The five departments of Aquitaine (the Dordogne, the Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Les Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques) cover 7.5% of French territory. The population lives chiefly in and around three towns: Pau, Bayonne and the largest, Bordeaux. Bordeaux is the capital of the Gironde department ­ a beautiful city, with buildings and landmarks from the 18th century, but also an important centre for business and industry, much of it concentrated near the harbour.

The Landes Forest (Aquitaine region)

The region is essentially agricultural and is famous for its gastronomic specialities (such as foie gras and truffles) and most of all for its wines. This region also includes the largest pine forest in Europe, les Landes, which stretches along the Atlantic coastline.