Canal du MidiThe Canal du Midi (French pronunciation:; Occitan: Canal de las Doas Mars, Canal del Miègjorn) is a 240 km (150 mi) long canal in Southern France (French: le Midi). Originally named the Canal Royal en Languedoc (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to Canal du Midi in 1789, the canal is considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century.
Grand BassinThe Grand Bassin is the largest body of open water along the Canal du Midi. It is in Castelnaudary, France and covers some 7 hectares (17 acres). Once a scene of intense economic activity, it is now a major pleasure port used by tourist craft. It holds the water reserve for the four locks of Saint-Roche. Official opening ceremonies for the Canal du Midi were held here on 19 May 1681.
LauragaisThe Lauragais (French pronunciation: [loʁaɡɛ]; Occitan: Lauragués) is an area of the south-west of France that is south-east of Toulouse. The Lauragais, a former county in the south-west of France, takes its name from the town of Laurac and has a large area. It covers both sides of the Canal du Midi, between Toulouse in the north-west and Carcassonne in the south-east and between Castres in the north-east and Pamiers in the south-west.
AudeAude ( ; French:; Occitan:) is a department in southern France, located in Occitania and named after the river Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Cathar Country" (French: Pays cathare) after a group of religious dissidents active in the 12th to 14th centuries. Its prefecture is Carcassonne and its subprefectures are Limoux and Narbonne. As of 2023, it had a population of 379,648.
Provinces of FranceUnder the Ancien Régime, the Kingdom of France was subdivided in multiple different ways (judicial, military, ecclesiastical, etc.) into several administrative units, until the National Constituent Assembly adopted a more uniform division into departments (départements) and districts in late 1789. The provinces (French pronunciation: [pʁɔvɛ̃s] ) continued to exist administratively until 21 September 1791.
Departments of FranceAdministrative subdivision in FranceIn the administrative divisions of France, the department (French: département, pronounced) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 departments, consisting of ninety-six departments in metropolitan France, and five overseas departments (which are also classified as overseas regions).
Occitania (administrative region)Occitania (French: Occitanie; Occitan: Occitània; Catalan: Occitània) is the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France excluding Corsica, located in the south of the country, created on 1 January 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. The Council of State approved Occitania as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, coming into effect on 30 September 2016.
Occitan languageRomance language of Western EuropeGeographic range of the Occitan language around 1900Occitan (English: ; Occitan pronunciation:), also known by its native speakers as lenga d'òc (Occitan:; French: langue d'oc), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys and the Val d'Aran in northeast Spain; collectively, these regions are sometimes referred to as Occitania.
Regions of FranceFrance is divided into eighteen administrative regions (French: régions administratives, singular région administrative or just région, ). Twelve of which are located in the Hexagon (in Europe), another one is Corsica, while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collectivities, which have a semi-autonomous status).
Communes of FranceFrench territorial subdivision for municipalities A commune (French pronunciation: [kɔmyn] ⓘ) is a level of administrative division of France. French communes are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities, and particularly to the New England towns, in Canada and the United States; Gemeinden in Germany; comuni in Italy; municipios in Spain; or civil parishes in the United Kingdom.
FranceCountry primarily in Western EuropeFrance, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean.
CassouletCassoulet (, also UK: ,US: ; French: [kasulɛ] ; Occitan: Cassolada) is a rich stew originating in southern France. The food writer Elizabeth David described it as "that sumptuous amalgamation of haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton and preserved goose, aromatically spiced with garlic and herbs". It originated in the town of Castelnaudary in the Aude department in the Occitanie region. Variants of the dish are local to other towns and cities in the Aude.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.