The 45th Parallel North

According to some, the 45^th parallel north, the theoretical latitudinal point which is halfway between the North Pole and the Equator, is France’s dividing line between the Occitan-speaking people of the south and the Oïl people in the north.

For those interested in France’s culinary traditions, this invisible line also marks the divide between the butter and oil cuisines of the north and south, respectively.

In a broader context, the 45^th parallel also marks the dividing line between northern and southern Europe.