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76-447: The name "Mistral" is derived from the local wind that blows in the southeastern part of France. First launched in 1993, out of production in May 2005 and discontinued only in 2006, the model enjoyed long market life in just one generation, with its basic form unchanged, albeit having been significantly updated throughout its lifetime. Nissan's internal designation for this model was R20. It

152-530: A flow of air from the north toward the east of Provence. This wind is frequently cancelled out close to the coast by the breezes from the sea. It does not blow for more than a single day, but it is feared in Provence, because it dries the vegetation and it can spread forest fires. The mistral helps explain the unusually sunny climate (2700 to 2900 hours of sunshine a year) and clarity of the air of Provence. When other parts of France have clouds and storms, Provence

228-470: A large campus devoted to cancer research and bio-tech R&D will be opened on the site. Elsewhere in the region industries are small and in decline, in particular around the formerly mining areas of Alès and Carmaux in the interior of the region. Services are the largest sector of the economy in the region. In particular, government services employ a significant part of the workforce, especially in small towns. Key administrations have been relocated to

304-783: A shorter three-door and a longer five-door model. Chiefly for the British market, a panel van version of the three-door was also made. Production of the Terrano II started in Spain in February 1993, and it went on sale in Europe in May that year. The Mistral was launched in Japan in June 1994. At first available in the five-door version only, a three-door Mistral joined in 1995. In 1996, the car

380-678: A source of fish and shellfish. Aerospace ( Airbus , CNES , etc.), electronics ( Freescale , etc.), and bio-tech industries in Toulouse ; high-tech, electronics, and computer ( IBM ) industries in Montpellier ; pharmaceutical industry ( Pierre Fabre Group ) in Castres . There is also a significant chemical sector in Toulouse , which has been quite battered since the terrible explosion of AZF on 21 September 2001. It has been decided that chemical industries would be moved out of Toulouse , and

456-619: Is a former province of France . Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France . Its capital city was Toulouse . It had an area of approximately 42,700 square kilometers (16,500 square miles). The Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis fell to the Visigothic Kingdom from the 5th to the 8th centuries . Occupied briefly by the Emirate of Córdoba between 719 and 759, it

532-525: Is a significant producer of wine. Today it produces more than a third of the grapes in France, and is a focus for outside investors. Wines from the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc are labeled as Languedoc, those from the interior have other labels such as Fronton , Gaillac , or Limoux to the west – and Côtes du Rhône towards the east. Other crops include wheat (the traditional crop which made

608-493: Is a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows from southern France into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterranean . It produces sustained winds averaging 31 miles an hour (50 kilometres an hour), sometimes reaching 60 miles an hour (100 kilometres an hour). It can last for several days. Periods of the wind exceeding 30 km/h (19 mph; 8.3 m/s; 16 kn) for more than sixty-five hours have been reported. It

684-472: Is already dry because of the small amount of rainfall, is made even drier by the wind, which makes it particularly susceptible to fires, which the wind spreads very rapidly, sometimes devastating vast expanses of mountainside before being extinguished. During the summer, thousands of hectares can burn when the mistral is blowing. In the Rhône Valley and on the plain of la Crau, the regularity and force of

760-508: Is also strong, as the region contains the historic cities of Carcassonne , Toulouse, Montpellier , countless Roman monuments (such as the Roman arenas in Nîmes ), medieval abbeys, Romanesque churches, and old castles (such as the ruined Cathar castles in the mountains of Corbières , testimony of the bloody Albigensian Crusade ). More recently, "green" and sports tourism is on the rise, with

836-478: Is always marked as such. However, the intricate entanglement of administrations and jurisdictions permitted Montpellier to also claim that distinction. In the 18th century, the monarchy clearly favored Montpellier, a city much smaller than Toulouse, with less history, and with fewer autonomous local authorities such as Toulouse's parlement and capitoulate . The governors of Languedoc resided in Pézenas , near to

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912-500: Is most common in the winter and spring, and strongest in the transition between the two seasons. It affects the northeast of the plain of Languedoc and Provence to the east of Toulon , where it is felt as a strong west wind. It has a major influence all along the Mediterranean coast of France, and often causes sudden storms in the Mediterranean between Corsica and the Balearic Islands . The name mistral comes from

988-403: Is not always synonymous with clear skies. When a low pressure front over the Mediterranean approaches the coast from the southeast, the weather can change quickly for the worse, and the mistral and its clear sky changes rapidly to an east wind bringing humid air and threatening clouds. The position of the low-pressure front creates a flow of air from the northwest or the northeast, channeled through

1064-469: Is rarely affected for long, since the mistral quickly clears the sky. In less than two hours, the sky can change from completely covered to completely clear. The mistral also blows away the dust, and makes the air particularly clear, so that during the mistral it is possible to see mountains 150 kilometres (93 miles) and farther away. This clarity of the air and light is one of the features that attracted many French impressionist and post-impressionist artists to

1140-409: The département of Aveyron ), both to the northwest of Languedoc. At some times it included the province of Agenais (now the eastern half of the département of Lot-et-Garonne ) to the west of Languedoc, the province of Gévaudan (now département of Lozère ), the province of Velay (now the central and eastern part of the département of Haute-Loire ), the southern part of

1216-556: The Bay of Biscay , and an area of low pressure around the Gulf of Genoa . When this happens, the flow of air between the high and low pressure areas draws in a current of cold air from the north which accelerates through the lower elevations between the foothills of the Alps and the Cevennes . The conditions for a mistral are even more favorable when a cold rainy front has crossed France from

1292-604: The French Revolution in 1789. From the 17th century onward, there was only one intendance for the whole of Languedoc, with its seat in Montpellier. Part of the territory where Occitan was spoken came to be called langue d'oc , Lengadòc or Languedoc. The traditional provinces of the kingdom of France were not formally defined. A province was simply a territory of common traditions and customs, but it had no political organization. Today, when people refer to

1368-895: The Languedoc dialect of the Occitan and means "masterly". The same wind is called mistrau in the Provençal variant of Occitan, mestral in Catalan , maestrale in Italian and Corsican , maistràle or bentu maestru in Sardinian , and majjistral in Maltese . The mistral is usually accompanied by clear, fresh weather, and it plays an important role in creating the climate of Provence. It can reach speeds of more than 90 km/h (56 mph; 25 m/s; 49 kn), particularly in

1444-775: The Languedoc-Roussillon région , 35% in the Midi-Pyrénées région , 8% in the Rhône-Alpes région , and 5% in the Auvergne région . The territory of the former province shows a stark contrast between some densely populated areas (coastal plains as well as metropolitan area of Toulouse in the interior) where density is between 150 inhabitants per square kilometre (390 inhabitants/sq mi) (coastal plains) and 300 inhabitants per square kilometre (780 inhabitants/sq mi) (plain of Toulouse), and

1520-662: The Loire . As part of this process, the former principalities of Trencavel (the Viscounty of Albi , Carcassona , Besièrs , Agde and Nîmes ) were integrated into the Royal French Domain in 1224. The County of Toulouse followed them in 1271. The remaining feudal enclaves were absorbed progressively up to the beginning of the 16th century; the County of Gévaudan in 1258, the County of Melgueil ( Mauguiò ) in 1293,

1596-681: The Lordship of Montpellier in 1349 and the Viscounty of Narbonne in 1507. The territory falling within the jurisdiction of the Estates of Languedoc , which convened for the first time in 1346, shrank progressively, becoming known during the Ancien Régime as the province of Languedoc . The year 1359 marked a turning point in the history of the province. The three bailiwicks ( sénéchaussées ) of Bèucaire , Carcassona and Tolosa had

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1672-425: The gouvernement of Guienne and its far-away capital Bordeaux . This decision was probably intentional, to avoid reviving the independently spirited County of Toulouse. In the rest of this article, Languedoc refers to the territory of this gouvernement of Languedoc. The province of Languedoc covered an area of approximately 42,700 km (16,500 sq mi) in the central part of southern France, roughly

1748-427: The 18th century they were relocated definitively to Montpellier , where they met once a year, until 1789. For Christian religious purposes, Languedoc was also divided into a certain number of ecclesiastical provinces, including the archdiocese of Toulouse , the archdiocese of Narbonne , and the archdiocese of Albi . Between 1956 and 2016, the province of Languedoc was divided between four régions : In 2016,

1824-487: The French regions were reduced in number, with Languedoc-Rousillon and Midi-Pyrénées merging to form Occitanie , containing over 80% of historic Languedoc , and Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes merging to Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes , with just under a fifth of the historic région . On the traditional territory of the province of Languedoc there live approximately 3,650,000 people (as of 1999 census), 52% of these in

1900-495: The Languedoc is quite varied and ranges from newly built villas with swimming pools and tennis courts, to old village houses set into the old ramparts of ancient fortified towns. Some of these village houses date back a very long time. A small house in the village of Magalas, Hérault département , has a date of the 13th century carved into its stonework. Being a large area, the type of property available in Languedoc varies

1976-408: The Mediterranean coast, away from Toulouse but close to Montpellier . In time they had increased their power well beyond military matters, and had become the real administrators and executive power of the province, a trend seen in the other gouvernements of France, but particularly acute in Languedoc, where the duke of Montmorency , governor of Languedoc, even openly rebelled against the king, then

2052-466: The Mediterranean, particularly when low-pressure areas form in the Gulf of Genoa . The winds create a physically cold, salty ocean body that sinks in the Gulf of Lion when certain weather conditions are present. Similar names— maestral or maestro —are used for (although also mostly northwestern) a quite different wind in the Adriatic Sea . It is an anabatic sea-breeze wind which blows in

2128-485: The Rhône Valley from Lyon to Marseille , and as far southeast as Corsica and Sardinia. The mistral usually blows from the north or northwest, but in certain pre-alpine valleys and along the Côte d'Azur , the wind is channelled by the mountains so that it blows from east to west. Sometimes it also blows from the north-northeast toward the east of Languedoc as far as Cap Béar. Frequently, the mistral will affect only one part of

2204-508: The Rhône Valley, and the Venturi effect of funnelling the air through a narrowing space, is frequently cited as the reason for the speed and force of the mistral, but the reasons are apparently more complex. The mistral reaches its maximum speed not at the narrowest part of the Rhône Valley, south of Valence, but much farther south, where the Valley has widened. Also, the wind occurs not just in

2280-432: The Rhône Valley. If this low-pressure area moves back toward the southeast, the mistral will quickly clear the air and the good weather will return; but if the cold-weather front continues to approach the land, bad weather will continue for several days in the entire Mediterranean basin, sometimes transforming into what French meteorologists call an épisode cévenol , a succession of torrential rains and floods, particularly in

2356-431: The Rhône Valley. Its average speed during the day can reach about 50 km/h (31 mph; 14 m/s; 27 kn), calming noticeably at night. The mistral usually blows in winter or spring, though it occurs in all seasons. It sometimes lasts only one or two days, frequently lasts several days, and sometimes lasts more than a week. The mistral takes place each time there is an anticyclone , or area of high pressure, in

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2432-474: The South of France. The mistral has the reputation of bringing good health, since the dry air dries stagnant water and the mud, giving the mistral the local name mange-fange (Eng. "mud-eater"). It also blows away pollution from the skies over the large cities and industrial areas. The sunshine and dryness brought by the mistral have an important effect on the local vegetation. The vegetation in Provence, which

2508-531: The UK-built Qashqai . While the Terrano II had three or five doors and a body-on-frame platform, the Qashqai only comes with five doors and a unibody platform. The Terrano II had 2.4 L petrol KA24S and 2.7 L turbo-diesel engines at its launch in 1993; from 1996 the petrol engine became fuel-injected ( KA24E ) and the diesel became intercooled , with 2.4i and 2.7 TDi replacing

2584-409: The Valley, but high above in the atmosphere, up to the troposphere, 3 km (1.9 mi) above the earth. The mistral is very strong at the summit of Mont Ventoux , 1900 meters (6300') in elevation, though the plain below is very wide. Other contributing factors to the strength of the mistral are the accumulation of masses of cold air, whose volume is greater, pouring down the mountains and valleys to

2660-685: The areas west of the Rhône Valley: the Ardèche , the Gard , Hérault and Lozère . The summer mistral, unlike the others, is created by purely local conditions. It usually happens in July, and only in the valley of the Rhône and on the coast of Provence. It is caused by a thermal depression over the interior of Provence (The Var and Alpes de Haute-Provence), created when the land is overheated. This creates

2736-513: The beginning. Excavations at the prehistoric site called Terra Amata , at the foot of Mount Boron in Nice , showed that in about 40,000 B.C. the inhabitants had built a low wall of rocks and beach stones to the northwest of their fireplace to protect their fire from the power of the mistral. The mas (farmhouse) traditionally faces south, with its back to the mistral. The bell towers of villages in Provence are often open iron frameworks, which allow

2812-523: The end of April. As summer visitors to the beach in Provence learn, the summer mistral can quickly lower the temperature of the sea, as the wind pushes the warm water near the surface out to sea and it is replaced by colder water from greater depths. The mistral regularly affects the weather in Sardinia and sometimes also affects the weather in North Africa, Sicily and Malta and other parts of

2888-514: The flow of air comes from the northeast due to a widespread low pressure area over the Atlantic and atmospheric disturbances over France, the air is even colder at both high altitudes and ground level, and the mistral is even stronger, and the weather worse, with the creation of cumulus clouds bringing weak storms. This kind of mistral is weaker in the east of Provence and the Côte d'Azur. The mistral

2964-422: The former province of Languedoc is currently the fastest-growing in France, and also among the fastest-growing in Europe, as an increasing flow of people from northern France and the north of Europe relocating to the sunbelt of Europe, in which Languedoc is located. Growth is particularly strong in the metropolitan areas of Toulouse and Montpellier , which are the two fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe at

3040-422: The fortune of the landlords and parliamentarians based in Toulouse , and for whose trade the famous Canal du Midi was built), maize (the new and nowadays most common crop in the region), olives (only on the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc), fruit, and rice (in some coastal areas). In the hilly and mountainous areas of the interior, sheep and goats are raised for meat and cheese. The coastal area is, naturally,

3116-754: The gorges of the Tarn , the Ardèche Gorges , as well as the vast preserved expanses of Cévennes , Ardèche, Lauragais , and other sites. Tourism on the Canal du Midi combines history (for example viewing the nine locks of Fonseranes near Béziers ) with activities such as boating on the Canal, and walking or cycling on the towpaths. Toulouse and Montpellier are also common places for business congresses and conventions. In April 2019, The Guardian 's travel section included two Languedoc locations in its list of 20 of

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3192-536: The hilly and mountainous interior where density is extremely low, the Cévennes area in the south of Lozère having one of the lowest densities of Europe with only 7.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (19 inhabitants/sq mi). The five largest metropolitan areas on the territory of the former province of Languedoc are (as of 1999 census): Toulouse (964,797), Montpellier (459,916), Nîmes (221,455), Béziers (124,967), and Alès (89,390). The population of

3268-510: The law. It was also in charge of registering new royal edicts and laws, and could decide to block them if it found them to be in contravention with the liberties and laws of Languedoc. Finally, for purposes of taxation, Languedoc was ruled by the States of Languedoc, whose jurisdiction included only Languedoc proper (and Albigeois ), but not Gévaudan , Velay , and Vivarais , which kept each their own provincial states until 1789. Languedoc proper

3344-479: The local administration of the kingdom. For judicial and legislative matters, Languedoc was overseen by the Parlement of Toulouse , founded in the middle of the 15th century. It was the first parlement created outside of Paris by the kings of France in order to be the equivalent of the Parlement of Paris in the far-away southern territories of the kingdom. The jurisdiction of the Parlement of Toulouse included

3420-529: The lower elevations. This is similar to a foehn wind, but unlike a foehn wind the descent in altitude does not significantly warm the mistral. The causes and characteristics of the mistral are very similar to those of the Tramontane , another wind of the French Mediterranean region. In France, the mistral particularly affects Provence , Languedoc east of Montpellier , as well as all of

3496-405: The mistral causes the trees to grow leaning to the south. Once the forest has been razed by fire, the strong wind makes it difficult for new trees to grow. The farmers of the Rhône Valley have long planted rows of cypress trees to shelter their crops from the dry force of the mistral. The mistral can also have beneficial effects—the moving air can save crops from the spring frost, which can last until

3572-623: The model the steering wheel from the P12 series Primera . Presented in March, at the 72nd Geneva Motor Show , the model was hence marketed as simply "Nissan Terrano" in Europe, the previous Terrano being marketed as Pathfinder . The Terrano was sold in Europe until 2006. It was replaced indirectly by three different models; the X-Trail , which had been sold alongside it since 2001, the Pathfinder and

3648-437: The moment. However, the interior of Languedoc is still losing inhabitants, which increases the difference of density that was mentioned. Population of the coast of Languedoc as well as the region of Toulouse is rather young, educated, and affluent, whereas in the interior the population tends to be much older, with significantly lower incomes, and with a lower percentage of high school and especially college graduates. Languedoc

3724-408: The most beautiful villages in France . The two were Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert with "one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the region" and Estaing, whose "narrow streets have hardly changed over the centuries". Rugby union is the "national" sport in Languedoc, unlike most other parts of France where football is more popular. The Toulouse rugby club ( Stade Toulousain ) is one of

3800-508: The most successful in Europe; it regularly competes for the French championship and has won four European titles (1996, 2003, 2005, and 2010) in the ten years of the European championship's existence. Bullfighting and other bull-related events are popular in the eastern part of Languedoc. Sea jousts ( Joutes nautiques ) are held on the coast. Dating from the 11th century, this sport has local leagues and attracts large crowds. Property in

3876-406: The northeast of Languedoc. Some people also consider that the region around Albi was a traditional province, called Albigeois (now the département of Tarn ), although it is most often considered as being part of Languedoc proper. The provinces of Quercy and Rouergue , despite their old ties with Toulouse , were not incorporated into the gouvernement of Languedoc. They were attached to

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3952-499: The northwest to the southeast as far as the Mediterranean. This cold, dry wind usually causes a period of cloudless skies and luminous sunshine, which gives the mistral its reputation for making the sky especially clear. There is also, however, the mistral noir, which brings clouds and rain. The mistral noir occurs when the Azores High is extended and draws in unusually moist air from the northwest. The long and enclosed shape of

4028-481: The old provinces of France, they are referring to the gouvernements as they existed in 1789, before the French Revolution . Gouvernements were military regions established by the Crown in the middle of the 16th century; their territories closely matched those of the traditional provinces. However, in some cases, small provinces were merged with a large one into a single gouvernement , so gouvernements are not exactly

4104-435: The plain of the Rhône delta and the Côte d'Azur. The good weather is confined to the coast of the Mediterranean, while it can rain in the interior. The Côte d'Azur generally has a clear sky and warmer temperatures. This type of mistral usually blows for no more than one to three days. The mistral originating from the northeast has a very different character; it is felt only in the west of Provence and as far as Montpellier, with

4180-653: The previous models. From 1999 until 2006, a 3.0 L TDi DOHC, direct injected, turbo-diesel intercooled engine was produced, using a version of the ZD engine , the ZD30DDTi , that has also seen service in the bigger and heavier Patrol . In the Terrano II, the 3.0 L TDi engine provides much more power and fuel efficiency than the 2.7 TD engines. Mistral (wind) The mistral ( Catalan : mestral , Corsican : maestrale , Croatian : maestral , Greek : μαΐστρος , Italian : maestrale , Maltese : majjistral )

4256-478: The province of Vivarais (now the southern part of the département of Ardèche ), and even all the northern half of Provence . After the French conquest the entire county was dismantled, the central part of it being now called Languedoc. The gouvernement of Languedoc was created in the mid-16th century. In addition to Languedoc proper, it included the three small provinces of Gévaudan , Velay , and Vivarais (in its entirety), these three provinces being to

4332-551: The region between the river Rhône (border with Provence ) and the Garonne (border with Gascony ), extending northwards to the Cévennes and the Massif Central (border with Auvergne ). As the center of the County of Toulouse and the regional parlement , Toulouse is often considered the "capital" of Languedoc. On maps (both ancient and modern) showing the provinces (i.e., gouvernements ) of France in 1789, it

4408-752: The region in 1214 seeking the restoration of those lands. In the 13th century, the See of Rome challenged the area's spiritual beliefs, and the region became attached to the Kingdom of France following the Albigensian Crusade (1208–1229). This crusade aimed to put an end to what the Catholic Church considered the Cathar heresy . It enabled the Capetian dynasty to extend its influence south of

4484-400: The region, such as France's National Meteorology Office ( Météo-France ) relocated from Paris to Toulouse in 1982. The area is also a major tourist destination. There exists three types of tourism. First, a massive summer tourism industry on the coast, with huge sea resorts such as Cap d'Agde , Palavas-les-Flots , or Le Grau-du-Roi , built in the 1970s. Tourism related to history and art

4560-513: The region. In the Languedoc area, where the tramontane is the strongest wind, the mistral and the tramontane blow together onto the Gulf of Lion and the northwest of the western Mediterranean, and can be felt to the east of the Balearic Islands , in Sardinia , and sometimes as far as the coast of Africa. When the mistral blows from the west, the mass of air is not so cold and the wind only affects

4636-411: The same as the traditional provinces. Historically, the region was called the County of Toulouse , a county independent from the kings of France. The County of Toulouse was made up of what would later be called Languedoc, but it also included the province of Quercy (now the département of Lot and the northern half of the département of Tarn-et-Garonne ) and the province of Rouergue (now

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4712-498: The status of bonnes villes (towns granted privileges and protection by the king of France in return for providing a contingent of men at arms). In that year, the three entered into a perpetual union, after which their contribution of royal officers was summoned jointly rather than separately for each of the three sénéchaussées. Towards the end of 14th century, the term "country of the three seneschalties" ( pays des trois sénéchaussées ), later to become known as Languedoc, designated

4788-420: The summer when the east Adriatic coast gets warmer than the sea. It is thus a mild sea-to-coast wind, unlike the mistral. The strong katabatic wind there is the northeastern bora . In Greece, it is also known as maïstros or maïstráli . In southwestern Crete, it is considered the most beneficial wind, said to blow only in daytime. The mistral played an important part in the life and culture of Provence from

4864-572: The two bailiwicks of Bèucaire-Nîmes and Carcassona , and the eastern part of Tolosa (Toulouse), retained under the Treaty of Brétigny . At that time, the County of Foix , which belonged to the seneschal of Carcassona until 1333 before passing to Toulouse, ceased to belong to Languedoc. At this time, the Duchy of Languedoc and the Spanish Duchy of Gandia (of Osuna) became one under the marriage of

4940-511: The two heirs. Later, Duke of Langeuedoc became Governor of Languedoc and Provence; as of 2024 the title is held by the son of the Late Dutchess of Gandia and Prince Obolensky Arnaud Henry Salas-Perez; though the governor role does not exist anymore, title of Duke of Languedoc et Lavandou still remains. In 1542, the province was divided into two généralités : Toulouse for Haut-Languedoc, and Montpellier for Bas-Languedoc. This lasted until

5016-460: The whole of the territory of the gouvernement of Languedoc, but it also included the province of Rouergue , most of the province of Quercy , and a part of Gascony . The Parlement of Toulouse was the supreme court of justice for this vast area of France, the court of last resort whose rulings could not be appealed, not even to the Parlement of Paris. The Parlement of Toulouse could also create case law through its decisions, as well as interpret

5092-406: The wind coming from either a northerly or north-northeasterly direction. In the winter this is by far the coldest form of the mistral. The wind can blow for more than a week. This kind of mistral is often connected with a low pressure area in the Gulf of Genoa, and it can bring unstable weather to the Côte d'Azur and the east of Provence, sometimes bringing heavy snow to low altitudes in winter. When

5168-624: The wind to pass through. The traditional Provençal Nativity scene usually includes a figure of a shepherd holding his hat, with his cloak blowing in the mistral. A Fête du Vent (Festival of Wind) is held periodically on the Prado Beach in Marseille. Notes Bibliography Languedoc The Province of Languedoc ( / ˌ l ɒ̃ ɡ ( ə ) ˈ d ɒ k / , French: [lɑ̃ɡ(ə)dɔk] , locally [lãᵑɡəˈdɔk] ; Occitan : Lengadòc [ˌleŋɡɔˈðɔ(k)] )

5244-566: Was facelifted , gaining round headlights. In Australia, the Terrano II arrived late to the market, going on sale in April 1997. It was available only with a manual transmission; the lack of an automatic option limited its sales potential in that market. In the beginning of 1999, both the JDM model of the Mistral and the Ford Maverick were phased out, while the remaining Terrano II was facelifted again, gaining an updated front fascia more in-line with contemporary Nissans, as well as an updated interior. In 2002, yet another facelift took place, giving

5320-406: Was chosen on purpose to diminish the power of Toulouse, whose parlement was very influential, and which symbolized the old spirit of independence of the county of Toulouse . The intendants replaced the governors as administrators of Languedoc, but appointed and dismissed at will by the king, they were no threat to the central state in Versailles . By 1789 they were the most important element of

5396-443: Was conquered and incorporated into the Kingdom of the Franks by Pepin the Short in 759 following the Siege of Narbonne . The term Languedoc originated to describe a cultural region that was not necessarily politically unified. After the decline of the Carolingian Empire political rule fragmented into small territorial divisions. King John of England lost his holdings in northern Languedoc to Philip II of France . He visited

5472-664: Was defeated and beheaded in Toulouse in 1632 by the order of Richelieu . The kings of France became fearful of the power of the governors, so after King Louis XIV (the Sun King) they had to reside in Versailles and were forbidden to enter the territory of their gouvernement . Thus the gouvernements became hollow structures, but they still carried a sense of the old provinces, and so their names and limits have remained popular until today. For administrative purposes, Languedoc

5548-449: Was divided in two généralités , the généralité of Toulouse and the généralité of Montpellier, the combined territory of the two generalities exactly matching that of the gouvernement of Languedoc. At the head of a generality was an intendant , but in the case of Languedoc there was only one intendant responsible for both generalities, and he was often referred to as the intendant of Languedoc, even though technically speaking he

5624-575: Was exported to Japan, where it was called the Mistral, and exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealership network called Nissan Satio Store . The Terrano II/Mistral's body was designed by the Italian I.DE.A Institute . It was tall and slim compared to most competitors, and provided for ample ground clearance. It was based on the WD21 series Terrano platform, and came in two body styles differing in wheelbase –

5700-420: Was in fact the intendant of the generality of Toulouse and intendant of the generality of Montpellier. The generality of Toulouse is also referred to as Upper Languedoc ( Haut-Languedoc ), while the generality of Montpellier, down to the level of the sea, is referred to as Lower Languedoc ( Bas-Languedoc ). The intendants of Languedoc resided in Montpellier, and they had a sub-delegate in Toulouse. Montpellier

5776-475: Was one of the very few provinces of France which had the privilege to decide over tax matters, the kings of France having suppressed the provincial states in most other provinces of the kingdom. This was a special favor from the kings to ensure that an independently spirited region far-away from Versailles would remain faithful to the central state. The States of Languedoc met in many different cities, and for some time they established themselves in Pézenas , but in

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