Burgundy-Franche-Comté is a vast region roughly the size of Switzerland and has long had a strong economic identity of its own. It has both rural and industrial characteristics, with an urban area built up around the Rhine and Rhône rivers. Its population of 2.8 million people and jobs are spread unevenly on either side of the main route that runs between Dijon and Mâcon. With its dynamic, renowned research sector, Burgundy-Franche-Comté is the sixth leading French region for research. Some of its departments are very close to other regions, such as Yonne, which is near Île de France, or the Territoire de Belfort, near the Grand Est Region.