Aquitaine (; ), archaic
Guyenne/
Guienne (Occitan:
Guiana), is one of the 26
regions of France, in the south-western part of
metropolitan France, along the
Atlantic Ocean and the
Pyrenees mountain range on the border with
Spain. In the Middle Ages it was a kingdom and later a duchy, with boundaries considerably larger than the modern ones. It comprises the 5 departments of
Dordogne,
Lot et Garonne,
Pyrenees Atlantiques,
Landes and
Gironde.
History
Apart from prehistoric peoples—largely in the
Perigord—the earliest inhabitants of the southwest were
Aquitanians, who were not proper
Celtic people, but more akin to the Iberians. The
Gauls maintained control of the southwest of
France until conquered by the
Romans in 52 B.C.E.
Under
Roman rule, the province of Aquitania extended almost as far north as the River Loire, comprising proper
Gaul tribes and old Aquitanians (cf.
Novempopulania and
Gascony). The title “Duke of Aquitaine” was held by the counts of Poitiers from the 10th to the 12th century.
It passed to
France in 1137 when the duchess
Eleanor of Aquitaine married
Louis VII of France, but their marriage was annulled in 1152 and when Eleanor’s new husband became
Henry II of England in 1154, the area became an
English possession.
Links between Aquitaine and
England were strengthened, with large quantities of wine produced in southwestern France being exported to
London,
Southampton, and other English ports.
Aquitaine remained English until the end of the
Hundred Years’ War in 1453, when it was annexed by France. From the 13th century until the French Revolution, Aquitaine was usually known as
Guyenne.
The region served as a stronghold for the
Protestant Huguenots during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, who suffered persecution at the hands of the
Catholic church. The Huguenots called upon the
English crown for assistance against the
Catholic Cardinal RichelieuDemographics
Aquitaine consists of 2,908,359 inhabitants equivalent to 5% of the total
French population.
Sport
The region is home to many successful sports teams. In particular worth mentioning are:
Rugby Union is particularly popular in the region. Clubs include:
Bull-fighting is also popular in the region.
Major
Surfing championships regularly take place on Aquitaine's coast.
See also
