Languedoc Roussillon forms the southern-most region of France. Bordered by mountains to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south-east, the region comprises five principal departements: Lozère, Gard, Hérault, Aude and Pyrenées Orientales. The main cities of each county are Mende, Nîmes, Montpellier, Carcassonne and Perpignan.

Languedoc Roussillon covers 27,376 square kilometres and has a population of 2.4 million inhabitants. The most densely populated area is the Hérault, with a population of nearly 900,000, with one quarter of those living in the region's capital, Montpellier. The largest cities are Montpellier, Perpignan, Béziers (also in the Hérault), and Carcassonne.

Tourism accounts for a large part of the Languedoc Roussillon economy, with 14 million visitors a year. The diversity of landscape in the region allows for a variety of tourist activities, from the beaches of the Mediterranean to the ski slopes of the Pyrenées.

The other major activity in Languedoc Roussillon region is the wine industry. Languedoc Roussillon is the largest wine producing region in the world. It produces one-third of all French wine, though 75% of this is Vin de Pays or Vin de Table. The total production of the region is close to 16 million hectolitres per year. In recent years there has been a move by a small number of growers towards producing quality wines from low yields, and the reputation of the region's wines is growing.