| |||
| Capital | Bordeaux | ||
| Largest city | Lyon | ||
| Other cities | Marseille, Limoges, St-Etienne | ||
| Language official |
French | ||
| others | Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican | ||
| President | Jeanette Jérémie In | ||
| Prime Minister | Magali Arceneau | ||
| Population | 310908 | ||
| Independence | May 27, 1952 | ||
| Currency | Euro | ||
Southern France (French: La France Méridionale), officially the Southern French Republic, is a country of roughly 31.1 million people in Western Europe. Southern France is a federal republic consisting of 22 states called cantons. Bordeaux is the seat of the federal authorities, while the country's economic centres are its two global cities, Marseille and especially Lyon. Southern France is one of the richest countries in the world by per capita Gross Domestic Product. Lyon and Marseille have respectively been ranked as having the first and second highest quality of life in the world.
It is bordered by Northern France, Germany, Northern Italy and Croatia and Eastern Spain. Southern France is neutral — it has not been at war since 1959 — and hosts many international organizations, including the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and one of the U.N.'s two European offices. The establishment of Southern France was on May 27, 1952; it is the national holiday.