Grand Est

48°45′16″N 5°51′06″E / 48.7544°N 5.8517°E / 48.7544; 5.8517

Grand Est Grossa Oschta  (Alemannic German) Grouss Osten  (Luxembourgish)
Region of France
A view of the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg north of Colmar
Country	France
Prefecture	Strasbourg
Departments	10 Ardennes Aube Bas-Rhin Marne Haute-Marne Haut-Rhin Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges
Government
• Body	Regional council of Grand Est
• President of the Regional Council	Jean Rottner (The Republicans)
Area
• Total	57,433 km2 (22,175 sq mi)
• Rank	5th
Population  (2017)[1]
• Total	5,549,586
• Density	97/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	FR-GES
GDP (2013)	Ranked
Total	€150.3 billion (US$207.0 bn)
Per capita	€27,085 (US$37,312)
NUTS Region	FRF
Official languages	French,
Recognised languages	Alemannic German and Luxembourgish
Website	www.grandest.fr

Grand Est (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst] (listen); Alsatian: Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/Luxembourgish: Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: Groß Oschte; German: Großer Osten [ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈɔstn̩]; English: Greater East) is an administrative region in northeastern France. It was made from three former administrative regions, Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine, on 1 January 2016 under the short-lived name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine (ACAL or ALCA) because of territorial reform which had been passed by the French law in 2014. The region sits along three water basins (Seine, Meuse and Rhine), spanning an area of 57,433 km² (22,175 sq mi), the 5th largest in France, and includes two mountain ranges (Vosges and Ardennes). It shares borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Switzerland, and stands partly within the European Megalopolis. The administrative capital and largest city, by far, is Strasbourg. The East of France has a interesting culture. It is between the Latin and Germanic areas, so many different languages spoken there (Alsatian, Champenois, Lorraine Franconian etc.). Most of today's Grand Est region was thought to be "Eastern" as early as the 8th century, when it owned the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia. The city of Reims , would later play a ceremonial role in French history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. The Champagne fairs played an important part in the economy of medieval Europe as well. Alsace and Lorraine did well in the influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The region is home to traditions (the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas markets, or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine). Alsace-Moselle has to follow local law for historical reasons. With a long industrial history as well and its agriculture and tourism (arts, cuisine, sightseeing etc.), the East of France has one of the largest economic production levels in the country.

Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine was the old name for the region.

References