MIDI – PYRENEES
Midi Pyrenees is the largest region of Metropolitan France. The area covered by this region is larger than Netherlands or Denmark. Toulouse is the capital of Mide-Pyrenees region. This region is divided into eight departments.
These eight departments are Ariege, Aveyron, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrenees, Lot, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne.
Midi-Pyrenees is divided into 22 arrondissements, 293 cantons and 3,020 communes. This region covers around 45,348 km2 of France.
This region is popular across the world for three local “products”. Three things for which this region is famous are Airbus aircraft. Roquefort cheese and the Catholic pilgrimage center of Lourdes. This region exhibits extreme contrasts and diversity.
This region created artificially was created artificially in the late 20th century. The name for this new region was decided by the French central government and was based on the geography of the region. Midi means “southern regions”. And Pyrenees Mountains are located on the southern limit of Midi-Pyrenees region. That is how the region gets this name. The inhabitants of this region are called Midi-Pyreneen.
TRADITIONAL LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN MIDI-PYRENEES REGION
Two traditional languages of this region are Occitan and Gascon. Initially Gascon was spoken in the west and southwest of the region. Occitan was spoken in the east and northeast of the region.
However, now French is the main language of the region. Occitan had vanished from the region in the beginning of the 20th century itself. Presently, older people in the distant areas of Quercy, Rouergue and Comte de Foix speak Occitan. Older people of Gascony and the Pyrenees valleys also speak Gascon.
Though these languages do not enjoy that domination they used to enjoy in the past but they have left a strong imprint on the French language presently spoken here. Till present day, the people of Midi – Pyrenees, speak some words and expressions from Occitan or Gascon.
FUTURE OF MIDI-PYRENEES REGION
Many people are of the opinion that the communes of are very small and there a need of merging them. Many stress on the Aquitaine nature of this region. The Garonne River links this region and Aquitaine region. Hence, it was proposed to merge both the regions into a large region.
Some people are of a different opinion, who stress that Midi-Pyrenees should be merged with Languedoc-Roussillon to create a large Languedoc region. This would help in reunifying the old province of Languedoc and Roussillon.