Nouvelle-Aquitaine encompasses a spectacular array of physical environments in southwestern France. It shares borders with the French regions of Pays de la Loire and Center-Val de Loire to the north, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie to the east, and an international border with Spain to the south. Its western edge is defined by a long, nearly unbroken stretch of Atlantic coastline known as the Côte d'Argent, which features vast sandy beaches and Europe's largest sand dune, the Dune of Pilat.
Inland, the region transitions into the massive Aquitaine Basin, a fertile agricultural plain crossed by major river systems including the Garonne, the Dordogne, and the Charente. To the south, the landscape rises dramatically into the Pyrenees mountains, creating a natural border with Spain. To the northeast, the region gently climbs into the verdant, rolling hills and plateaus of the Massif Central (specifically the Limousin area).
Nouvelle-Aquitaine is also heavily forested. The Landes de Gascogne forest, planted in the 18th and 19th centuries to reclaim marshland, is the largest maritime pine forest in Europe. The varied geography supports rich natural resources, ranging from timber and agricultural soils to marine fisheries and hydroelectric potential in the mountainous zones.