County of Nice

The County of Nice or Niçard Country (French: Comté de Nice, Pays Niçois; Occitan: Comtat de Niça, País Niçard) is a historical region, politically in southeastern France and culturally in Occitania, around the city of Nice, between the Mediterranean Sea and the far southern Alps. It is the largest part of the current departement of the Alpes-Maritimes, in Provence.

Politically, the region of Nice was initially a part of the County of Provence. In 1388 it was integrated in the County of Savoy, which became in 1416 the Duchy of Savoy and in 1720 the Kingdom of Sardinia. Under the Savoyard rule, the region of Nice was named initially New Land of Provence and then County of Nice albeit it never worked as a real, autonomous county. In 1860, it was integrated in France in return for the French assistance to Savoy-Sardinia to build the new Italian state. The "County of Nice" has a strong cultural identity within Provence and part of its inhabitants do not identify as Provençals.