

• 

  The footpath west from the Château de Pau

• 

  Bordeaux, Pont-de-Pierre

See also

In Spanish: Aquitania para niños