Area: 16 942 square km
Population: About 717 600
Capital city: Limoges
Departments: 19 - Corrèze (Tulle), 23 - Creuse (Guéret), 87 - Haute-Vienne (Limoges)

"Limousin is a region of contrasts. Whether you choose the Creuse, Corrèze or Haute-Vienne départements, you will not be disappointed. Lakes, rivers, granite, chestnut forest, heather and wide open spaces are the common denominators of all three. You wont be bored with the variety or traditional festivals, village feast-days, local fairs and concerts, allowing one the opportunity of meeting the people and sharing the local lifestyles and customs especially in the enjoyment of the hearty meals of the area."

Regional portrait from www.francekeys.com - an excellent general portal for the dedicated francophile.

The following unedited paragraph was taken from the English version of an official tourist website. The language may be endearingly awkward, but the description is curiously evocative of the flavour of the region:

"In the Limousin area, you are in the heart of France. Famous for its famous its fruits baked in batter and for its succulent slate roofs with black cherries, it is an attaching area. Its single cows (as they are ginger colored), its "good food", its cities with human dimension, its passion for the stone (which has a prevalent place in the area) reflect well the character of people of the Limousin. They are single, good-alive, user-friendly and passionate."