It lies in present-day southwest France and the comarca of Val d'Aran in northeast Spain, where it gives its name to the modern region of Aquitaine.

The Petrocorii and the Bituriges Cubi had fine ironworks; the Cadurci had linen factories; the Ruteni and the Gabales had silver mines.

Luerius, the King of the Arverni and the father of Bituitus who warred against Maximus Aemilianus and Dometius, is said to have been so exceptionally rich and extravagant that he once rode on a carriage through a plain, scattering gold and silver coins here and there.

Aquitania was inhabited by the following tribes: Ambilatri, Anagnutes, Arverni, Ausci, Basabocates, Belendi, Bercorates, Bergerri, Bituriges Cubi, Bituriges Vivisci, Cadurci, Cambolectri Agesinates, Camponi, Convenae, Cocossati, Consoranni, Elusates, Gabali, Lassunni / Sassumini, Latusates / Tarusates, Lemovices, Monesi, Nitiobroges / Antobroges, Onobrisates, Oscidates montani, Oscidiates campestres, Petrocorii, Pictones, Pindedunni / Pinpedunni, Ruteni, Santones, Sediboniates, Sennates, Sibyllates, Sottiates, Succasses, Tarbelli, Tornates / Toruates, Vassei, Vellates, Vellavi, Venami.

Caesar seized the remainder of Gaul, justifying his conquest by playing on Roman memories of savage attacks over the Alps by Celts and Germans.

A land extension stretching to the Loire River was added by Augustus,[6] following the census conducted in 27 BC, based on Agrippa's observations of language, race and community according to some sources.

[9] More so than Caesar, Strabo insists that the primeval Aquitani differ from the other Gauls not just in language, institutions and laws ("lingua institutis legibusque discrepantes") but in body make-up too, deeming them closer to the Iberians.

External pressures exacerbated internal weaknesses, and neglect of the Rhine frontier resulted in barbarian invasions and civil war.

[2] After the trans-Rhine invasion December 31 406 by 4 tribes (Alans, Sueves, Asding and Siling Vandals), the offices of the Gallic prefecture were moved from Trier to Arles even though the Rhine frontier was subsequently restored and under Roman control till 459 when Cologne was taken by the Franks.

Roman attention had been shifted to the south to try to control the invaders and keep them from the Mediterranean, a policy which failed after the Vandals started to harass the coasts from their bases in southern Spain from the early 420s.

From 602, an independent Duchy of Vasconia (or Wasconia) was formed, under a Frankish-Roman elite, in the former Visigothic stronghold of south-west Aquitania (i.e. the region known later as Gascony).