Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes is a Region of Southwestern France, created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 by the merger of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes. It covers – or of the country – and has approximately 5,800,000 inhabitants. (municipal population on 1 January 2012). The new region came into existence after the regional elections of December 2015, on 1 January 2016. Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes is a provisional name, created by hyphenating the merged regions in alphabetical order; its regional council must approve a new name for the region by 1 July 2016, which then must be approved by France's Conseil d'État by 1 October 2016.