North vs south France

[fabbrice]

As a french of both northern and southern background, i would be interested about how foreign people are seing the differences between south and northern France (culturally and physiclly)

[Tautamo]

fabbrice said:

As a french of both northern and southern background, i would be interested about how foreign people are seing the differences between south and northern France (culturally and physiclly)

i dont think they do.i mean if you noticed most of these messageboards never mention the french

[murphee]

I've never been north of Paris, but I did notice when I lived in the Sud-Ouest (Bordeaux area) that there were many French people who had dark, almost black, hair and brown eyes. They did not look like any Americans I have known, not in the least.

[buddyrydell]

murphee said:

I've never been north of Paris, but I did notice when I lived in the Sud-Ouest (Bordeaux area) that there were many French people who had dark, almost black, hair and brown eyes. They did not look like any Americans I have known, not in the least.

Yeah some southern Frenchmen are darker because they have more Med influence there. I'd say on on average though, the French would not look that different at all from the average types of white Americans. I've never been to France but from what I've read about their origins and what others who have vacationed there have told me, northern France has many blond blue-eyed people with typical "Germanic" features, central France has the most common French look, the classic Alpine type with some Dinaric influence, and the south has considerable Med influence. Overall though, of course brownish hair shades are the most common and eyes range widely.

Therefore, from what I gather, the French seem to have a mixture of northern, central, and southern European types on their soil. I guess that's to be expected from a country whose territory stretches from the North Sea to the Mediterranean.

[gwydion]

In my opinion the difference between North and south France, is similar in some aspects to northern -southern Italy.

[zemelmete]

What do you think, is Roy Dupuis, French-Canadian actor, typical french? In which part of France would he fit?

[gwydion]

zemelmete said:

What do you think, is Roy Dupuis, French-Canadian actor, typical french? In which part of France would he fit?

Well, i think he could be from central-western France, for example

[fabbrice]

most "French" Canadians have their ancestors from Normandy, Picardie or Britany (north-west of France). Normandy is know for having been settled by nordic peoples (vikings). most people in Normandy of today continue to show more northern european features than the other french.
French canadians in general look more "nordic" than french from France.

[Anja]

So what would you say about people from...maybe, Poitou-Charentes bordering the Bay of Biscay?

[Bryce]

I agree with Buddyrydell, at least about European Frenchpeople (the North-African and Sub-Saharian components are another chapter) and I'm a firsthand witness.
Besides, the main difference between the French and US populations is still height, but the younger generation's (let's say teen-agers and people in their 20's) average height has exploded these last years and is now close to the North American average.
Yet, there is this "American air" or "American looks" mentioned in another thread (thickset, square-jawed type) which seems to be more widespread in the US.

[Crimson Guard]

Do you guys find a culture difference in France?

I mean the French are decended from Italian,Gaulish and Germanic roots.But your Culture and language is a Romance one,but yet for atleast the past 50 years or more,their seems a strange embrace of the celtic roots,cause now they get looked at as freedom Fighters ect,because the Roman Empire is not Politically Correct anymore. As Empire building has been replaced idealogically/politically since after WW2.