Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AURA) is a region in southeast-central France covering an area of close to 70000 km2, making it the third largest in metropolitan France. It has a population of around 8 million people and consists of twelve departments and one territorial collectivity (Lyon Metropolis) with Lyon as the prefecture. It is a collection of regions of diverse topographies, climates, natural resources, cultures, folklore, architecture, and languages.