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France
The French Republic, or France, is a country located in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. It is a founding member of the European Union. National motto: LibertŽ, EgalitŽ, FraternitŽ (French, Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood) Official History language French Capital Paris President Jacques Chirac Though the French monarchy is often Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin dated to the 5th century, France's continuous existence as a separate Area Ranked 47th entity begins with the 9th-century Ê- Total 547,030 km² division of Charlemagne's Frankish Ê- % water ¹ 0.26% empire into an eastern and a western Population part. The eastern part can be regarded Ê- Total Ranked 21st the beginnings of what is now Germany, (2000) 59,551,227 ¹ the western part that of France. Ê- Density 109/km² Charlemagne's descendants ruled France Currency Euro², French until 987, when Hugh Capet, Duke of euro coins France and Count of Paris, was crowned Time zone UTC +1 (CET) King of France. His descendants, the Capetian dynasty, ruled France until National 1789, when the French overthrew their anthem La Marseillaise monarchy during the French Revolution. Internet TLD .FR Calling Code 33 Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered (1) Data for European (metropolitan) extensive losses in its empire, France wealth, manpower, and rank as a (2) Prior to 1999: French franc dominant nation-state. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy (known as the Fifth Republic) that has not succumbed to the instabilities experienced in earlier more parliamentary regimes. In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999. Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defense and security apparatus. It is also one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Politics Main article: Politics of France The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by public referendum on September 28 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the president is elected directly for a 5-year (originally 7-year) term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties. The National Assembly (AssemblŽe Nationale) is the principal legislative body. Its deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 9-year terms, and one-third of the Senate is renewed every 3 years. The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. Regions & Departments France has 26 regions (French: rŽgion), which are further subdivided into 100 dŽpartements. The departments are numbered (mainly alphabetically) and this number is used in e.g. postal codes and vehicle number plates. * Alsace * Limousin o 67 Bas-Rhin o 19 Corrze o 68 Haut-Rhin o 23 Creuse * Aquitaine o 87 Haute-Vienne o 24 Dordogne * Lorraine o 33 Gironde o 54 Meurthe-et-Moselle o 40 Landes o 55 Meuse o 47 Lot-et-Garonne o 57 Moselle o 64 o 88 Vosges PyrŽnŽes-Atlantiques * Midi-PyrŽnŽes * Auvergne o 09 Arige o 03 Allier o 12 Aveyron o 15 Cantal o 31 Haute-Garonne o 43 Haute-Loire o 32 Gers o 63 Puy-de-D™me o 46 Lot * Basse-Normandie o 65 Hautes-PyrŽnŽes o 14 Calvados o 81 Tarn o 50 Manche o 82 Tarn-et-Garonne o 61 Orne * Nord-Pas-de-Calais * Bourgogne (Burgundy) o 59 Nord o 21 C™te-d'Or o 62 Pas-de-Calais o 58 Nivre * Pays-de-la-Loire o 71 Sa™ne-et-Loire o 44 Loire-Atlantique o 89 Yonne o 49 Maine-et-Loire * Bretagne (Brittany) o 53 Mayenne o 22 C™tes-d'Armor o 72 Sarthe o 29 Finistre o 85 VendŽe o 35 Ille-et-Vilaine * Picardie o 56 Morbihan o 02 Aisne * Centre o 60 Oise o 18 Cher o 80 Somme o 28 Eure-et-Loir * Poitou-Charentes o 36 Indre o 16 Charente o 37 Indre-et-Loire o 17 Charente-Maritime o 41 Loir-et-Cher o 79 Deux-Svres o 45 Loiret o 86 Vienne * Champagne-Ardenne * Provence-Alpes-C™te d'Azur o 08 Ardennes o 04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence o 10 Aube o 05 Hautes-Alpes o 51 Marne o 06 Alpes-Maritimes o 52 Haute-Marne o 13 Bouches-du-Rh™ne * Corse (Corsica) o 83 Var o 2A Corse-du-Sud o 84 Vaucluse o 2B Haute-Corse * Rh™ne-Alpes * Franche-ComtŽ o 01 Ain o 25 Doubs o 07 Ardche o 39 Jura o 26 Dr™me o 70 Haute-Sa™ne o 38 Isre o 90 o 42 Loire Territoire-de-Belfort o 69 Rh™ne * Haute-Normandie o 73 Savoie o 27 Eure o 74 Haute-Savoie o 76 Seine-Maritime * Ile-de-France * DŽpartements d'outre mer (DOM) o 75 Paris (Overseas departments), each of them o 77 Seine-et-Marne being a dŽpartement and a region at the o 78 Yvelines same time: o 91 Essonne o 971 Guadeloupe o 92 Hauts-de-Seine o 972 Martinique o 93 o 973 French Guiana Seine-Saint-Denis o 974 La RŽunion o 94 Val-de-Marne o 95 Val-d'Oise * Languedoc-Roussillon o 11 Aude o 30 Gard o 34 HŽrault o 48 Lozre o 66 PyrŽnŽes-Orientales The overseas departments are former colonies outside France that now enjoy a status similar to European or metropolitan France. They are considered to be a part of France (and the EU rather than dependent territories, and each of them is a region at the same time. Beyond these there are also three "overseas territories" (French: territoires d'outre-mer, or TOM), French Polynesia (987), Wallis and Futuna (986) and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories (including France's Antarctic claim), that do not have this status. Furthermore there are three separate overseas collectivities: New Caledonia, until 1998 a TOM (988), Saint Pierre and Miquelon (975) and Mayotte (976). Finally, France maintains control over a number of small islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Geography France possesses a large variety of landscapes, ranging from coastal plains in the north and west, where France borders the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, to the mountain ranges in the south (the Pyrenees) and the southeast (the Alps), of which the latter contains the highest point of Europe, the Mont Blanc at 4810 m. In between are found other elevated regions such as the Massif Central or the Vosges mountains and extensive river basins such as those of the Loire River, the Rhone River, the Garonne and Seine. Economy France's economy combines extensive private enterprise with substantial, but declining, government intervention. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Telecom, in Air France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. France joined 11 other EU members to launch the euro on January 1 1999, with euro coins and banknotes completely replacing the French franc in early 2002. Demographics The official language is French, with several local languages (Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch (Flemish), German (Alsatian), Occitan), but the French government and school system discouraged the use of any of them until recently. The regional languages are now taught at some schools, though French remains the only official language in use by the government, local or national. Culture * AcadŽmie Franaise * French literature * Famous French People * French cuisine * Cinema of France * Music of France Holidays Date English Name Local Name Remarks January 1 New Year's Day Jour de l'An Ê - Easter P‰ques Sunday, date varies - Easter Monday Lundi de P‰ques Monday, date varies May 1 Labour Day Fte du Travail Ê May 8 Victory Day 1945 Victoire 1945 End of WWII - Ascension Day Ascension Thursday, date varies - Pentecost Pentec™te Seventh Sunday after Easter July 14 Bastille Day Fte Nationale National Day August 15 Assumption Assomption Ê November 1 All Saints Day Toussaint Ê November 11Veterans Day Armistice 1918 End of WWI December 25Christmas Day No‘l Ê Miscellaneous topics The capital and most populous city, Paris, is home to the Eiffel Tower, a tower of girdered steel constructed in 1889. The Palace of Versailles is the number one tourist destination in France followed by the great ch‰teaux of the Loire Valley. Principal cities include: Aix-en-Provence, Ajaccio, Albi, Amiens, Angers, Angouleme, Bastia, Belfort, Besanon, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Calais, Cannes, Carcassonne, Charleville-MŽzires, Clermont-Ferrand, Colmar, Dijon, Dunkerque, Evreux, Grenoble, La Rochelle, Le Havre, Le Mans, Lille, Limoges, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, N”mes, OrlŽans, Paris, Perpignan, Poitiers, Quimper, Reims, Rennes, Roubaix, Rouen, Saint-ƒtienne, Saint-Nazaire, Strasbourg, Tarbes, Toulon, Toulouse, Tourcoing, Tours and Valence. Other towns of interest include: Abbeville, Albertville, Aurillac, Brive, Cahors, Chamonix, Chatellerault, Chinon, Deauville, Dieppe, Digne-les-Bains, Dole, Domremy, Dreux, La Baule, Mende, Mont-de-Marsan, Montauban, Pau, Perigueux, Rodez, Saint-Gaudens, Saint-Tropez, Saumur, Sete, Soissons and Vichy.
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