Île-de-France (« Island of France ») is a region located in north-central France. It surrounds the country’s famous capital, Paris, an international center of culture and gastronomy with its chic cafes and structured gardens.

Among the highlights of the city, you can visit the Louvre, which houses Leonardo Da Vinci’s « Mona Lisa », the emblematic Eiffel Tower and the Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral.

Outside Paris, there are forests, imposing castles and farms, including dairy farms whose products are used to make a cheese called « brie ».

Île de France region borders five other French regions: Hauts-de-France, to the north, Grand Est, to the east, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, to the southeast, Center-Val de Loire , to the southwest, and Normandy, to the west.

Île-de-France region was born from the royal domain established since the 10th century by the Capetian kings. Being located in the open ground, the name of « island » of France may seem strange, but it seems that this name designates the language of land delimited by the Oise, the Marne and the Seine.
A more historical explanation sees in « Île-de-France » an alteration of Liddle Franke, that is to say « Little France » in Frankish language. This region is indeed one of the land of rooting of the people of the Franks, since their penetration in Gaul, during the great invasions. This explanation is problematic, however, because the name appeared centuries after the extinction of the Frankish language. Indeed, according to Marc Bloch, the name appears for the first time in 1387, in the Chronicles of Froissart, in place of « Pays de France ».