Why 1/3rd of France is Almost Empty

[@renzobond]

you totally need to talk about spains population density. the issue is way bigger than in france, being that almost the entire population lives either in the coast or in madrid in the center, leaving a huge ring around madrid where many parts are called "la españa vacía", literally the empty spain. take a look at it it's very interesting

[@AdrianoMacedo838]

In Portugal we have the same problem. The cities that are far from the coast are dying of lack of people that migrate to the larger cities near the coast.

[@Iglehiver]

The French diagonal has a population density of about 30 people per square km, in the España vaciada, it's around 12-15.

[@MrMrAzad]

Why would he make same video again lol

[@MrPlito95]

@@MrMrAzad Because the trend is incredibly worrysome and the spanish case is an exagerated case of what could happen in other countries if measures arent taken.

[@PurblePlacecomm2]

@Weasel its a spam bot, just report it.

[@ZarzenLetsPlay]

People in or outside of France may see this part of France as a laughable anomaly and wasted potential; but to tell the truth as an average west/central European inhabitant it is just a pleasure to visit this region that is mostly devoid of humans and urbanisation. I hope it stays like it is to be all honest

[@pbfoley]

100%. Thank you. It's amazing how the assumption is to fill every spot in a country to get a "full potential".

[@julius43461]

One person's wasted potential is another person's paradise.

[@carmenfinn7521]

@@julius43461 One person's trash is another person's treasure.

[@klettersteig599]

City dwellers seem to always look down on the people who grow the food they eat. Seems like it’s a phenomenon across the world.

[@julius43461]

@@klettersteig599 Absolutely. I hope that the internet will make that a thing of the past, as you can now work from home in a small village, while also growing your own food.

[@e.16362]

Every french high school student learns about this empty diagonal in Geography class, and we love to make fun of those who live in it.

[@rinsekai]

Compensating for the world making fun of French people /lh /j

[@roderx99]

Amazing

[@akramgimmini8165]

Me learning French so I can avoid speaking French more Effectively

[@bjarke7886]

Just like everyone else makes fun of people who live in France.

[@OldWestCooper]

I'm from Creuse which is the second least populated department of France, so I really felt that video lol

[@munkiesyeah]

I live in “empty” France. No complaints. I wanna keep it like this. Pour moi, c’est parfait 😊

[@JardinFoto]

Moi aussi, c'est nickel 😎

[@DeadlyLivelys]

@@JardinFoto bande de chanceux ici c le 93 mdrrr

[@mahyori]

Tu m'étonnes 😅

[@Pierre2000ish]

Vive le Cantal libre !

[@lefrondebassem7386]

LA DIAGONALE DU VIDE😂

[@jeanbonnefoy1377]

2:28 : Some clarification here: Those 18 regions are including overseas departments. In reality, metropolitan French territory comprises only 13 regions - and that, including the island of Corsica; their overall number having been drastically reduced from the original 22 ones since a big overhaul with lots of merging in 2016.

[@Specoups]

Let's just use the term "reform" or "change". Standing with many, I'd not call it an "overhaul".

[@MrMolotov888]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 Shut

[@edvinrudberg175]

@@Specoups it really is an overhaul tho, it has changed France’s "political landscape" in a radical way

[@Specoups]

@@edvinrudberg175 I'm stupid. Up until now I thought that overhaul had a positive connotation. I stand corrected.

[@ncalphawolf]

@@Specoups It does have a slight positive connotation. Overhaul implies that the thing being overhauled was defunct or poorly made. It doesn't imply that the new thing is good but more that the old thing didn't work and is being completely thrown out and replaced. Reform implies a similar level of significant change but does come with a good connotation. Change however implies that it was small or not that important with out further description like "a massive change" change is luckily very unopinionated.

[@williamdrijver4141]

I see lots of positives for that "empty" area: cheap housing and land, less crime, lots of room, nature, being able to see the stars, quiet roads, many parking spaces, reduced stress, and a higher quality of life! I'm all for it 🙂

[@100percentSNAFU]

You see it like I do...hence why my ultimate goal is to retire to a similar region in the United States.

[@larry5111]

As someone who ve grown in this area i can tell you you right. Nowadays i can t live in paris marseille or any big city without going crazy. There s too much stress etc

[@williamdrijver4141]

@@100percentSNAFU Thanks for example to Space-X there will be internet access in remote areas too, so that is a great step forward!

[@williamdrijver4141]

@@larry5111 The trafic jams and the overcrowding alone in such cities would freak me out. Add in the sky high prices and many high crime areas, the downsides of such places are enormous. (And thanks to the internet you don't need to live where shops are. It will be brought / sent to you).

[@durango8882]

I agree! Less people is better.

[@danohanlon8316]

This happens everywhere. People want to live: a) near coastlines, b) on the more level ground, c) near good supply routes (which much tend to follow naturally governed by topography, and d) near other people.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

I would get a panic attack crisis if I had to live on the plain. Panic without the mountains... I was born under a mountain, and mountains is where I belong. Don't need to live in a populated area: as they say, "hell is other people".

[@shanepatrick641]

@@AnnatarTheMaia totally agree. Sadly I live in the city. In Worcester England. 😕 Wish I didn't, living in a city in the UK... it's so cramped! And we have a housing crisis. Prices are though the roof.

[@Rich-Misty]

This concept is taken to the extreme when you look at Australia 💀💀💀

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

@@yusumemusic your ad hominem attack is nonsensical considering how many times I've been in near-death situations and that I've lived for three human lives in the span of one. However, you did attest to one thing splendidly: it is exactly people like yourself who make the statement "hell is other people" a sad reality.

[@Unmannedair]

Not me. You just described hell to me. 😂

[@abydos-musique]

I am French and I live in this area, far from the metropolises. Nothing is missing, from nature to high-speed internet. Vive la France.

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

Apart from a TGV link to Paris from Limoges and road or rail connections between major towns that don’t involve going via Paris…

[@derekdokter4702]

Viva la Liberte

[@lifeisoverrated7167]

Damn here in dordogne internet is a pain, you're lucky

[@commissairegordon8769]

And you have peace and tranquility. 😉👍

[@swisswildpicsswp3095]

Tu vis où? De mon expérience, Internet est bien pourri dans les coins reculés

[@kemsat-n6h]

Regardless of all this, aren’t such areas a necessity for civilization? The most fertile lands are often set aside for food production, and in the aim of maximizing food production, the fewest possible number of people working those lands is preferred, as it means less space being used for housing. Edit: this got somewhat big. In the current times, this kind of thing is likely to happen, since we have refrigeration, which allows the transportation of food over long distances. So, grow food where it’s easy, ship it to where it’s needed. Edit2: This comment has gotten bigger. So yes we would actually want the industries to be spread out to minimize transportation, but I feel this mostly applies to artisans; some industries really benefit from mass production, specially things like medicines or materials processing (turning plant or animal products into cloth & leather, or sand & rocks into metals) or recycling, to name a few. Most relevant is probably the creation of meat based foods benefiting greatly from the mass production of feed for the animals, which can be grown far from where the animals are kept & slaughtered.

[@oksowhat]

its diffrent from history, most of the pop lived near fertile land and river, cities and trade were later phenomea

[@BrickworksDK]

It's actually the exact opposite. You want people and industry to be as widely distributed as possible in order to minimize the amount of goods being transported.

[@bolek-trolek]

the netherlands has no land and no sun, yet they produce a ton of agro products and export them all over the place

[@EatMyShortsAU]

Yeah in industrialised counties, the same thing is pretty much happening. Young people leave the country side to move to big cities to find work. Some countries are actually losing population as the young people move to more developed countries to find work. Mainly like Ex Soviet countries, where people from countries like Estonia, Lavia, Armenia, Lithuania, Ukraine migrate to the EU or the US.

[@jeremias-serus]

@Marc You’re talking about pollution. No one here is talking about pollution. We’re talking about making money.

[@ttoettoe9324]

I live in diagonal. I moved here from the UK 2 years ago. It's wonderful. There is life here, and a lot of young French people are now into eco-living and are leaving the cities for the countryside, to grow their own veg or pursue artisanal crafts. But, yes, there are a LOT of old people.

[@daveharrison84]

It's good that the trend might reverse, and that a new generation can live in rural areas in a way they like.

[@AixlaachenPax1801]

Nice, indeed I live there too it's very beautiful and peaceful, I just hope Zemmour pass he loves France and true French people and wants to give 10k € for every birth of a child in Rural areas in France it's a very smart idea to populage this huge sub exploited land and bring money where it will be actually helpful unlike in cities suburbs.

[@eurekify1563]

@@AixlaachenPax1801 Ouais, parce que tout ce qui nous faut ces temps-ci c’est un président d’extrême droite.

[@DarthObscurity]

@@AixlaachenPax1801 That will absolutely 1000% be abused. The wealthy will all own tons of houses in the 'void' and claim that all of their children are born their while the people who could actually populate the areas are fucked because housing values will go through the mf'ing roof

[@AixlaachenPax1801]

@@DarthObscurity You have to actively live in these rural areas for 5 years

[@hobotify]

I'm from the countryside too(although not the french one), and i would never leave it for the city. I spent a vacation travelling around France and i can say that the rural areas are the best parts of the country. Sure, Paris has nice buildings and interesting museums, Normandy and Brittany is rich with history and the Riviera has great beaches, but nothing beats the calmness and beautiful landscapes of the french countryside.

[@cheetobandido546]

Totally agree!

[@fabianreusch4870]

I agree, in all countries I've visited I always found the countryside to be the best part :) Im from Germany btw...and sadly, even the countryside has somewhat high population density here

[@pacomegiraudeau1256]

And here we are, building wind turbines everywhere…

[@jukkahelisjoki5820]

Yes, the French countryside is great. We don't heed hordes of people everywhere.

[@julijansidneypicej4701]

@@pacomegiraudeau1256 Soo interesting.... Atomkraft Nein Danke, better fill what countryside is left with low output wind turbines. French dont give a fuck if there is a nuclear reactor 5km away (and neither should anyone). Im so mad at the power of people in groups who have no idea about a complicated problem. Relax, relax Im just venting. Love you all

[@timberwolfdtproductions3890]

If I lived in France I’d want to live in the empty diagonal. Quiet, peaceful, surrounded by nature.

[@stephenshipley1066]

That's where we bought our holiday home - the area reminded us of the Yorkshire Dales - rugged countryside, minimal population.

[@alexandrekaminski3527]

No doctors, poor phone coverage... yeah we don't love it

[@JardinFoto]

I live there. It's great.

[@MYdestiny69]

I leave in this area (south-ouest) and I can tell you that it's a really peaceful place to leave 😊

[@frangipp]

Mmmmmh... No you don't. It's surely quiet, peaceful and surrounded by nature but... It's empty. In France WE call that "un gros trou paumé" :)

[@Einulf_]

I think you should take a look at Norway compared to other European countries. It's been trying to avoid centralization for most of its 20th century history. I think it's a very unique topic not often talked about.

[@tcoker0416]

@@user-be1jx7ty7n America cities and states do this. Bentonville, AR is one of those places.

[@MrMolotov888]

​@@UnkownKZbinr286 Shut

[@thomasl1868]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 You have 67 subs and RealLifeLore has 5,54 million subs, I wonder which content is better.

[@NobodyHere96]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 Bot

[@rjfaber1991]

@@user-be1jx7ty7n Norway is immense though, and that doesn't help. The Mercator projection doesn't really highlight it, but the differences in latitude are enormous. I flew to Tromsø last Christmas with a connection at Bergen, and it took longer to fly from Bergen to Tromsø than from Amsterdam to Bergen... That said, if it weren't for the distance I'd be happy to move there; it really is stunning there, and compared to what neighbouring countries are doing that far north, there's enough economic activity in northern Norway.

[@kiimawittu_]

This same phenomenon is happening in Finland too. After high school young people generally move to the big cities in south of the country for education or job and the rural areas become even more rural. For example in 1994 Lapland's population was around 200 000 inhabitants whereas today the number is closer to 178 000 and big part of those people live in more populated areas such as Rovaniemi and Kemi. And bear in mind that third of Finland's land area belongs to Lapland but only 3% of the country's population live here. Crazy!

[@cyb3ar897]

It's a general trend the world over, which is fascinating. It's projected that almost 70% of the entire world's population will be living in cities by 2050. 85% by 2100

[@OJOdin]

Same in Denmark. I know only a couple people from high school who stayed in Sorø.

[@oksowhat]

the place need to be livelable too, not trying to be rude but, isn't most of finland just cold? and since the newer generation tends to find more comfort, they will seek exit from cold places

[@SinNotATragedy]

@@oksowhat finland is super small, the climate is the same throughout the country.

[@FutureCommentary1]

France seems a bit extreme in that most people live in Paris and then a few other countries. Other big countries like Germany or Italy seem more even in terms of population concentration.

[@nasmatique]

I lived in this empty diagonal in my childhood. I will forever be grateful because of how peaceful and quiet it mostly was. (Yeah, we still had crimes, but far less than in densed areas) Good area to raise a child and retiring peacefully. Especially if you live in small villages.

[@sweetydeerhound4075]

Nasmatique oh oui, bien dit !

[@BrightSeaStar]

Yes - I think it might be a good place for older people, who often get lost and ignored in huge metropolises.

[@TheStickman419]

Hope things aren't too lonely... Or scary...

[@mm-yt8sf]

but are there "french monsters"? like how we have bigfoot...

[@nasmatique]

@@mm-yt8sf We do have mythological creatures, but most French don't know them

[@petemiller2598]

For those of us who are American, it is difficult to comprehend how devastating World War I was to France, and Europe in general. In the US, WWI is not thought of much, because we only participated at the end, and lost comparatively few soldiers. WWII is a much bigger focus in US History. But WWI was a catastrophe for Europe on a scale without parallel in any American war. By comparison, the Battle of Verdun alone had more casualties than all American casualties in World War II.

[@Difdauf]

At the height of the Battle of Verdun, up to one million shells were fired every day, and it is estimated that 6 shells fell per square meter in just 10 months. The scale of those battles are impossible to understand. The ground still wear the scares of the great war.

[@mohdadeeb1829]

United States lost 117,000 people in just 2 months during WW1.

[@kurochigo]

​@@mohdadeeb1829 The only two months they fought lmao

[@mohdadeeb1829]

@@kurochigo That's what I said.

[@Themist_Edits]

The United States civil war had more military casualties than any war. This is excluding civilian casualties.

[@josephlarmor550]

I just came home after a one month holiday driving in France. Yes, the “empty diagonal” is noticeable within France. But even more noticeable, and briefly mentioned in your video, is the shock of returning to busy, noisy, densely populated England. The roads seem permanently on the brink of total gridlock, there are people everywhere and everything seems to suddenly cost more. Give me Lozère any time.

[@PalleRasmussen]

Well... England has the north; Yourkshire is not very densely populated for example. England is more than the south.

[@italoblu]

Any tips? My partner and I are going to drive from Normandy down to Marseille.

[@josephlarmor550]

@@italoblu Happy to pass on any tips which may be of help! I should sa that my wife and I are retired and we travelled with our two dogs, so our priorities may not be the same as yours. We have driven from Calais to Nice seven times now. #1 Get a “dongle” for automatic payment at the tolls on the autoroute. It makes life so much easier. I use Emovis tag but there are several suppliers. Tolls are deducted from your UK credit or debit card. #2 I would avoid driving anywhere near Paris, unless you have a reason to go there. Having said that, we went through Paris on our way home on our last trip, but we planned this for early on a Sunday morning and even then the traffic was pretty heavy. Lyon can be another bottleneck. #3 We normally plan to travel no more than 250-300 miles in any one day, and to do one two day stopover on our way from Calais to Nice. It’s nice to make the journey part of your holiday. We stayed mainly in chalets on camp sites. These are very practical and comfortable. However, mostly there is no air con so maybe not ideal for high summer! #4 Finally, I don’t know if you’ve driven in France before, but the driving can be pretty aggressive, and sometimes downright brainless. Many French drivers particularly like to tailgate especially on the autoroute, and they also have a habit of cutting into lines of traffic. It can be difficult to keep your cool, but all I can say is, stay calm, pull over, let them through and remember you’re on holiday!

[@italoblu]

@@josephlarmor550 Fantastic tips, thank you! I’m normally not a nervous driver, but the idea of driving in Paris is a bit daunting. It’s really just pick up the rental car and drive out to Normandy, so I’m hoping that that is without incident. Thanks so much for the reply!

[@kdjenra5872]

@@josephlarmor550 Your comment really made me laugh because the way you're describing some french drivers is exactly how i, as a french, would describe most drivers here up in Manchester. Can't say how many times i had someone agressively staying behind me whilst passing a truck on the middle lane instead of say ... using the right lane ! and i almost never see a signaling light around here :D With all that being said and done, i would agree with your suggestions to a degree.. Because of the design of the french Motoroway system, avoiding Paris when doing Normandie-Marseille can be quite the challenge ! Personally, and depending on where you start from, i'd take the A28 down to Tours, then A85 through to Bourges, Catch up the A71 down to Clermont Ferrand, Then A72/47 to reach the A7 via St Etienne :)

[@stumpdintallekt397]

When taking a road trip from Germany to Paris, I was surprised by the endless distances of fields, just like being in Kansas. And then out of nowhere, Paris appears. In Germany, there is a town every 10-20 miles in many parts.

[@tancreddehauteville764]

In Britain there is a town every 3 miles!

[@bingo737]

Mostly in the west of Germany. The eastern part is quite empty, especially the territories north of Berlin.

[@melz6625]

@@bingo737 The most empty areas I found around Berlin. Brandenburg. Will never forget needing to fill up my car and the meter getting lower and lower crawling from village to village with no station in sight.

[@RockmannMusic]

@@tancreddehauteville764 Haha, that's absolutly correct.

[@TheDIABLOX32]

Funny thing is that France accounts 32000 communes which makes approximately 50% of overall European communes, there are towns and villages everywhere, you just don't see them when going across the main highways and roads axis

[@thealienguy1951]

Looks like the problem in Spain is even worse, except for Madrid, there is nobody living in the interior parts of the country. A video on this will be appreciated

[@ilFrancotti]

And if Catalonia were to break away it will be further worse.

[@dw300]

It's basically the same video, except that Spain has a high plateau which is virtually desert in the middle.

[@Eldiran1]

is it not also because of climate change ? i'm just french (near swiss/germany , where it is not that hot ) but i think it could be something who could be important , i'm not sure . Like even in the french south , we see way less people during the summer in plain day than in the north , it's too hot . i can't immagine what it's like in spain Anyways , have a nice day/night .

[@alonedownthere47]

@@Eldiran1 people don't go outside in europe because it's hot? ...laughs in american reptile

[@jmundi2002]

@@dw300 except its not a desert

[@BrendanRiley]

Lavoûte-Chilhac, Auvergne, France, is a perfect example of this. I went 20 years ago and was astonished to see what looked like a large town but it only had 272 inhabitants. Most houses were empty.

[@TheGecko213]

Happens when there are no jobs around Even a Paradise becomes a hell hole

[@WTFIWFYDB]

@@TheGecko213 With the rise of remote work areas like this will start to get populated. Not everybody wants to pay extortionate rent for a closet while battling it out to get on a crowded metro, with all the noise and suffocation.

[@bretagnejean2410]

I live in brittany and see lot of french coming of empty area want live near the see. But its also the same in.brittany. we earn inhabittant but only long of the coast . Then interior lose inhabittant.

[@CheeseyChazHD]

@@bretagnejean2410 Britanny sucks always raining.

[@iluatancerev]

It's kinda fun how you talk about "empty line" in France and Spain, while here in Russia, particular in Siberia, we say "living line", which following Trans-Siberian railroad. And i don't be surprised if pop per kilometre in this living line actually will be lower that in empty diagonal.

[@_TkiT_]

I just feel like almost every video of his could be shorter by 30% and convey the same amount of information.

[@dustrecc]

they need to hit ten minutes for the adverts to hit............

[@pseydtonne]

You wouldn't, by any chance, be referring to such grammatically horrendous chestnuts as "four times less people" (one-quarter the population)? Would you instead, perhaps, be thinking of the repetition? ...I swear that I have no idea what you mean. None at all. Pas de morceau.

[@dustrecc]

@@pseydtonne who you replying to man?

[@biggaston1820]

This guy's videos are more overwritten than an eight grader's presentation. And don't forget the shameless clickbait ("aLmoSt eMptY")

[@surroundgatari]

@@biggaston1820 Yeah honestly, completely soulless presentation of complex cultural concepts for the easy consumption of a largely ignorant audience. There's usually decent information somewhere in there, but christ why is he presenting different world issues like they're McDonalds meals on one of those large lit up menu displays??

[@MN-xo1cj]

At 7:50 the video shows how Spain has the same demograpic issue down the middle of its country as well with one major exception… Madrid. Y’all should do a video explaining how Madrid ended up being Spains largest city in middle of nowhere. That’s the real anomaly.

[@Skuggihestur]

But not really when you consider it's the capital of the country. It's not really good defense wise to have your capital on the edges of your country

[@alfrredd]

All of Spain's Interior (La Meseta) is empty (even more than France's diagonal) except in Madrid, where by being the capital it has attracted all of the people from the surrounding regions like a vortex.

[@MN-xo1cj]

@@Skuggihestur yes but cities, especially major cities, rarely develop in the interior when it has no access to a major river.

[@Skuggihestur]

It was built on a Roman highway

[@beepbop6542]

@@MN-xo1cj Good for Madrid that it's located on a river then...

[@guillemgirod]

Since you took the example of Lozère, I went there on vacation and honestly I don't know how it feels to live there all year round but during vacation it is so quiet and beautiful, there are a lot of little mountains and at times when I was observing the pines over the river I felt like I was in a national park in Canada, and also since there are a lot of rivers you can jump from bridges into the water that's amazing !

[@alfrredd]

All of the things explained in this video apply to Spain's interior (which has an even lower pop. density) except Madrid because by being the capital it has attracted all of the people around it, like a black hole. Everyone else lives by the coast.

[@mirzaahmed6589]

Sounds like Australia, although of course Alice Springs is not really equivalent to Madrid.

[@rogaineablar5608]

Applies to the US as well

[@doppelplusungutmensch1141]

@@rogaineablar5608 I don't think it applies to the US that much. There are way more interior cities beneath the coast lines than in Australia or Spain.

[@-Kozloff]

verified bot named "nub" literally copied your comment, word for word, just below yours (from my pov)... 😒

[@alfrredd]

@@-Kozloff I just noticed, freaking bots, has an indian pfp and apparently knows more about spains demography than me 😂

[@guigui11001]

As a French, I am so happy that you talked about this topic. It is really a great thing that people from other countries learn about the issues of French rural areas and its History and not just about Paris.

[@AliasSchmalias]

Funny how different perspectives can be. The only issue i noticed in the video were the military bases however i find the french empty area very peaceful and lucky to have.

[@sanitygone-l9y]

wasnt his entire statement at the end that this isn't just a French thing but a worldwide issue where people tend to flock towards the coastline and towards more urban areas? just look at Australia, 85% of the population lives within 50km of the coast.

[@smitchered]

Actually the French education system is trying to rename it from "diagonale du vide" (the devoid diagonal) to "diagonale de faible densite" (low density diagonal). It's kind of funny how they don't want to offend the people living there, but we do, like the comment below says.

[@user-un2pf4ht9l]

I always hear diagonale du vide

[@rjfaber1991]

They might as well change it. I mean, what's Toulouse?

[@MrMolotov888]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 Shut

[@AixlaachenPax1801]

Dude I live there in Haute Loire in the big mountainous area of the Massif Central we are like a separate country we have no problems of isIamists, drugs etc... because we live far from big public transport and people that live there like myself would always tell you that no one would want to live outside of our Département in big cities. We have less money but food is cheaper we have bigger houses and big terrain as we almost all plant vegetables, water is also very cheap as we have many sources/spring of water, and obviously having a car is mandatory. We can go in the woods when we like it and can liberally take my dad shotgun and shoot at targets in old mines or hill with no one complaining and we have strangely one of the best internet in France so overall i would say we have a better life than people outside of the "Diagonale du vide"

[@goaten77]

@@AixlaachenPax1801 no one asked

[@PhilbyFavourites]

I can’t wait to revisit after Covid, France is such a gorgeous country and so spacious and beautiful scenery and stunning food. It’s so noticeable when you travel from crowded England across La Manche to Caen and then run south on those wonderful open roads. Why would I ever go north in England when it leads to Manchester and Liverpool (it’s grim oop north) when I can hop on a ferry and be in La Rochelle by mid afternoon 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Dumathoinee]

I grew up in haute loire, a departement above lozère. It's a beautiful place, but a little bit cold. It is high (i lived in 800+ above the sea). I think there is an other thing to explain "la diagonale du vide". In the middle of france there is "massif central", a bunch of old vocanos ( no eruptions since 1 millions years, extinct). This doesn't help people live there. The biggest city in massif central is Clermont-ferrand, which is in a lower place, surounded by volcanos. There is a beautiful city in haute loire, "le puy-en-velay". There is a renaissance festival in the old part of the city. The streets are narrow and paved with cobblestone, with people dressed in 16th century fashion. It is called "Fête du roi de l'oiseau".

[@leoelamri4054]

rpz les altiligériens, AIIIGHT !

[@Dumathoinee]

@@leoelamri4054 Ouais! Les altiligériens, faites du bruit!!!! J'ai vécu a tence, lapte et saint andré de chalencon. Bon maintenant je suis sur sainté mais j'ai toujours des attache a ma haute loire^^. Tu es d'où?

[@leoelamri4054]

@@Dumathoinee Je vois, c'est vers Monistrol tout ça. On rigole souvent de cette région parce que "y a rien à l'exception du chateau de Rochebaron". Perso je suis à l'opposé du département, entre Brioude et Langeac. Je préfère largement le sud et l'ouest du département, il y a les meilleurs croisements : Cantal, Haute-Loire, Lozère et Ardèche, Haute-Loire, Lozère. Des zones quasi désertes, avec très peu d'agriculture (merci les montagnes, trop en pente pour être exploitable), et des paysages fous. Le plateau du Brivadois est pas ouf, mais un poil mieux que la limagne quand-même ! La margeride par contre c'est top. Je suis à la pointe sud du Brivadois pour être un peu plus exact. Je suis un peu attristé par l'orientation de la politique d'urbanisation du département par contre, on met plus de moyens pour rendre la 102 et la 88 toutes droites et bien large, et assez peu dans la conservation de nos forêts, nos monts et nos tourbières :/ Petite question pour savoir si t'es un vrai Auvergnat : Quels sont les départements de l'Auvergne ? (:

[@animalswin2105]

Le dernier volcan actif en éruption c'était 6000 ans avant jc, pas 1 million d'années ! Lu sur Wikipedia. J'avais trouvé ce à choquant mais oui on répète toujours qu'ils sont 'éteints' depuis très très longtemps... Et bien non.

[@edsnotgod]

it needs skate parks, homeless encampments and a mosque, and legal weed

[@Lunavii_Cellest]

as someone from the netherlands most of europe seems pretty empty to me.

[@daanwillemsen223]

True

[@MrMolotov888]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 Shut

[@bangscutter]

The famous "Blue Banana" region of Europe.

[@Avaricumstudios]

How did the Netherlands get such a huge population

[@olavderuijter8153]

And then south of us the higly populated nothern region of belgium and east of us das Ruhrgebiet, we are doomed in a zombie apocalyps

[@Philliben1991]

There is a similar issue in the Scottish highlands and island. One thing not mentioned is that in the Scottish highlands and islands properties are often bought up and used for holiday homes or tourist accommodation. This pushes up the price of the limited housing stock and makes it very difficult for locals to buy a home even if they wanted to stay in the area.

[@Qwertyisgajidbd]

That’s the fault of the government and councils for letting that happen. They can put rules in place preventing this.

[@Alex.af.Nordheim]

@@Qwertyisgajidbd they probably just want that sweet sweet gdp

[@petesig93]

The Scottish highlands were largely cleared of population from 1750 to 1860 through the highland clearances - the widespread eviction of the landlords' tenants to make room for sheep grazing.

[@lb2791]

If you think homes have gotten expensive in the countryside I dare you to look at property prices in urban areas.

[@Jamie-kk5fq]

Do you mean the islands of Scotland or did you mean to type Ireland?

[@tuberoast]

I was invited to stay with friends in the southwest region of France, the Aquitaine, along the coast in a small town called Mimizan. It was rather remote, surrounded by pine forests and farms, lovely beaches, and no crowds. I felt like it was in a small town on Lake Michigan (I'm from east lower peninsula Michigan). About 50-60 mi south and you were in the Pyrenees/Biarritz area

[@gatomu9908]

Landes and Pays Basque, incredible lands

[@zxszert573hg46]

That's southwestern coast tho

[@tuberoast]

@@zxszert573hg46 Corrected thanks!

[@garethpiotrowski317]

I can tell you living here that it isn't cheap on the southwest coast!

[@nesy6495]

Great place to be :)

[@TimeBucks]

This is very interesting

[@তালপাতারসিপাহি]

Nice

[@kishungamer4036]

Nice video

[@তালপাতারসিপাহি]

Nice

[@meneither3834]

So... he kinda missed how a significant part of the diagonal is mountainous (the Ardennes and the Massif central) while the more southern part is a huge swamp (les landes.)

[@roalmabi4u]

I would like to see an analysis of the population density of the areas in the French diagonal 200, 100, 50 years ago vs the present and compare it to the change in population density of other areas in France.

[@gabykoynkuli5704]

Non mais les Ardennes belges sont plus hautes que les françaises mais sont très peuplés

[@meneither3834]

@@gabykoynkuli5704 Bien vu, c'est vrai que la diagonale pourrais être bien plus peuplée, mais cela peut expliquer pourquoi relativement aux autres régions la densité est plus faible.

[@roalmabi4u]

It has been said, including this video, that demography is destiny. Well, geography is even more so. No amount of war displacement or social engineering is going to fill out the middle of Australia with people or the eastern reaches of Russia. Mountains, deserts and swamps are not very compatible with increased population density.

[@meneither3834]

@@roalmabi4u Australia and Russia are very bad exemples here because they're both highly underpopulated. Saudi Arabia, Egypt or Bengladesh would make more sense.

[@jacklong9449]

A few hours ago, I was looking at a map of France to locate where René Descartes was born (I study philosophy) and realised how empty it seemed. Sometimes I feel like this channel is able to read my mind.

[@vitaminluke5597]

It's actually because you're the main character of the world at this point in history. Like the avatar, you'll realize your role soon enough. I'm not supposed to be yelling you this, otherwise... Oh no, they're here, now I don't have time to tell you about

[@mangolemon4117]

Congrats

[@JusNoBS420]

👀

[@jacklong9449]

@@ursamajor7468 That wasn'tt my point.

[@enkero1462]

Touraine is not really in the empty diagonal

[@jadawin10]

Wrong title. This "diagonal of the void" is only a statistical curiosity. When you drive through the French countryside, you pass from one region to another without seeing any noticeable difference, except perhaps a smaller number of large cities...

[@agme8045]

When you said that the least populated department had “barely” 76k people i was shocked, but because of how many people live in the LEAST populated region. Like that’s a lot for those of us who live in south america. Entire parts of our countries the size of whole European countries have way less people than that. Im from Argentina, and for instance, there’s a department called Lihuel Calel, that’s 12,460 sq kilometer and has a population of 439 people.

[@visions2963]

I had to look it up, and man, it seems like an awesome place!

[@sheltr9735]

Wow! That's a striking statistic! Thx for sharing

[@dhibba52]

Wyoming, a state in the US is 97,814 square miles (253,340 km2) and has a population of ~578,000.

[@NebulonRanger]

@@dhibba52 Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, has a population of 14.95 million living in a total land area of 344,562 square miles. This is a population just over 22% that of France living in an area about 28% larger in land area.

[@joeg5414]

The county I live in in Colorado has a population density of 13 per square km. Not bad

[@Shatterverse]

As an American I don't feel this to be all that weird. America has huge differences in demographics. The central Midwest, Bible Belt, and Soutwest (there's a little overlap) are all much less densely populated than either coast or the Great Lakes.

[@JC-rm6pm]

yeah, but USA is a relatively new country compared to these Europeans

[@jellydarling1008]

I was thinking the same thing. We also kinda glorify the empty parts of the country to a degree. Especially with the cottage core trend.

[@Lawrence330]

@@JC-rm6pm Until the mid-war period (~1920s and 30s), most Americans were agricultural workers. I imagine that it was similar elsewhere. The industrialization during and after WW2 drew people away from their family farms and into cities for factory work. Over the next 40-ish years, the tech booms would keep younger families near cities, meanwhile industrial-scale agriculture has enabled fewer farmers to produce a surplus of food. The "breadbasket" regions don't *need* a large population, and absent water access, trade will be relatively slow compared to coastal regions.

[@JMurph2015]

You're mostly right, but the Bible Belt / Sun Belt is actually one of the more populous and fast growing parts of the country. The real empty areas are the Great Plains / Southwestern deserts (NM, AZ, NV) / parts of the Rockies / the Northwest (all of Montana, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon, other than Seattle and Portland areas).

[@LodrikBadric]

As other people have already pointed out, settlements in France are much older than in the US and I'd like to add that if you look at the climate and vegetation this region of France is also much better suited to human life compared to the regions you mentioned, which tend to be rather dry and desert-like.

[@samsoulgrav1132]

I was born in that zone and lived my childhood in it. I had to move (for work obviously) and when you keep living in that zone, you struggle to pay everything even if everything is cheap because no work, no opportunities. So yes, for tourists or people from big cities it's nice to come or to buy a cheap house but if you actually live there, it can be so hard.

[@peterenables714]

thank you for telling this stone place.

[@deseraeodell192]

Almost every comment has said “the issue with this” etc, I think it’s a good think that this area is less occupied. France doesn’t need to succumb to urban sprawl and ruin their beautiful country side. Too many Americans are on here thinking with that suburb mentality. Keep cities urban and keep the country rural. Win win.

[@popkhorne5372]

Also assuming the US don't have states that are barely inhabited compared to the rest.

[@pissoffeachother]

Fuck urban sprawl it is literal hell

[@rubbishrabble]

43 per square mile is West North Central. West North Central is Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota & North Dakota. Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, & New Mexico have similar density with no states with at least 10 districts with 800k per district. Both France & USA have a Senate that is less representative than the main chamber or as USA calls it the lower chamber. Most West immigration is also regional. Rare Earth Elements primarily from Congo. Only 13000 Refugees to the US from Congo. Only 13% of Refugees to the US from Africa. "Key Facts about Refugees to the US" Pew

[@LastBastion]

Yeah, but what will happened if the old generation die out and the one that left isn't enough to sustain it

[@captainseyepatch3879]

I'll be honest, the guy who maked this video kind of strikes me as being.... kind of dumb. He just made a video about something that almost all large nations have...

[@SomeoneCommenting]

I think that it's nice for France to have this large "undeveloped" area because it gives the nation a peaceful place to get away from the chaos of the cities. Otherwise, the whole of France would be the same monotonous urban environment with hardly any remains of natural experience to enjoy.

[@pierrekiroul1299]

Exactly, as you can guess nature is amazing there

[@nathanialisalongverylongname]

They should develop it

[@dyvimtarkan2944]

I live near the mediterranean sea shore of France in a very populated area. To go to work I take a 2 times 6 ways highway. There is people everywere, do not forget that France has the most important number of tourists in the world (80 millions, more than this population). But if I take my car and drive a little more than 1 hour, I reach Lozere.... such a break.

[@Christophe-pl5xu]

And that have allowed the wolf to come back ! 800 wolfs in france now , never had so many forests in France for 400 years, deer and wild boar.

[@randomobserver8168]

That's a lot of good demographic history but the basic title premise seems peculiar- don't most countries have uneven population distribution due to: geography [topography, rivers, soil patterns, etc.] and history [urbanization, war]? I looked at the map and thought, well most of the south of that is in the massif centrale, much of the north is in the WW1 red zone, so... I'm a Canadian, most of my country is empty for even more obvious reasons.

[@bouttes13]

The things is that geography alone doesn't explain the uneven population distribution. As he said. According to geography, the Alps and Pyrenees should be way more barren than the massif centrale. Also the whole of north-western France were in the WW1 red zone, not only the small corridor you see in the video. Moreover, there are other regions, notably in the south-west, that are really fertile land and doesn't have any peculiar geography that are still in the empty diagonal.

[@pninnan]

I dont think it would be uncommon or odd to draw a random line to divide a country in half, and not have even population distribution. I doubt any country would be 50/50 and actually 60/40 like France doesnt seem odd at all

[@urbangorilla33]

@@pninnan Especially since Paris, Lyon and Marseille are outside the line. That by itself accounts for the 60/40 divide.

[@doppelpunkt]

@@pninnan that line was nothing special at all and didn't have a function. It was probably to lengthen the video.

[@100percentSNAFU]

Well look at the United States. Most of our population is also in the coastal states and the centre where much of the agricultural land lies is more sparsely populated. Another interesting fact is the population migration away from the Great Lakes. As the industrial revolution wound down, and technology progressed to a point where navigation along the lakes and outflowing rivers to ship the goods produced in these cities was less needed, the lakes became less important to commerce. Cites like Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit have seen massive population declines in the last 100 years. Conversely, In Canada, Toronto which is a great lakes city, is still by far the largest in the country, and is very much a cosmopolitan city, where as those on the American side are deteriorating away.

[@HughMiller98]

My parents moved to Brittany about 5 years ago and while it's not within the empty diagonal, their area is definitely mostly countryside. When I visit it's a nice break from the city, a busy job and people in general. Coming back is always weird, going from just hanging out with family in their tiny village to busy and bustling streets. Going between both makes me appreciate both ways of living, but also puts me in limbo because I don't know where I want to live forever.

[@MeIrakli]

You don't have to know. You can enjoy the chaotic city life now when you are young, and move to the countryside when you are older

[@bretagnejean2410]

Brittany population grow up with migration not like empty diagonal. But its the same thing. All the coast and big cities grown then populatiln go down in interior. Density is of 1 to 20 between coast and interior.

[@hiddenhighland]

I live in the peaceful 'empty' area too- and it is very rural- but my tiny village has all kinds of festivals, music, theatre, events from april to October...it is a wonderful balance to the surrounding nature- the rivers and forests. Winter is quiet (but not dead- lovely hivernal activities and some festivals throughout the christmas season- but it is lovely and peaceful- and as beautiful as summertime).Truly, the quality of life here is exceptional.

[@strasbourgeois1]

I live in the diagonale. A lot of this is because these are where the more rural areas are, and where the less settle. As many may know, France has high quality soil, the best in Europe. Many of these rivers take root in the diagonal. So putting these variables together, rivers and farms, the population density would obviously be lower.

[@duff0120]

france is a middle eastern country now, francistan !

[@strasbourgeois1]

@@duff0120 Not at all

[@vallas8345]

@@strasbourgeois1 it can only last a few days until no ammos

[@strasbourgeois1]

@@vallas8345 Who would win? Poor, illegal immigrants, or the seventh largest and most advanced military in the world, with one of the best police forces ever

[@Slashplite]

the best soil in Europe is in Ukraine , however its poorly cultivated as they do not have the same technology

[@tomdchi12]

The video does well to identify that this region exists, but at the beginning says that it is some sort of problem. The rest of the video fails to point out how or why this would be a problem, and in fact, does the opposite. It's an agricultural area and mechanization means fewer people are needed to produce the food, so fewer people live in this region. Where is the problem?

[@Thibull]

Because those regions are economicaly dead, and that the people living there are in majority in the agriculture industry, which is the population with the biggest depression and suicide rate in France, life there is harder than you might think, when the nearest hospital, school, stores are like 1 hour away of driving through small country side roads

[@tundmatudiivan5916]

The population fading away means that there may not be enough people to even perform mechanised farming. Also, lower density areas have less opportunities for the common citizen.

[@Monaleenian]

@@tundmatudiivan5916 Then it just becomes like remote mining areas in Australia or oil drilling parts of Canada, where wages are forced to rise to a level where they draw people away from the cities to fill the jobs.

[@MichaelDavis-mk4me]

@@switchdiagram It's the same everywhere in the world. If you aren't a farmer, you live in a big city, that's how it works.

[@tundmatudiivan5916]

@@Monaleenian it may happen, but since agriculture has much less of a profit margin than industry, it's more likely that these areas will just fade away with no real opportunities for their return.

[@lannynavitka8949]

I live in a province in Canada that is 650,000km² and has a population density of 2 people per km². 75% of the population lives in one city and we only have two cities with over 50k population. I live in one of the lesser dense rural areas where the population per km² is probably less than 0.1 people. Yet I have internet service, all regular amenities and am fully able to live my entire life in this desolate place. I've been to NYC and Mexico City, and my family are very well traveled across the globe. Still blows my mind how many people live in some of the densest areas of the planet.

[@ezirsavan]

Quebec?

[@lannynavitka8949]

Manitoba, the second most French-influenced province. We have some serious open spaces here.

[@dutchik5107]

50k population isn't even that many. My large town has a bit over 40k people. Certainly not a small village. But definetly not a city either.

[@lannynavitka8949]

Quebec has three times the density of Manitoba and is still very low at 5.8 per km²

[@Star_Coperation]

Woah😲

[@amoryguenin]

Im from exactly in this diagonal (at the east from Paris) and this is France's i love ! Thousand and thousand of small towns, more cows than human population, massive areas covered by fields and forest. Even cities aren't overcrowded and noisy as hell.

[@FijianSouljah1312]

Now do “Why 98% of people in Australia live near coastal cities” 🤣

[@wifi_soldier5076]

Just like New Zealand. Most people live along the costs.

[@NamePending9]

and then there is Canada

[@raptorfromthe6ix833]

because no ones likes deserts

[@faisal35i92]

@@raptorfromthe6ix833 not accurately true because we have people living in desert cities in the US, Middle East, and India

[@garyroberts2563]

@@raptorfromthe6ix833 as long as it's not too sweet I'll have desert.

[@jochen9367]

You should do a similar video for Spain that has an even bigger problem with empty areas

[@DHB2]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 you have 67 subs sir

[@tonsey]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 i would expect bot accounts to have a better advertising systems.

[@bettyboop-xg6jo]

Yes, because the people in those creepy villages are so welcoming and friendly. Not.

[@ryuk5673]

@@tonsey oof lol.

[@Nico-ss9lr]

Why should it be a problem though. Do humans have to inhabit every inch of land on earth? We should leave bits of empty land for nature to regenerate, encouraging biodiversity, rather than seeing sparsity as a problem.

[@ymg8057]

In Scotland the vast majority of the population live in a narrow strip called the "Central Belt" which, depending on its' definition, has between 2.4 and 4.2 of Scotland's 5.4 million people. I think if the Greater Central Belt is included (From about Aberdeen down to Ayrshire), then I believe that is the area that has the 4.2 million. The bulk of Scotland consists of the Scottish Highlands and islands (with around 9 people per square kilometere (but with many totally empty areas) and the Southern Uplands, with I believe around 22 people per square kilometer. Many people were cleared off the land in the Highlands during the late 18th and 19th centuries, to make way for sheep farming and shooting estates, but parts of it suffered depopulation even since then. The harshness of the climate and the land not being too fertile have contributed to this. Also to some extent, houses being bought up for holiday homes, though in some areas, there are cottages that have been abandoned during the 20th century, but have not been taken over for such purposes.

[@lotharroberts5978]

I'm assuming real estate in the "empty areas" is rather inexpensive? Does Scotland allow ex pats from other industrialized countries?

[@ethanxanderlee]

@@lotharroberts5978 There's quite high demand for land in the Highlands, much of it is owned by foreign nationals as it is. I doubt one would face much grief being a an ex-pat landowner, though there's certainly been more hostility since oligarchs have begun buying up vast swathes and characters like Trump have tried to get their own way here.

[@ymg8057]

@@lotharroberts5978 Many of the empty areas are large sporting estates, often with no one living across large areas, but in many places no roads, except the odd landcover track. Obviously there are various roads and the odd railway running up some of the glens, but villages and other settlements are thin on the ground and often on the small side. Some of these estates are often used for deer and grouse shooting and some are owned by people out with Scotland or the UK. Some are now putting more of an emphasis on conservation and are getting grants to regenerate forests etc. Some have areas set aside for commercial forestry. Some estates are owned by conservation bodies, who put more of an emphasis on recreating the old Caledonian forest, wildlife conservation etc. There is freedom of access to basically all of the Scottish Highlands, with a responsible right for walkers, mountaineers etc. to go where they want, as long as they are not causing damage, or walking through gardens etc. and tourism is one of the main industries of the Highlands. I am unsure of what house prices are like, but they probably vary, with small isolated towns, or formerly industrial ones, such as Kinlochleven perhaps having lower house prices and others, such as places which could act as commuter suburbs to Inverness (the only town/city of any great size in the Highlands) where house prices are likely to be higher. Also tourist hot spots such as the Isle of Skye probably have higher house prices, with perhaps some who have bought holiday homes there, forcing the prices up. I live in a town just south of the Highlands, where house prices are high, as it acts as a commuter town where much of Scotland's main population areas can be easily reached, but where you are very close to open countryside, with the edge of Highlands being visible just to the North. (Andy Murrays home town in fact!) Many towns actually in the Highlands though do not have such easy access to major areas of employment and would be less attractive to commuters as a result, therefor perhaps having cheaper property prices.

[@lotharroberts5978]

@@ethanxanderlee Gotcha. Thanks for the info. I'm not an oligarch, nor a Trump supporter. I'd hate to see Scotland's land bought out by those other than the Scots themselves.

[@lotharroberts5978]

@@ymg8057 Thanks for the insight! That's really interesting, and it would be grand if there is a conservation of some kind. Living in the Highlands must be fantastic and quiet.

[@adamesd3699]

While France’s population was the largest in Europe during most of the 18th century, I think Russia’s population had passed France’s by 1800. Estimates for year 1800 are 29 million for France and 35 million for Russia. Russia’s population then expanded rapidly in the 19th century.

[@envoyofrot7046]

I would love to live in the empty area! Imagine how quiet and peaceful it must be...

[@coynekaylor289]

It has 13x the population density of Wyoming

[@keithlightminder3005]

I am Canadian, I think we have 2.2 people per square kilometre on average in my Province. Most people live within 1.5 hours of the southern border so in the north the population is far less than 1 person per kilometre. Nature has not complained about wanting more people here.

[@BrightSeaStar]

@@keithlightminder3005 " Nature has not complained about wanting more people here." Gee, I wonder why.......

[@petermerchant4439]

It's an interesting argument. I grew up in a somewhat rural area of Vermont in the US. I had a friend who lived in Boston. She could not understand how people could live there. There's nothing happening. She liked the activity in the cities. She liked being able to walk to restaurants, shows, movies, grocers, haircuts, etc. There was an energy in the city because of all the people and the activity. I love to go back and visit rural Vermont--especially in the summer. But I've gotten spoiled by the sheer convenience of living in a "population center" where there's lots of stuff going on. It's nice to visit--relaxing, even. But I don't think I want to live there...

[@Serendip98]

It IS rather quiet, the only problem is that if you need a specialist in medicine, you must wait for 6 months (in case you find one that accepts you as a new patient) and drive about 100-200 km there and back...

[@davidmorris8319]

I love how in the extension of the empty diagonal through spain, the area literally contains Madrid. I think spain has a lot of emptiness as well, but it's more circular around the capital, as opposed to diagonally through it

[@alfrredd]

Spain has even less pop. density (except for Madrid and coastal cities) it has roughly the same size as France but only 47M inhabitants.

[@paranodrum9171]

@@alfrredd And Zaragoza, another outlayer being the 4th or 5th most populous city in Spain sitting in the midle of one of the least densly populated regions of Spain.

[@uncinarynin]

Paris, Madrid and Berlin have something in common. They are all quite substantial agglomerations, but as soon as you go further out, you will end up in agricultural nothingness for a few hundred kilometers until you get to an area where mid-sized towns are a bit closer to each other. That also shows in the transportation network in France. Board a TGV into any direction and it's likely a nonstop train going almost to the end of the country. Others will stop at obscure stations in the middle of the field with no nearby town. It's always a good way until you get to the next place of importance that's not just a suburb of the capital. West Germany on the other hand has a more polycentric structure.

[@ixlnxs]

But those empty corners give the big cities breathing space. Compare it to the endless sprawl from Amsterdam to Brussels, which is highly polluted and has high cancer rates.

[@katiadelrieu5621]

La diagonale du vide, this is how it was called. I come from one of these départements, the beautiful Lot. Very paradoxical because the Lot villages were heavily populated up to WW1. And now things are changing fast again, with covid and remote work reshuffling the cards.

[@hiddenhighland]

I agree with yiu. I live in this area too- and since covid- it is almost impossible to find a house in my village. I think the next generation will flock back to these rural villages, as even my generation has begun. What it means for quality of life is shifting!

[@robertcuminale1212]

You could have mentioned all the citizens France has run off. Start with the 200,000 Huguenots who fled mostly to England, Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Poland and even Russia. Composed mainly of merchants, tradesmen and military personnel and some members of the nobility they were welcomed everywhere. They brought rice planting to the US in South Carolina, metal work to GB, The US and Russia. Think of Faberge and our own Paul Revere (Rivoire) Along with those they brought textile weaving, Leather tanning, shoes and gloves, Hats and dress making. The Duponts brought chemical manufacturing including explosives. They tried to raise silkworms but it didn't work out for some reason. Us presidents Washington and Roosevelt were Huguenot descendants.

[@johncorrall1739]

I think quite a few Huguenots went to S Africa,they were successful there too.

[@gerhardvaneeden5615]

@@johncorrall1739 Very successful!

[@sachaweijdisch9690]

Everything you said about the Huguenots is true, many were extremely talented craftsmen in the field of textiles, precious metals, shipbuilding. Others were successful merchants and had an enormous influence on the predominance of certain countries in these industries in the industrial era (Great Britain and the textile industry for example). The majority of the Huguenots were simple peasants, but they mastered the techniques very popular at the time, such as draining the swamps . That being said, the flight of the Huguenots had no effect on the depopulation of this diagonal, the reason is more classic , mechanization of the agricultural industry , and displacement from the countryside to the cities . At the time of the Huguenots France was the most populous country in Europe with 17 million inhabitants and mainly a rural country as was Europe before the Industrial Revolution .

[@marcelcharbonnier297]

Being French, I am not sure huguenots are the best product we exported...

[@jeannehunter5344]

French Huguenot descendant here, born in South Africa. My ancestors established the very successful viticulture in SA, but I would LOVE to live in France! Could we return now?!

[@frontsidegrinder6858]

The overall lenght of the french coastline is impressive, what a gift.

[@Bryzerse]

I'm sorry, but this idea of a vague region of France being a bit more empty than the rest is so stupid. It's just the countryside, and just happens to be less populated, because that's what happens. The area is just a rough random sliver that is chopped out in a way that is made to look bad, but is really just the land between all the cites, between the coasts. And that expansion into Spain was just wrong as well. Spain has its own serious population issues, but having an empty chunk down the middle certainly isn't one of them. As you can clearly see in the video (7:51), the "empty" land includes Madrid and the Basque region, two of the most populated places, and then in the south, it just conveniently dodges all the cities. Yeah, that's the point, but there's nothing interesting about noticing a slightly less populated part of a country. Being far from cities and the coast just means it will be empty. There is nothing more to it, which is why most of the video is padded out with the story of France demography instead of actually discussing the titular topic. I feel like quite a few recent RLL videos have been a bit like this though (like the other France one, China, Portugal), and I'm just concerned, as I've been here for so long. Modern conflicts has been generally really good, as have some other videos, so I don't understand why concepts like this that could be made into a single quirky map facts. Most of these "did you know 99% live in circle" ideas are stupid to begin with other than as a huh that's interesting, because mostly there's just not an interesting story, it's just how it is. I don't mean to be mean or anything, and honestly I doubt anyone will ever read this. Besides, views don't seem to be taking a hit mostly, and with sponsored uploads this frequently taking millions of views RLL must be rolling in it.

[@clopec]

I think you are on to something here. It's not that the countryside in that sliver is much less dense than countryside in the other parts of France. It's just that the area happens to have less and/or smaller urban centers. The reason for this was sort of touched upon, but there could have been more context.

[@AnamKalair]

Bcoz it made me pause and think what was the point of me watching this video and what did I get out of it that maybe "technically" useful even though I have never been to France. And since BR is an issue all in the West so that shouldnt be blamed for the diagonals miseries. Anyways, I wrote it all bcoz you said nobody is gonna read your comment. The world is crazy small now... so somebody actually did :P

[@alexanderSydneyOz]

"'Im sorry, but this idea of a vague region of France being a bit more empty than the rest is so stupid." I completely agree. If you draw arbitrary lines surrounding areas of low population density in any country, then you will have - unsurprisingly - an area of low population density.

[@briffy385]

i live in the middle of this "empty void", it is awesome: -housing is cheap, i have actually 110m² housing surface, a 70m² garage and 300m² garden and that for 120k€ -it takes 4 hours to reach switzerland, 3 hours for paris, 5 for the oceanic coast and 5 for the mediterranean -we are far away enough from paris (french people will understand and like this one) -during covid we lived a dream here, i live in town (big enough for various food delivery) and i still had to WALK only 5min to end in a forest -now in winter 22/23 with "energy deficient" i heat with wood, and that also is cheap af here (53€ for 1 m3) -and bonus, if you like motorsports, roads are great, often empty, and i have acces to 4 racing tracks all less than an hour away

[@Blublod]

I own property in central France and I can attest that the biggest reason for the emptiness is lack of jobs. Which is just how I like it and why I bought in this village, because I treasure my solitude when I go there, and compared to the nightmare that Paris has become, it’s a whole paradise in that tiny hamlet. One of my neighbors there minds the property most of the year when I’m not around, and she is one of the nicest kindest persons I have ever known. This is part of the beauty of that empty French space. Now compare that to nasty Paris!

[@Serendip98]

What is strange is that we hear everyday about that damned "télétravail", that should allow many people to live in remote regions, but it seems that something doesn't work properly... Please also note that if you live for ex in Massif Central or around Langres, you will pay very much for winter heating (although using firewood can be an alternative), but you will not pay less local taxes. Why does nobody care about that, I just can't imagine. And don't forget that "la campagne" is great as long as you are young and healthy (and in case you're not interested in discotheques), but when you grow older and need a specialist, and have to drive 80 km or more to find one (in case he accepts you), you will see the situation from a different angle...

[@2712animefreak]

@@Serendip98 I think you answered your own question there. Just because you work remotely doesn't grant you access to anything else, from healthcare to shopping to leisure activities.

[@ZbLuffer]

With the reduction of unemployment in France, companies seeking workforce may start relocating in areas where quality of life is better to attract active people. This btw is already the case in Brittany, Vendée, etc. which used to be very rural but now enjoy a significant economic boom as they become more and more attractive to young workers.

[@jerryjec6937]

@@ZbLuffer Watch what you wish for. Walmart's might start popping up in those areas and the next thing you know your quality of life disappears. I've seen it happen in my country. Walmart comes in and soon your mom & pop stores start going out of business leaving vacant buildings.

[@TheGecko213]

@@jerryjec6937 Walmart are essential for a community if you want a single stop shopping

[@angbald]

I just discovered this channel about 2 weeks ago. Been massively bingeing this and Half as Interesting. Really dig it. Much love. 💜

[@aidensidk3273]

Kinda like the American midwest

[@miloPRcohen]

That's exactly what I did

[@GattsuOfficial]

I've been watching this channel since almost 2015 enjoy the ride my friend!!!!!

[@GattsuOfficial]

Also my friend, I recommend the why flag series, Enjoy!

[@GattsuOfficial]

Also, I recommend the strangest borders!

[@beyond.the.cosmosx]

Lived in France for 2 years. Beautiful country, nice and warm people. 🇧🇦💙🇨🇵

[@user-ub8fm7yh7b]

warm people ;- ; you're lucky, you met respectful people in France!

[@petitpoucet8113]

@@user-ub8fm7yh7b You just dont travel a lot or spend your holiday in big city and knowing some french help a lot when you are in countryside

[@user-ub8fm7yh7b]

@@petitpoucet8113 well french people aren't known for their calmness and modesty. We're pretty much seen as arrogant with an oversized ego.

[@justacat2]

@@user-ub8fm7yh7b -_____-

[@petitpoucet8113]

@@user-ub8fm7yh7bYour just in the anglosphere, that's why i said you need to travel more that just stereotypes of people who stay in their comfort zone

[@titouancolombe7156]

Fun fact, the département of La Creuse, on of the lowest populated, was so barren that in the 60's, the government had to abduct children from our overseas islands as an attempt to repopulate it.

[@sledgehog1]

:(

[@Amauvy]

Not fun, but fact tho

[@titouancolombe7156]

@@Amauvy Yeah, around 1650 kids removed from their homes in 20 years

[@thefrenchislander]

Its not a fun fact at all

[@Specoups]

What's even funnier, is that this département's name is literally translatable in English as _The Hollow._

[@ottodidakt3069]

I live on the edge of that diagonal and believe me it's mainly a geographic reason ! the topography makes it crazy long to get anywhere. It's all ups and downs over and over again while doing constant left rights on the winding roads. From where I am it takes the same time to get to Marseille (320 Km) as it takes to get to the other side of my department (150 Km) : 3 hours by road

[@davidlefranc6240]

sounds cool though lol.

[@edwardwood6532]

As a clueless American I was guessing the uncleared Red Zone problem, but skipping through the parts I didn't hear it mentioned.

[@estherbosbach377]

Yet in Germany, the middle region's (Mittelgebirge) are still more densely populated, so geography is not the root cause.

[@Amelia-vk4jt]

My grandparents used to live there on farmers and I used to spend a lot of time there as a child. I'm Belgian (from near the French border) and it was a 6h drive to get there, was 40min from the nearest town which had a baker/butcher/newspapershop and a cafe, the nearest hospital and proper shop a couple hours away. I have fond memories of the place, playing in the fields, stealing horses from the nearest neighbour (we'd bring them back), getting lost in the countryside (once a farmer picked us up and took us to his place where we had dinner before he brought us back). It's been over a decade since I've been there but I imagine it's not much different from how I remember. Even now my French has a countryside twang to it that people always point out.

[@mich_rene9378]

You may have mentioned the lack of large rivers in this area and the mountains called Massif Central which is in center of this diagonale. Even if its the empty diagonale, its probably the longest and hardest journey to cross it.

[@Tsuruchi_420]

As someone who lives in as small town, the answer to the "mistery" of the empty regions in France was painfully obvious throughout the video, I'm glad he acknowledged the obvious answer at the end

[@dylanattix2765]

It was plainly obvious that the "empty diagonal" is basically the equivalent of much of the U.S. Great Plains: big, wide, empty, full of mechanized agriculture, with only small towns here and there throughout much of it. The few big cities in the Plains have something else propping up the economy besides agriculture: Denver is a critical transportation hub, Oklahoma City has the oil industry and is also the state capital, etc.

[@HercadosP]

Gotta stretch past the 10 minutes mark do why not just spam useless data of dubious origins for 9 minutes? It is not like us viewers have any semblance of sapience

[@Uryendel]

@@dylanattix2765 except it's not, it's like the US mountain range, the author did not bother to look at the geography...

[@TheFiown]

When I moved to France in 1978 a great many people had secondary homes in the countryside but over the years with more pressure on work and higher taxes and upkeep costs these have mostly gone with people prefering holidaying elsewhere other than to a static second home. There are still towns with a very high % of secondary homes owned by foreigners and these are mostly empty most of the year. I live in Dordogne which is happily within your diagonal but it does get very busy in summer months with a great many gites and RBNB homes. Paris in 1978 was relatively quiet and I lived in the center which was quite affordable then. Today Paris is a smelly dump full of homeless and gypsies and trash of all sorts and I dread having to go there now.

[@kayzenl7911]

It is a disaster LTZ

[@BrightSeaStar]

Are you an ex-pat ?

[@BrightSeaStar]

@@kayzenl7911 What is LTZ ?

[@TheFiown]

@@BrightSeaStar If you mean did I come to France to work for a British company, then no. I came here after school as there was much more work here than in the UK at the time. Also as a young worker it was cheaper to live in Paris than London and still is.

[@BrightSeaStar]

@@TheFiown No, I thought you might be an American who made a decision to live permanently in France- as I made a decision to permanently live in Italy - very strangely enough, also in 1978 !

[@GarethSoye]

The first time in my nearly 50 years as a European that I’ve ever heard of France being referred to as L’hexagone.

[@Harryw007]

I'm only 18 but yeah same

[@elmadouf]

It's actually very common in France that we refer to our own territory as l'hexagone.

[@SirZanZa]

@@elmadouf i have heard of France being referred to as the Hexagon in England, so it is known as that elsewhere too, less common for sure, but definitely there

[@diegosabini397]

You can even see it on the French euro coin; there is a tree shaped like an hexagon

[@Thibull]

@@diegosabini397 Yes indeed, this coin is really pretty

[@acnt8714]

I live in the diagonale du vide. Pros : Cheap housing most of the time, lot of nature, very authentic (way more than Paris) Cons : Hard to find good jobs. The center of small cities is dying. Lack of things to do outside nature Some départements of the diagonale are pricy now in the Southwest (Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Landes) while some others places are dying in the Northwest

[@GallanEDwige]

I live in this empty diagonal, but still am around one hour away from Paris suburbs, so it's pretty weird to be this close from the capital but still living in a small town in the middle of nowhere

Exactly the same for me

[@aperson2730]

How far are you from Paris in miles or km?

[@hunterkenyon910]

Seems like a pretty great place to live tbh a quiet peaceful rural life with the urban life accessible only an hour away. Do you visit Paris often since you're so close?

[@GallanEDwige]

@@aperson2730 215KM from Paris city center (around 124.57miles)

[@GallanEDwige]

@@hunterkenyon910 I don't visit Paris often, but as the french railway was build around the capital, I can travel pretty much everywhere in France easily by being this close

[@TheFiown]

I used to live in a village that at one point had two hotels, a police station, a cobbler, two cafés, a food store and a general store. When I moved there it had all gone, there wasn't even one café or a bread shop. There were ten houses for sale. The village wasn't even well kept up, the mayor said that they had no funding, it's a viscious cycle as less infrastructure means less people, means less money coming in. I left during first lockdown.

[@five-o5362]

"less people" wouldn't that be fewer people?

[@edsnotgod]

@@five-o5362 lessering infrastructure

[@TheGecko213]

@@five-o5362 Either works

[@five-o5362]

@@TheGecko213 it doesn't really

[@alistairt7544]

This video makes it seem like it's an issue, but isn't it good environmentally that we have sparsely populated areas just for nature and preservation? I think I prefer that we have large urban areas, then the rest would be a scatter or small towns and medium-sized cities. Having wilderness and nature reserves is a good thing. I'd hate to live in a country where you drive for miles and kilometers and just see Urban sprawl, with little nature and space in between. Plus, not all people would want to live in massive urban centres. There are people who would want to live in a much slower paced, lesser populated areas. I think in the future, if the population keeps growing, there will be a strain on resources, and arable land and space is important to have. Urban areas are not necessarily good for growing crops so France having this empty space, which looks lush and arable, is a good thing!

[@LesGrosPiedsDeDeejay]

I would say that it is indeed a good thing . French could be entirely autonomous when we talk about food

[@alistairt7544]

@@LesGrosPiedsDeDeejay Exactly! And that has been the strength of France in all of its history, having strong agriculture that fed a big population(in the past), and that's how they dominated Europe. That's also one of the things they're well-known for and contributes to their culture and exports, their wine, cheese, truffles, and regional agricultural products that are renowned in the culinary world, at the very least. Having strong agriculture and large arable land would be an important asset in the future. They are able to be self-sustaining and that will help on polical stability, growth, and development, if they play their cards right 😉

[@LesGrosPiedsDeDeejay]

@@alistairt7544 right now it also helps France not being dependant on Ukraine

[@MeesterJ]

@@alistairt7544 finally someone with a functioning brain! I think every empty piece of land is a blessing in this time of disgustingly fast population expansion. The less people and the more nature, the better off our world will be.

[@ixlnxs]

😍 Yes, it's a very good thing! I was born in Belgium but grew up in Spain. In Madrid, I can travel 50 K in any direction and I'm in the mountains, forests, woods or lakeland. Lovely! In Antwerp, go 50 K in any direction and you are in Brussels, Leuven, Ghent, Breda or other Dutch and Belgian cities, with endless sprawl between them on stroads hugging every highway or railway. Protected natural areas tend to be less than 1 (ONE!) square km and critically endangered. Cancer rates are high, sanitizing drinking water super expensive, quality of life miserable.

[@ZbLuffer]

The grass always looks greener where you don't live: people living in cities crave about the calmness and security of areas like the diagonal of void whereas people living there crave about the health/educational/cultural infrastructures of cities. The best compromise to me are midsize cities like Clermont-Ferrand, Pau or Besançon: not yet a direct TGV line connection to Paris (so housing prices do not skyrocket too much), but plenty of cultural offer as well as universities which keep the city alive at night. And nature is a 15 min hop by car, bus or train.

[@ludovicovan3225]

Aa bit late here. This is one of the smartest comments i read. In medio stat virtus

[@FreeformThomas]

Population density of England is actually over 400, the 270 number refers to including all the islands, scotland, wales etc

[@Volcano4981]

432 people/km^2 iirc.

[@Banana_Split_Cream_Buns]

It's amazing how little people know about the difference between England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They didn't even teach me (an Aussie) this in school. I didn't even know that Holland is part of The Netherlands but not the other way around until a few years ago.

[@n40798]

5:40 I like how he switches his accent just to say those cities except for Paris

[@1993Redemption]

If you want to talk about emptiness, there is this anamoly called Russia. I once heard in an interview from a Russian historian that there are areas of the country that are so vast and unpopulated, you could "ride (a horse) for months, and not really get anywhere".

[@xavierallaume2576]

A lot of specialists in France are foreseeing that due to the overall decrease in petrol availability, this area won't stay void for long, simply because the huge cities model isn't sustainable without it, and no alternative energy source can replace it at scale. This is already currently known as the best place for young farmers to start alternative approaches.

[@Christophe-pl5xu]

😅 totally bullshit. If petrol price go up.. Then campaign people ll go near the city.

[@threespotgaming]

"Why 1/3 of France is mostly empty" Greenland: *How cute*

[@dumbymcon]

Canada...

[@isaacsepicytchannel2708]

@@dumbymcon Antarctica…

[@gms3405]

Russia 😪

[@dumbymcon]

I swear the freezing countries are so huge yet has such a small population

[@threespotgaming]

@@isaacsepicytchannel2708 mars

[@drrizzla4557]

as a french fellow I swear this "empty third" is so rich of wonderfull landscapes

[@RoccosVideos]

As someone from the US most of Europe seems crowded to me.

[@haroeneissa790]

Kind of. The thing is that European countries have very different population paterns. Many states in the USA like California, Utah, Illinois, New york etc. Have massive cities were almost everybody lives, but in European countries you often have many medium sized cities spread out throughout the country.

[@dutchik5107]

You can live in a pretty "remote" area. With Woods basically in your backyard. Small ones. But still. And also be within reach of 20 minutes from a grocery store. The idea of driving for an hour or so is a lot for some people.

[@hhhharis622]

In Europe, you would rarely have to drive to a shop at all

[@nunyabiznes33]

Well, you can fit several European countries into America.

[@MichaelDavis-mk4me]

Same as the US, some states are overflowing, a majority is just empty.

[@Adam-xy4ny]

I’m staying in Bergerac in the south of the diagonal area, and I wouldn’t call it an issue at all. There are thriving markets, wonderful buildings, fast internet, friendly people, and importantly nature hasn’t been concreted over to no end. It’s a beautiful area of the world that is special and protected, why turn it into another monotonous human city made of grey concrete and metal.

[@l1u1t1t1]

Another problem is France is too centralized, this has of course played a role in the rural exode giving less autonomy to the regions compared to the Bundeslands in Germany for example

[@erwanmarie8756]

France wouldn t have been France without centralization, what enables Germans to get together after long periods of politic disunity is that they are Germanic, France is a European round about with no shared ethnicity, it is a political concept, an idea, a proto European Union, that's what makes it kind of unique especially centuries ago...take away centralization and every region would have gone their merry way long ago, of course today's France has a well established identity and could give more power to communes and regions, I m all for it, but we d have to keep it centralized at some level or the nation could be in peril, that shit is fragile. It amazes me that it has held together for so long, what a ride!

[@selini52]

It is really surprising when I flew in to Bordeaux I took a train to come to the tiny town of Cognac which was lovely to have the most beautiful view in landscape!

[@DaDa-ui3sw]

Ahah I used to live in a village 30km from Cognac and I really wouldn't call it a "tiny town" as it has almost 20,000 inhabitants x) To us it is one of the important cities of the area ! Less so than Saintes or Royan, but still !

[@DaRoyalSaif]

Keeping title records, Why 1/3rd of France is Almost Empty

[@chaudhary6980]

yep

[@coldshadow_yt9708]

@@UnkownKZbinr286 L

[@jubalharshaw9512]

Quite happy I stumbled across this channel. Excellent content :)

[@Thetequilapaf]

I've worked and lived inside this diagonale coming from the metropolitain area of paris I can say it was a really big change. the rural part of france are fashionable right now, lots of city dwellers relocating to thes parts, and of course there is a culture clash

[@davidlefranc6240]

its up to the newcomers to respect the local ones

[@tywonellington]

The diagonal has a population density of 78/sq mile, per Wikipedia. For comparison, Wyoming is 6 and Alaska is 1.3… Seems like a totally natural occurrence for countries to have more and less dense areas.

[@Troy_Built]

Exactly this normal and a stupid video.

[@axo_lolt4083]

Not in Europe

[@enkero1462]

@@Troy_Built how is that stupid ? Usa is clearly different than Europe Us population came after colonization, suppression of native Americans and multiple migrations from other continents, with a population spread by capitalism/liberalism while Europe population is composed of countries with proper cultures, languages That is a complete nonsense to compare a country such as usa with no clear culture difference in the territory with a entire continent made of country itselves made of regions that have their own history/culturr/language

[@Nebufelis]

This is very interesting and I can observe it in my country, too. But one question: Why do we automatically regard this as an "issue" to be fixed? We are currently fighting with loss of habitats and biodiversity all over the world, mostly due to agriculture, but also ever increasing settlements and road building. Having people mostly in denser areas seems to be a natural remedy to this.

[@kevinmclarkey621]

Good point actually. Remember that RLL is just a youtuber that puts clickbait to make money.

[@gviztaivoras4230]

My best guess is losing geopolitical power. Western Europe is a major powerhozse due to having lots of rich educated citizens. They can not afford the impression of most of their land looking ”empty".

[@wellanderubis7940]

France is a big export of wheat and food in general in europe, and the fact that there is less and less of farmers in those very farmable lands reduces the power and influen e france has

[@midshipman8654]

well yah, but you forget that issue is in reference to the world as a whole rather than France in specific. France isnt one of the places where the population is exploding at an unsustainable rate as mentioned. Its not an india or somewhere with a 6.0 birth average or a billion people. Its not a simply yes/no dynamic. its a bunch of potentially useful area that could benifit the french state and people.

[@guillaumeroudiere5749]

But France and by extension Europe dont really have any biodiversity problem or overpopulation. In fact, there is more forest in France now than for most of the middle age and renaissance, and his popualtion is barely over 2 child per woman

[@loskam]

At 0:16 there's a representation of a french breakfast and they nailed it just by finding the girl in the middle who looks the most french I've seen in 23 years of being french

[@TheGecko213]

😂😂😂 The dirty grungy hair and formless clothing and smelling of semen from lasts night ?

[@loskam]

@@TheGecko213 Oh everything, the hair, the eyes, the attitude..

[@Shenanigans_333]

Yes!!! Ive been to france 3 times this year, and there were so many woman that looked like her lol

[@yurigagarine6998]

She looks jewish not French.

[@nileclac4703]

She looks like a mix of my sister and aunt lol

[@NotALot-xm6gz]

I like my quiet little corner of SW France after living in London for 20 years.

[@Bonypart]

Same here. Idyllic in every way.

[@TheNitram8]

France's suposed dwindling power on the global scale being atributed to this diagonal is really strange. I don't see the link at all when this is also the case in most large countries.

[@dr.woozie7500]

It has nothing to do with this silly diagonal. France has been a declining power and losing influence in Europe since 1870.

[@alistairt7544]

Yeah, that was such a stretch and a peculiar take.

[@paarmenion3635]

Especially when you consider that one of France's economic strength is its agriculture (first in Europe). Sparsely populated French regions are the agricultural heart of the country : Centre-Val-de-Loire, Champagne, the center of Brittany, Picardy, Auvergne. That's where wine, dairy products (France's cheeses obviously) and meat come from. French scholars try to change the name from the void diagonal to the low densities diagonal because there's never nothing there + some other "empy regions" like Corsica, Perche and the southern Alps aren't inside the diagonal. Like there's even some of France's biggest cities : Clermont-Ferrand, Reims, Dijon, Limoges, the Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz agglomeration + the basque country which has quite a nice population (more than 100 inhabitants per km²).

[@midshipman8654]

…From what I gathered, the diagnal was a SYMPTOM of Frances declining power, not a CAUSE. RLL spent the whole episode describing how it got emptied. and how france changed from one of the most populous nations on earth to a pretty middle of the road nation population wise. It was more about its waining potential.

[@gontrandjojo9747]

@@dr.woozie7500 Since 1815.

[@anthonyholroyd5359]

Funnily enough, the country I live in is famous for its beautiful countryside. For untamed areas of wilderness and vast stretches of rural landscape. Alot of our tourism industry is built on exactly that . . . Thing is, the reason its so empty is because 83% of our population lives in urban areas. 11% live in what's termed 'accessible rural' areas And just 6% in 'remote rural' areas. Essentially we have a 'central belt' where maybe a little over half the population lives and then a couple of cities and several significant towns stretching north up our east coast. That's it really. The largest place in our 'highlands' is a city with a population of about 50,000 The second largest settlement in the region barely reaches 10,000 inhabitants.

[@Tls1310]

What is the country?

[@anthonyholroyd5359]

@@Tls1310 one of Frances oldest ('auldest') allies 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@theodorefruchart7058]

@@anthonyholroyd5359 It's true that Scotland is also pretty empty.

[@sephikong8323]

Let me guess........ Originally I would have said Norway, but reading the end about a central belt, I think it's Scotland actually. If it is, then good day my Scottish friend Edit : nailed if

[@Vintang]

Scotland?

[@sophierainier8349]

I'm french and was born and grew up in Toulouse, a big city in the south. I moved in one of these empty area ten years ago. Best decision I've ever made.

[@samuelegan9594]

5 of the 15 starting players for the french rugby team come from a 55km radius to the left of Toulouse within the diagonal. The region has a population of 500k of Frances 67million

[@mattiix1645]

When i was younger, i used to be obsessed with geography *nothing changed*

[@rhinelander7]

Honestly this video shows a possible good reason to invest in rural areas. If things like transportation, ammenities, more job oppertunities are brought to these rural areas they could attract people away from the cities and reduce the strain they are undergoing like high housing costs and traffic congestion while also rejuvinating the declining rural cities.

[@seanfaherty]

But then the people who live there will have to deal with all those extra people

[@janebaker966]

It isn't going to happen. Why would you for instance run a bus service that only takes two or three passengers per journey.

[@Confuseddave]

Weird thing, the only time I have ever heard anyone refer to France as l'Hexagone is when they are explaining why France is called l'Hexagone.

[@Christophe-pl5xu]

French name it hexagone everytime.

[@Misses-Hippy]

Thank you for enriching my life in France, where I moved 4 years ago. With Covid, I have not explored much. It is a good time to do the book, or online, research.

[@KadandEve]

I thought I was going to learn something today but all I found out was that France has rural areas or in other words the middle of France is the “country” part. It would literally be the same as asking why so little people live in the middle of America compared to the coasts.

[@sachugan4300]

It might be true for America, but in Europe having such a large area with very little people is very uncommon. See Germany for example, more people in a smaller country. The diagonal is more of the exception than the norm in Europe.