GALLIA, in English GAUL, the country inhabited by the Galli. By the Romans the term "Gallia" was restricted in its use to those portions of Europe occupied by tribes of the Gallic name. In classical times these fell naturally into two great divisions, the one lying on the southern or Roman side of the Alps, and thence called "Gallia Cisalpina;" and the other on the northern or further side of that mountain-range, and thence called "Gallia Transalpina." Transalpine Gaul, as understood by Cæsar, comprised the whole of France and Belgium, a small part of the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany west of the Rhine, the greater part of Switzerland, and a part of Savoy. This country, the entire area of which was about 240,000 square
Gallie Aed miles, was bounded on the east and north-east by the Alps, extending from Genoa to Mont St Gothard, and the Rhine from its source to the sea. On the south it extended along the Mediterranean from the small river Varus (the Var), which separated it from Italy, to a short distance beyond Portus Veneris (Bellegarde), at the eastern extremity of the Pyrenees, which mountain-range separated it from Spain. The western and northern shores of Gaul were washed by the ocean.
Gallia Cisalpina extended southwards from the Alps to the confines of Etruria and Umbria. Only a small portion of this country, however, was occupied by tribes of Gallic origin, but the Romans who had at first employed the term in a somewhat vague sense to northern Italy, ended by applying it to the basin of the Po and the Alpine country north of that river, so far as it had been subdued by them. The Inalpin, or tribes that dwelt within the Alps, were not finally subdued till the times of Augustus.
The most important of the tribes inhabiting both the Gauls will be found described under their respective heads.