Rhône-Alpes is one of the 22 regions of France. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range.
It is a prosperous region, second only to Île-de-France (home to Paris, the capital). This can be attributed to the diversity of the economics : agriculture in the Ain, hi-tech industry in Lyon and tourism in the Alps (many of France's best-known ski resorts are found in Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Isère), hi-tech industry in Grenoble.
It should be noted, too, that Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and countries to the Mediterranean area : the French riviera, Spain and Portugal, and Italy.
