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Which modern countries were included in ancient Gaul?

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Statue of Julius Caesar in Roman military attire stands in front of a domed building in Rome, Italy, with a clear blue sky in the background. — Julius Caesar Julius Caesar, bronze sculpture in Rome.

Ancient Gaul was not a single, static entity but a region defined by Roman perspective, encompassing territories that correspond to several modern-day countries.12

Broadly, the region known as Transalpine Gaul ("Gaul Across the Alps") comprised the territory of modern-day France and parts of Belgium, as well as western Germany and Switzerland.13

Additionally, the Romans recognized a region known as Cisalpine Gaul ("Gaul This Side of the Alps"), which was located in what is now northern Italy. While Transalpine Gaul served as the foundation for medieval France, Cisalpine Gaul was a distinct region that the Romans conquered and colonized to secure their own borders.1324