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Francia Occidentalis
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Historical map showing the Carolingian Empire at its height under Charlemagne, including the core Frankish Kingdom of 768, later acquisitions up to 814, and surrounding tributary peoples. An inset map depicts the territorial divisions of the empire after the Treaty of Verdun in 843, splitting it into three separate kingdoms. Major regions, cities, and neighboring peoples are labeled throughout western and central Europe.
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Francia Occidentalis

historical region, Europe
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Historical map showing the Carolingian Empire at its height under Charlemagne, including the core Frankish Kingdom of 768, later acquisitions up to 814, and surrounding tributary peoples. An inset map depicts the territorial divisions of the empire after the Treaty of Verdun in 843, splitting it into three separate kingdoms. Major regions, cities, and neighboring peoples are labeled throughout western and central Europe.
Carolingian empire The Carolingian empire and (inset) divisions after the Treaty of Verdun, 843.

Francia Occidentalis, also known as West Francia, was a historical region that emerged from the division of the Carolingian Empire in the 9th century. It encompassed much of present-day France and was dominated by the Franks, a Germanic people who had established a powerful Christian kingdom in early medieval Europe. The name "France" is derived from the Franks.12

Initially, the Franks were independent tribes living along the Rhine River. They gradually expanded into Roman territories, influencing and being influenced by Roman civilization. Under leaders like Clovis I, they united and converted to Catholicism, solidifying their kingdom in northern Gaul. The Merovingian dynasty ruled until the 8th century, succeeded by the Carolingians, with Charlemagne notably restoring the Western Roman Empire. Over centuries, the people of West Francia continued to call themselves Franks, even as the Frankish element merged with the existing population, forming the basis of modern France.21

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Frank
  2. history of France - Principalities of the south

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