Don't say PACA, say "Sud"

Anyone living in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d' Azur region of southeast France has a new name to get used to.

Nearly a year after the other 12 regions chose their names following the reshaping of the map of France which saw the number of regions drop to 13, the regional council voted this week to adopt a new name: Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte-d' Azur.

The new identity will routinely be shortened to Région Sud on official documents. In a tweet expressing his approval of the decision, regional president Renaud Muselier said that he 'could not stand the acronym Paca, which means nothing any more'.

Roland Giberti, regional councillor of the Bouches-du-Rhône and mayor of Gémenos, told Nice-Matin,"Sud induces a very positive image: good living, light, dream landscapes".

The trademark, which will be registered with the National Institute of Industrial Property, will appear from 2018 on all related offical documents and media.