Citizendia

This article is about the country. For other uses, see France (disambiguation).
République française
French Republic
Flag of France National Emblem of France
Flag National Emblem
Motto: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
Anthem: “La Marseillaise”
Location of France
Location of  Metropolitan France  (dark green)

– on the European continent  (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]
Location of France

Territory of the French Republic in the world
(excl. The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs The current emblem of France has been a symbol of France since 1953 although it does not have any legal status as an official coat of arms A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Liberté égalité fraternité, French for " Liberty, equality, fraternity ( Brotherhood)" is the motto A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended)
Capital
(and largest city)		 Paris
48°52′N, 2°19.59′E
Official languages French
Demonym French
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
 -  President Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP)
 -  Prime Minister François Fillon (UMP)
Formation
 -  French State 843 (Treaty of Verdun) 
 -  Current constitution 1958 (5th Republic) 
EU accession March 25, 1957
Area
 -  Total[1] 674,843 km² (40th)
260,558 sq mi 
 -  Metropolitan France
  - IGN[2] 551,695 km² (47th)
213,010 sq mi
  - Cadastre[3] 543,965 km² (47th)
210,026  sq mi
Population
  (January 1, 2008 estimate)
 -  Total[1] 64,473,140[5] (20th)
 -  Metropolitan France 61,875,822[4] (20th)
 -  Density[6] 114/km² (89th)
295/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2006 estimate
 -  Total US1. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected Nicolas Sarkozy (pronounced, The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers François Fillon (fʁɑ̃swa fijɔ̃ born 4 March 1954 in Le Mans, Sarthe) is the current Prime Minister of France, having been appointed to that The History of France has been divided into a series of separate historical articles navigable through the list to the right A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. In the Treaty of Verdun of 843 the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, Charlemagne 's grandsons divided his territories the Carolingian The current Constitution of France was adopted on October 4, 1958. See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including The Institut Géographique National (National Geographic Institute or IGN is a French public state administrative establishment founded in 1940 whose task is to To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. A cadastre (also spelled cadaster) is a comprehensive register of the Metes and bounds real property of a country and commonly includes details of To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This is harmonized list of population estimates for the year 2005 Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including This is harmonized list of population estimates for the year 2005 Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 871 trillion (7th)
 -  Per capita US $30,100 (20th)
GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate
 -  Total US $2. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 232 trillion (6th)
 -  Per capita US $35,404 (18th)
Gini (2002) 26. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 7 
HDI (2005) ▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 952 (high) (10th)
Currency euro,[7] CFP Franc[8]
 
(EUR,    XPF)
Time zone CET[6] (UTC+1)
 -  Summer (DST) CEST[6] (UTC+2)
Internet TLD .fr[9]
Calling code +33[10]

France (pronounced /fræns/ or /frɑns/, French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced [ʁepyˈblik fʁɑ̃ˈsɛz]), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The CFP franc (called the franc in everyday use is the Currency used in the French overseas possessions of French Polynesia, New Caledonia ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The French Overseas Departments and Territories ( French: départements d'outre-mer and territoires d'outre-mer or DOM-TOM) consist broadly of [11] Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge French people often refer to Metropolitan France as L’Hexagone (The “Hexagon”) because of the geometric shape of its territory. Regular hexagon The internal Angles of a regular hexagon (one where all sides and all angles are equal are all 120 ° and the hexagon has 720 degrees France is a unitary semi-presidential republic. A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen is a fundamental document of the French Revolution, defining

France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Due to its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana) , and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles France is also linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with

France was the world's foremost power from the latter half of the 17th century until the early 19th century. Power in international relations is defined in several different ways In the 18th and 19th centuries, France built one of the largest colonial empires of the time, stretching across West Africa and Southeast Asia, prominently influencing the cultures and politics of the regions. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. France is a developed country, with the sixth (nominal GDP) or eighth (PPP) largest economy in the world. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. This article addresses the current economic situation of France It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually (including business visitors, but excluding people staying less than 24 hours in France). The word million In standard English, the -lli- in million is pronounced with an l-sound followed by a [12] France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, and the Latin Union. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples The Latin Union is an International organization of nations that use a Romance language. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council; it is also an acknowledged nuclear power. Nations that are known or believed to possess Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the nuclear club.

Contents

Origin and history of the name

Main article: Name of France
See also: List of country name etymologies

The name “France” comes from Latin Francia, which literally means “land of the Franks” or “Frankland”. The name France comes from Latin Francia, which literally means "land of the Franks, Frankland" This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks. One is that it is derived from the Proto-Germanic word frankon which translates as javelin or lance as the throwing axe of the Franks was known as a francisca. Proto-Germanic, or Common Germanic, is the hypothetical common ancestor ( Proto-language) of all the Germanic languages such as modern English The francisca (or francesca) is a Throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic

Another proposed etymology is that in an ancient Germanic language, Frank means free as opposed to slave. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another This word still exists in French as franc, it is also used as the translation of “Frank” and to name the local money, until the use of the euro in the 2000s. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e

However, rather than the ethnic name of the Franks coming from the word frank, it is also possible that the word is derived from the ethnic name of the Franks, the connection being that only the Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen. In German, France is still called Frankreich, which literally means “Realm of the Franks”. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire (imperium Francorum Frankish Kingdom (Latin regnum Francorum, "Kingdom of the In order to distinguish from the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, Modern France is called Frankreich, while the Frankish Realm is called Frankenreich. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his

The word “Frank” had been loosely used from the fall of Rome to the Middle Ages, yet from Hugh Capet's coronation as “King of the Franks” (“Rex Francorum”) it became used to strictly refer to the Kingdom of Francia, which would become France. Hugh Capet (c 940 &ndash 24 October, 996) was the first King of France of the eponymous Capetian dynasty from his election to succeed the The Capetian Kings were descended from the Robertines, who had produced two Frankish kings, and previously held the title of “Duke of the Franks” (“dux Francorum”). For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. This Frankish duchy encompassed most of modern northern France but because the royal power was sapped by regional princes the term was then applied to the royal demesne as shorthand. Île-de-France ( pronounced /il d̪ə fʁɑ̃s/ literally "Island of France" is one of the twenty-six administrative regions of France. The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new land" originated in 511 made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, In the Feudal system demesne (also spelled desmesne pronounced /dəmeɪn/ or /dəmiːn/; via Old French demeine from Latin dominium) was all the land It was finally the name adopted for the entire Kingdom as central power was affirmed over the entire kingdom. [13]

Geography

Main article: Geography of France

While Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe, France also has a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica. France is a country in Western Europe bordering the Atlantic Ocean ( Bay of Biscay) and English Channel between Belgium and Spain, Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions [14] These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas department to overseas collectivity. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the The French overseas collectivities ( collectivités d'outre-mer or COM) like the French regions, themselves are first-order Administrative divisions

Metropolitan France covers 547,030 square kilometres (211,209 sq mi),[15] having the largest area among European Union members and slightly larger than Spain. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. France possesses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west. The Massif Central ( Occitan: Massís Central / Massís Centrau) is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of Mountains and The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés At 4,807 metres (15,770 ft) above sea-level, the highest point in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, is situated in the Alps on the border between France and Italy. Mont Blanc Massif The Mont Blanc ( French for white mountain) or Monte Bianco ( Italian 'White Mountain' also Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest [16] Metropolitan France also has extensive river systems such as the Loire, the Garonne, the Seine and the Rhône, which divides the Massif Central from the Alps and flows into the Mediterranean sea at the Camargue, the lowest point in France (2 m / 6. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there The Loire River (lwaʁ in French) is the longest River in France. The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern The Seine (sɛn in French) is a slow flowing major River and commercial waterway within the regions of Île-de-France and Haute-Normandie The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. The Camargue ( Occitan: Camarga in classical norm or Camargo in Mistralian norm is located south of Arles, France, between the 5 ft below sea level). [16] Corsica lies off the Mediterranean coast.

The Exclusive Economic Zone of France extends over 11 million km² (4 million sq. miles) of ocean across the world.
The Exclusive Economic Zone of France extends over 11 million km² (4 million sq. miles) of ocean across the world. [17]

France's total land area, with its overseas departments and territories (excluding Adélie Land), is 674,843 square kilometres (260,558 sq mi), 0. Adélie Land is the portion of the Antarctic coast between Pourquoi Pas Point at and Point Alden at, with a shore length of 350 km and with its hinterland 45% of the total land area on Earth. However, France possesses the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, covering 11,035,000 square kilometres (4,260,000 sq mi), approximately 8% of the total surface of all the EEZs of the world, just behind the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq mi) and ahead of Australia (8,232,000 km² / 3,178,000 sq mi). Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone ( EEZ) is a seazone over which a State has special rights over the exploration and use of marine The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. [18]

Metropolitan France is situated between 41° and 51° North, on the western edge of Europe, and thus lies within the northern temperate zone. The north and northwest have a temperate climate, while a combination of maritime influences, latitude and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the Altitude is the Elevation of a point or object from a known level or datum (plural data [19] In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters and cool to warm summers. An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Inland the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year The climate of the Alps and other mountainous regions is mainly alpine, with the number of days with temperatures below freezing over 150 per year and snow cover lasting for up to six months. The climate of the Alps is the Climate, or average Weather conditions over a long time of the exact middle Alpine region of Europe. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps.

History

Main article: History of France
See also: Medieval demography and Economic history of France

Rome to revolution

The borders of modern France are approximately the same as those of ancient Gaul, which was inhabited by Celtic Gauls. The History of France has been divided into a series of separate historical articles navigable through the list to the right Medieval Demography is the study of human Demography in Europe during the Middle Ages. This is a history of the economy of France. For more information on historical cultural demographic and sociological developments in France see the chronological Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Gaul was conquered for Rome by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC, and the Gauls eventually adopted Roman speech (Latin, from which the French language evolved) and Roman culture. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Christianity first appeared in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and became so firmly established by the fourth and fifth centuries that St. Jerome wrote that Gaul was the only region “free from heresy”. Jerome (c 347 – September 30, 420) ( Latin: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος

In the 4th century AD, Gaul’s eastern frontier along the Rhine was overrun by Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient name of “Francie” was derived. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group The modern name “France” derives from the name of the feudal domain of the Capetian Kings of France around Paris. For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. The Franks were the first tribe among the Germanic conquerors of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert to Catholic Christianity rather than Arianism (their King Clovis did so in 498) ; thus France obtained the title “Eldest daughter of the Church” (La fille ainée de l’Église) , and the French would adopt this as justification for calling themselves “the Most Christian Kingdom of France”. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea.

Existence as a separate entity began with the Treaty of Verdun (843) , with the division of Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire into East Francia, Middle Francia and Western Francia. In the Treaty of Verdun of 843 the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, Charlemagne 's grandsons divided his territories the Carolingian Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term sometimes used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the Middle Francia designates the realm created for Emperor Lothair I (843-855 wedged between East Francia and West Francia. West Francia or the West Frankish Kingdom was a short-lived kingdom encompassing the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed Western Francia approximated the area occupied by modern France and was the precursor to modern France.

The Carolingian dynasty ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was crowned King of France. The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolings, or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Hugh Capet (c 940 &ndash 24 October, 996) was the first King of France of the eponymous Capetian dynasty from his election to succeed the List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below His descendants, the Direct Capetians, the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon, progressively unified the country through a series of wars and dynastic inheritance. For a full history of the Capetian family see Capetian dynasty. See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. The monarchy reached its height during the 17th century and the reign of Louis XIV of France. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent At this time France possessed the largest population in Europe (see Demographics of France) and had tremendous influence over European politics, economy, and culture. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. French became, and remained for some time, the common language of diplomacy in international affairs. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Much of the Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles, and major scientific breakthroughs were achieved by French scientists in the 18th century. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century In addition, France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas, Africa and Asia.

Monarchy to Republic

Lord Cornwallis' surrender following the Siege of Yorktown. French participation was decisive in this battle, 1781
Lord Cornwallis' surrender following the Siege of Yorktown. The Siege of Yorktown or Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington French participation was decisive in this battle, 1781

The monarchy ruled France until the French Revolution, in 1789. France, despite its financial difficulties used the occasion of the American Revolutionary War (1776–1781 to weaken its arch-rival in European and world The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed, along with thousands of other French citizens. Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/ After a series of short-lived governmental schemes, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the Republic in 1799, making himself First Consul, and later Emperor of what is now known as the First Empire (1804–1814). Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. First Consul (Premier Consul was a title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or In the course of several wars, his armies conquered most of continental Europe, with members of the Bonaparte family being appointed as monarchs of newly established kingdoms. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions Bonaparte is a French family name of Italian origin Originally Buonaparte, this family claims numerous influential descendents including Corsican

Following Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, the French monarchy was re-established, but with new constitutional limitations. In the Battle of Waterloo (Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo Belgium In 1830, a civil uprising established the constitutional July Monarchy, which lasted until 1848. The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is The July Monarchy (1830-1848 was a period of liberal monarchy rule of France under Louis-Philippe The short-lived Second Republic ended in 1852 when Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed the Second Empire. History Revolution of 1848 See also Mid-nineteenth century France The industrial population of the Faubourgs Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870 between the Second Louis-Napoléon was unseated following defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and his regime was replaced by the Third Republic. The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 The French Third Republic (in French, La Troisième République, sometimes written as La IIIe

France had colonial possessions, in various forms, since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its global overseas colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British Empire. A global empire involves the extension of a state's sovereignty over territories all around the World. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. At its peak, between 1919 and 1939, the second French colonial empire extended over 12,347,000 square kilometres (4,767,000 sq mi) of land. Including metropolitan France, the total area of land under French sovereignty reached 12,898,000 square kilometres (4,980,000 sq mi) in the 1920s and 1930s, which is 8. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself 6% of the world's land area.

Eugène Delacroix - La Liberté guidant le peuple (“Liberty leading the People”) , a symbol of the French Revolution of 1830
Eugène Delacroix - La Liberté guidant le peuple (“Liberty leading the People”) , a symbol of the French Revolution of 1830

Though ultimately a victor in World War I, France suffered enormous human and material losses that weakened it for decades to come. Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 &ndash 13 August 1863 was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of Liberty Leading the People (La Liberté guidant le peuple is a painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 which toppled The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, saw the overthrow of King Charles X, the French World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The 1930s were marked by a variety of social reforms introduced by the Popular Front government. At the start of World War II, France held a series of unsuccessful rescue campaigns in Norway, Belgium and The Netherlands from 1939 to 1940. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Upon the May-June 1940 Nazi German blitzkrieg and its Fascist Italian support, France's political leadership disregarded Churchill's proposal of a Franco-British Union and signed the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial The term Italian Fascism denotes the totalitarian Fascismo political movement that ruled Italy from 1922 until 1943 under leader Benito Mussolini Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 The Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed at 1850 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, in the department of Oise, between Nazi Germany Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Germans established a puppet regime under Marshal Philippe Pétain known as Vichy France, which pursued a policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany. Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951 generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain ( Maréchal Pétain) Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 The regime's opponents formed the Free French Forces outside of France and the French Resistance inside. The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German France was liberated with the joint effort of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Free French Forces and the French resistance in 1944. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Soon the Nouvelle Armée Française (“new French army”) was established with the massive help of US-built material and equipment, and pursued the fight alongside the Allies in various battles, including the campaign of Italy.

The Fourth Republic was established after World War II and struggled to maintain its economic and political status as a dominant nation state. The founding of the Fourth Republic (1944-47 See also Three Parties, Third Force (France European Unity The creation of the For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy France attempted to hold on to its colonial empire, but soon ran into trouble. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism The half-hearted 1946 attempt at regaining control of French Indochina resulted in the First Indochina War, which ended in French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. First French interventions See also France-Vietnam relations France-Vietnam relations started as early as the 17th century with the mission of the Jesuit The First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina War, the The Anti-French War, the Franco-Vietnamese War, the Franco-Vietminh War, The Battle of Dien Bien Phu (Bataille de Diên Biên Phu Chiến dịch Điện Biên Phủ was the climactic battle of the First Indochina War between French Union Only months later, France faced a new, even harsher conflict in Algeria. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's

The debate over whether or not to keep control of Algeria, then home to over one million European settlers, wracked the country and nearly led to civil war. In 1958, the weak and unstable Fourth Republic gave way to the Fifth Republic, which contained a strengthened Presidency. See also Government of France The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on In the latter role, Charles de Gaulle managed to keep the country together while taking steps to end the war. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French The Algerian War and Franco-French civil war that resulted in the capital Algiers, was concluded with peace negotiations in 1962 that led to Algerian independence. Algiers (الجزائر Algerian Arabic: Dzayer ( (From kabyle pronunciation Kabyle: Ledzayer, Alger) is the Capital and largest

In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the political and economic integration of the evolving European Union, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e France has been at the forefront of the European Union member states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to create a more unified and capable European Union political, defence, and security apparatus. The French electorate voted against ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty in May 2005, but the successor Treaty of Lisbon was ratified by Parliament in February 2008. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE commonly referred to as the European Constitution, was an unimplemented international Treaty intended The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the

Government

Main articles: Government of France, Constitution of France, and Politics of France
Logo of the French republic
Logo of the French republic

The French Republic is a unitary semi-presidential republic with strong democratic traditions. The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares The current Constitution of France was adopted on October 4, 1958. The Politics of France take place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President of France A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The semi-presidential system is a System of government in which a prime minister and a President are both active participants in the day-to-day administration A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by referendum on 28 September 1958. The current Constitution of France was adopted on October 4, 1958. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to parliament. The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares The executive branch itself has two leaders: the President of the Republic, who is Head of State and is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year term (formerly 7 years), and the Government, led by the president-appointed Prime Minister. The President of the French Republic (Président de la République française colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France 's elected The Prime Minister of France ( Premier ministre français) in Fifth Republic is the functional Head of the government and Council of Ministers

The French parliament is a bicameral legislature comprising a National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) and a Senate. This article is for the post-Revolutionary and present-day institution In Government, bicameralism (bi + Latin la ''camera'' chamber is the practice of having two legislative or Parliamentary chambers Thus a bicameral The French National Assembly. The other is the Senate ( “Sénat”) The Senate (Sénat is the Upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president. The National Assembly deputies represent local constituencies and are directly elected for 5-year terms. The Assembly has the power to dismiss the cabinet, and thus the majority in the Assembly determines the choice of government. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 6-year terms (originally 9-year terms), and one half of the seats are submitted to election every 3 years starting in September 2008. [20] The Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the National Assembly has the final say, except for constitutional laws and lois organiques (laws that are directly provided for by the constitution) in some cases. The Senate (Sénat is the Upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament.

French politics are characterised by two politically opposed groupings: one left-wing, centred around the French Socialist Party, and the other right-wing, centred previously around the Rassemblement pour la République (RPR) and now its successor the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). The Socialist Party ( Parti Socialiste, PS is the largest left-wing political party in France. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The Rally for the Republic ( French: Rassemblement pour la République, RPR) was a French Right-wing Political party The executive branch is currently composed mostly of the UMP.

Conventions and notations

Law

Main article: Law of France
The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

France uses a civil legal system; that is, law arises primarily from written statutes; judges are not to make law, but merely to interpret it (though the amount of judge interpretation in certain areas makes it equivalent to case law). In academic terms French law can be divided into two main categories private law (" droit privé " and public law (" droit public " The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen is a fundamental document of the French Revolution, defining Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. Case law' (also known as decisional law or judicial precedent) is that body of reported Judicial opinions in countries that have Common law Basic principles of the rule of law were laid in the Napoleonic Code. The rule of law, in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français) is the French Civil code, established under In agreement with the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen law should only prohibit actions detrimental to society. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen is a fundamental document of the French Revolution, defining As Guy Canivet, first president of the Court of Cassation, wrote about the management of prisons:

Freedom is the rule, and its restriction is the exception; any restriction of Freedom must be provided for by Law and must follow the principles of necessity and proportionality. Guy Canivet (born September 23, 1943 in Lons-le-Saunier) is a French Judge. The Court of Cassation ( Cour de cassation in French) is the main Court of last resort in France.

That is, Law should lay out prohibitions only if they are needed, and if the inconveniences caused by this restriction do not exceed the inconveniences that the prohibition is supposed to remedy. In practice, of course, this ideal is often lost when laws are made.

French law is divided into two principal areas: private law and public law. Private law (Civil law is that part of a Legal system that involves relationships between individuals Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between Individuals ( Citizens companies) and the State. Private law includes, in particular, civil law and criminal law. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential Public law includes, in particular, administrative law and constitutional law. Administrative law is the body of Law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of Government. Constitutional law is the study of foundational or basic Laws of nation states and other political organizations However, in practical terms, French law comprises three principal areas of law: civil law; criminal law and administrative law.

France does not recognise religious law, nor does it recognise religious beliefs or morality as a motivation for the enactment of prohibitions. In some Religions law can be thought of as the ordering principle of Reality; Knowledge as revealed by God defining and governing all human affairs As a consequence, France has long had neither blasphemy laws nor sodomy laws (the latter being abolished in 1791). Blasphemy is the disrespectful use of the name of one or more gods. A sodomy law is a Law that defines certain Sexual acts as sex crimes. However “offences against public decency” (contraires aux bonnes mœurs) or breach of the peace (trouble à l'ordre public) have been used to repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution. Breach of the peace is a legal term used in Constitutional law in English-speaking countries and in a wider public order sense in Britain Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money.

Laws can only address the future and not the past (ex post facto laws are prohibited) ; and to be applicable, laws must be officially published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française. JORF redirects here For the radio station in Japan see Radio Nippon.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of France
See also: European Union, Latin Union, Francophonie, and United Nations Security Council

France is a member of the United Nations and serves as one of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council with veto rights. A charter member of the United Nations, France holds one of the permanent seats in the Security Council and is a member of most of its specialized and related agencies The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Latin Union is an International organization of nations that use a Romance language. La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. It is also a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (COI). The Secretariat of the Pacific Community, or SPC (sometimes Pacific Community) is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations The Indian Ocean Commission ( COI) known as the Commission de l'Océan Indien in French, is an intergovernmental organization that joins Comoros It is an associate member of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and a leading member of the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) of fifty-one fully or partly French-speaking countries. The Association of Caribbean States ( ACS; Spanish: Asociación de Estados del Caribe French: Association des États de la Caraïbe La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people It hosts the headquarters of the OECD, UNESCO, Interpol, Alliance Base and the International Bureau for Weights and Measures. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation Alliance Base is the cover name for a secret Western Counterterrorist Intelligence Center (CTIC established in 2002 in Paris. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures ( Bureau international des poids et mesures, in French) is an international Standards organization, one In 1953 France received a request from the United Nations to pick a coat of arms that would represent it internationally. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Thus the French emblem was adopted and is currently used on passports.

French foreign policy has been largely shaped by membership of the European Union, of which it was a founding member. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In the 1960s, France sought to exclude the British from the organisation, seeking to build its own standing in continental Europe. Since the 1990s, France has developed close ties with reunified Germany to become the most influential driving force of the EU, but consequently rivaling the UK and limiting the influence of newly-inducted East European nations. France is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but under President de Gaulle, it excluded itself from the joint military command to avoid the supposed domination of its foreign and security policies by US political and military influence. The North Atlantic Treaty In the early 1990s, the country drew considerable criticism from other nations for its underground nuclear tests in French Polynesia. French Polynesia ( French: Polynésie française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a French Overseas collectivity in the France vigorously opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, straining bilateral relations with the US and the UK. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia France retains strong political and economic influence in its former African colonies and has supplied economic aid and troops for peace-keeping missions in the Ivory Coast and Chad. Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r ' in English, kot diˈvwaʀ in French) or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa.

Military

Main article: Military of France
See also: Military history of France
Nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
Nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

The French armed forces are divided into four branches:

Since the Algerian War, conscription was steadily reduced and was finally suspended in 2001 by Jacques Chirac. The Military of France encompasses an army, a navy, an air force and a military police force. The military history of France encompasses an immense panorama of conflicts and struggles extending for more than 2000 years across areas including modern France, greater Development Construction The carrier replaced ''Foch'', a conventionally-powered aircraft carrier in 2001 For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Land Army is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and its largest The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm The French Air Force ( French: Armée de l'Air (ALA literally Air Army) is the Air force of the French Armed Forces. See Gendarmerie for similar forces in other countries In France, the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale is the national Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. The Algerian War ( French: Guerre d'Algérie; 1954-1962 also known as Algerian War of Independence, led to Algeria 's independence from Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority The total number of military personnel is approximately 359,000. France spends 2. 6% of its GDP on defence, slightly more than the United Kingdom (2. 4%) , and is the highest in the European Union where defence spending is generally less than 1. 5% of GDP. Together they account for 40% of EU defence spending. About 10% of France's defence budget goes towards its force de frappe, or nuclear weapons. The force de frappe (literally Strike Force; meant for dissuasion, i France is one of the five "Nuclear Weapons States" under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but is not known to possess or develop any chemical or A significant part of French military equipment is made in France. Examples include the Rafale fighter, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the Exocet missile, and the Leclerc tank. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Development Construction The carrier replaced ''Foch'', a conventionally-powered aircraft carrier in 2001 The Exocet is a French -built Anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels submarines and airplanes The Leclerc is a Main battle tank (MBT built by Nexter of France. Some weaponry, like the E-2 Hawkeye or the E-3 Sentry was bought from the United States. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Despite withdrawing from the Eurofighter project, France is actively investing in European joint projects such as the Eurocopter Tiger, multipurpose frigates, the UCAV demonstrator nEUROn and the Airbus A400M. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Versions Three versions of the frigates are planned one anti-submarine version one anti-aircraft version (FR ''Cassard'' class]] An unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV or "combat drone" is an experimental class of Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs The Dassault nEUROn, the so-called "European UCAV technology demonstrator" is an experimental UCAV being developed by the French company Dassault WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout France is a major arms seller as most of its arsenal's designs are available for the export market with the notable exception of nuclear powered devices. Some of the French designed equipments are specifically designed for exports like the Franco-Spanish Scorpène class submarines. Scorpène characteristics The Scorpène class of ships has three subtypes: the Basic Basic-AIP (with the MESMA Air-independent propulsion) and Compact Some French equipments have been largely modified to fit allied countries' requirements like the Formidable class frigates (based on the La Fayette class) or the Hashmat class submarines (based on the Agosta class submarines). Article conforms to British English usage (WikipediaManual of Style#National varieties of English & Day-Month-Year format (WikipediaManual of Style (dates and numbers#Dates Ships French Navy built by Arsenal de Cherbourg Agosta (S 620 - completed 1977 - decommissioned 1997 Bévéziers

Transportation

Main article: Transport in France
A TGV Atlantique.
A TGV Atlantique. This article concerns the history and current organisation of transport systems in France. The SNCF TGV Atlantique (TGV-A trains were built by Alsthom between 1988 - 1991.

The railway network of France, which stretches 31,840 kilometres (19,784 mi) is the most extensive in Western Europe. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. It is operated by the SNCF, and high-speed trains include the Thalys, the Eurostar and TGV, which travels at 320 km/h (200 mph) in commercial use. SNCF ( Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français) (French National Railway Company is a French public enterprise Thalys is an international high-speed train operator built around the high-speed lines between Paris, Brussels, Cologne and Amsterdam Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service The Eurostar, along with the Eurotunnel Shuttle, connects with the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris Eurotunnel Shuttle (previously known as Le Shuttle) is a shuttle service between Calais / Coquelles in France and Folkestone in The Channel Tunnel (Le tunnel sous la Manche also known as the Chunnel, is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in England with Rail connections exist to all other neighbouring countries in Europe, except Andorra. Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra ( Catalan: Principat d'Andorra) is a small Landlocked country in western Intra-urban connections are also well developed with both underground services and tramway services complementing bus services. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train

There is approximately 893,300 kilometres (555,070 mi) of serviceable roadway in France. The Paris region is enveloped with the most dense network of roads and highways that connect it with virtually all parts of the country. French roads also handle substantial international traffic, connecting with cities in neighboring Belgium, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however, motorway usage is through tolls except in the vicinity of large communes. The new car market is dominated by domestic brands such as Renault (27% of cars sold in France in 2003), Peugeot (20. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. 1%) and Citroën (13. Citroën (pronounced See-Troh-Enn is a French Automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. 5%). [23] Over 70% of new cars sold in 2004 had diesel engines, far more than contained petrol or LPG engines. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum Liquefied petroleum gas (also called LPG, GPL, LP Gas, or Autogas) is a mixture of Hydrocarbon Gases used as a Fuel [24] France possesses the world's tallest road bridge: the Millau Viaduct, and has built many important bridges such as the Pont de Normandie. The Millau Viaduct (le Viaduc de Millau) is a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau The Pont de Normandie (or Bridge of Normandy) is a cable-stayed road bridge that spans the river Seine linking Le Havre to Honfleur

There are approximately 478 airports in France, including landing fields. List of Airports in France, grouped by department and sorted by commune. The Charles de Gaulle International Airport located in the vicinity of Paris is the largest and busiest airport in the country, handling the vast majority of popular and commercial traffic of the country and connecting Paris with virtually all major cities across the world. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French in the Paris area is Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Air France is the national carrier airline, although numerous private airline companies provide domestic and international travel services. Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of There are ten major ports in France, the largest of which is in Marseille, which also is the largest bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ 14,932 kilometres (9,278 mi) of waterways traverse France including the Canal du Midi which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean through the Garonne river. The Canal du Midi or Canal des Deux Mers ( Occitan: Canal de las Doas Mars / Canal del Miègjorn) is a 240 km long canal in the south of France The Garonne (Garonne in Occitan, Catalan and Spanish: Garona; Garumna is a River in southwest France and northern

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of France
See also: Regions of France
The lands making up the French Republic, shown at the same geographic scale.
The lands making up the French Republic, shown at the same geographic scale. |||} Metropolitan France As of January 1, 2008, Metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including Corsica, although France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, The scale of a Map is the ratio of a single unit of distance on the map to the equivalent distance on the ground
The 22 regions and 96 departments of metropolitan France includes Corsica (Corse, lower right). Paris area is expanded (inset at left)
The 22 regions and 96 departments of metropolitan France includes Corsica (Corse, lower right). France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Paris area is expanded (inset at left)

France is divided into 26 administrative regions. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, 22 are in metropolitan France (21 are on the continental part of metropolitan France; one is the territorial collectivity of Corsica), and four are overseas regions. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Overseas region (Région d'outre-mer is a recent designation given to the overseas departments which have similar powers to those of the regions of Metropolitan The regions are further subdivided into 100 departments which are numbered (mainly alphabetically). In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This number is used in postal codes and vehicle number plates amongst others. Four of these departments are found in the overseas regions and are simultaneously overseas regions and overseas departments and are an integral part of France (and the European Union) and thus enjoy a status similar to metropolitan departments. Overseas department (départements d’outre-mer or DOM) is a designation under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic that was given to the The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The 100 departments are subdivided into 341 arrondissements which are, in turn, subdivided into 4,032 cantons. The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. These cantons are then divided into 36,680 communes, which are municipalities with an elected municipal council. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. There also exist 2,588 intercommunal entities grouping 33,414 of the 36,680 communes (i. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. e. 91. 1% of all the communes). Three communes, Paris, Lyon and Marseille are also subdivided into 45 municipal arrondissements. The municipal arrondissement (arrondissement municipal pronounced /aʀɔ̃dismɑ̃ mynisipal/ is a subdivision of the commune, used in the three largest cities Paris

The regions, departments and communes are all known as territorial collectivities, meaning they possess local assemblies as well as an executive. A Territorial collectivity ( collectivité territoriale and sometimes collectivité locale) within the French Republic, is the generic name Arrondissements and cantons are merely administrative divisions. However, this was not always the case. Until 1940, the arrondissements were also territorial collectivities with an elected assembly, but these were suspended by the Vichy regime and definitely abolished by the Fourth Republic in 1946. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of France from July 1940 to August 1944 The founding of the Fourth Republic (1944-47 See also Three Parties, Third Force (France European Unity The creation of the Historically, the cantons were also territorial collectivities with their elected assemblies.

In addition to the 26 regions and 100 departments, the French Republic also has six overseas collectivities, one sui generis collectivity (New Caledonia), and one overseas territory. The French overseas collectivities ( collectivités d'outre-mer or COM) like the French regions, themselves are first-order Administrative divisions Sui generis (English pronunciation ( IPA) /ˌsuːiˈdʒɛnərɪs/ roughly "SOO-ee JEN-a-ris" Latin pronunciation /ˌsuːiˈgeneris/ is a Neo-Latin For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. Overseas collectivities and territories form part of the French Republic, but do not form part of the European Union or its fiscal area. The Pacific territories continue to use the Pacific franc whose value is linked to that of the euro. The CFP franc (called the franc in everyday use is the Currency used in the French overseas possessions of French Polynesia, New Caledonia Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e In contrast, the four overseas regions used the French franc and now use the euro.

France also maintains control over a number of small non-permanently inhabited islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin Island. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( French: Îles Éparses or Îles éparses de l'océan indien) consist of four small coral islands and an atoll Clipperton Island ( French: Île de Clipperton or Île de la Passion) is a nine-square-kilometre coral Atoll in the Eastern Pacific The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( French: Îles Éparses or Îles éparses de l'océan indien) consist of four small coral islands and an atoll The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( French: Îles Éparses or Îles éparses de l'océan indien) consist of four small coral islands and an atoll The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( French: Îles Éparses or Îles éparses de l'océan indien) consist of four small coral islands and an atoll The Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean ( French: Îles Éparses or Îles éparses de l'océan indien) consist of four small coral islands and an atoll

See also: Aire urbaine and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants (1999 census)

Overseas regions

Overseas departments have the same political status as metropolitan departments. The aire urbaine is an INSEE (the national statistics office of France statistical region comprising a Couronne périurbaine commuter belt around a contiguous This is a list of communes in France with a population over 20000 at the March 8 1999 census.

Economy

Main article: Economy of France
See also: List of French companies and Economic history of France
The first completed Airbus A380 at the “A380 Reveal” event in Toulouse on 18 January 2005. Airbus is a symbol of the globalisation of the French and European economy
The first completed Airbus A380 at the “A380 Reveal” event in Toulouse on 18 January 2005. Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Réunion ( French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of This article addresses the current economic situation of France This is a list of companies from France. A-B C-D E-K L-Q R-S T-Z This is a history of the economy of France. For more information on historical cultural demographic and sociological developments in France see the chronological WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Airbus is a symbol of the globalisation of the French and European economy

France's economy combines extensive private enterprise (nearly 2. 5 million companies registered) with substantial (though declining) government intervention (see dirigisme). Dirigisme (from the French) (in English also "dirigism" although per the OED both spellings are used is an Economic term designating an economy The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunications firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Télécom, Air France, as well as the insurance, banking, and defence industries. France Télécom () is the main Telecommunication company in France and one of the largest in the world Air France (formally Société Air France) is one of the world's largest Airlines Air France is based in Paris, France, and is a subsidiary of

A member of the G8 group of leading industrialised countries, it is ranked as the fifth or sixth largest economy by nominal GDP depending on source. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE [25] 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. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Linguistic Euro banknotes are the Banknotes of the Euro, the currency of the Eurozone (see European Union) The franc (represented by the franc sign ₣ or more commonly just F) is a former Currency of France.

According to the OECD, in 2004 France was the world's fifth-largest exporter and the fourth-largest importer of manufactured goods. In 2003, France was the 2nd-largest recipient of foreign direct investment among OECD countries at $47 billion, ranking behind Luxembourg (where foreign direct investment was essentially monetary transfers to banks located in that country) but above the United States ($39. Foreign direct investment ( FDI) in its classic definition is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country 9 billion), the United Kingdom ($14. 6 billion), Germany ($12. 9 billion), or Japan ($6. 3 billion). In the same year, French companies invested $57. 3 billion outside of France, ranking France as the second most important outward direct investor in the OECD, behind the United States ($173. 8 billion) , and ahead of the United Kingdom ($55. 3 billion), Japan ($28. 8 billion) and Germany ($2. 6 billion).

In the 2005 edition of OECD in Figures, the OECD also noted that France leads the G7 countries in terms of productivity (measured as GDP per hour worked). This is a list of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross Domestic Product ( PPP converted) per hour worked. [26] In 2004, the GDP per hour worked in France was $47. 7, ranking France above the United States ($46. 3), Germany ($42. 1), the United Kingdom ($39. 6), or Japan ($32. 5). [27]

La Défense, Paris is the heart of the French economy.
La Défense, Paris is the heart of the French economy. La Défense is a major Business district for the city of Paris, bordering Neuilly-sur-Seine, west of the city itself Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Despite figures showing a higher productivity per hour worked than in the US, France's GDP per capita is significantly lower than the US GDP per capita, being in fact comparable to the GDP per capita of the other European countries, which is on average 30% below the US level. The reason for this is that a much smaller percentage of the French population is working compared to the US, which lowers the GDP per capita of France, despite its higher productivity. In fact, France has one of the lowest percentages of its population aged 15-64 years at work among the OECD countries. In 2004, 68. 8% of the French population aged 15-64 years was in employment, compared to 80. 0% in Japan, 78. 9% in the UK, 77. 2% in the US, and 71. 0% in Germany. [28] This phenomenon is the result of almost thirty years of massive unemployment in France, which has led to three consequences reducing the size of the working population: about 9% of the active population is without a job; students delay as long as possible their entry into labour market; and finally, the French government gives various incentives to workers to retire in their early 50s, though these are now receding.

As many economists have stressed repeatedly over the years, the main issue with the French economy is not an issue of productivity. In their opinion, it is an issue of structural reforms, in order to increase the size of the working population in the overall population. Liberal and Keynesian economists have different answers to that issue. Economic liberalism is the Economic component of Classical liberalism. In Economics Keynesian economics (ˈkeɪnziən also Keynesianism and Keynesian Theory) is based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist Lower working hours and the reluctance to reform the labour market are mentioned as weak spots of the French economy in the view of the right and lack of government policies fostering social justice by the left. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Recent government attempts at adjusting the youth labour market, to combat unemployment, have met with fierce resistance.

With 81. 9 million foreign tourists in 2007,[12] France is ranked as the first tourist destination in the world, ahead of Spain (58. The World Tourism rankings are compiled by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO as part of their World Tourism Barometer publication Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 5 million in 2006) and the United States (51. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 1 million in 2006). This 81. 9 million figure excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France, such as northern Europeans crossing France on their way to Spain or Italy during the Summer. France features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost), beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow Aside of casual tourism France attracts a lot of religious pilgrims to Lourdes, a town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département, that hosts a few million tourists a year. Lourdes ( Occitan: Lorda) is a town and commune situated in the southwest of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, lying in the first Pyrenean Popular tourist sites include: (according to a 2003 ranking[29] visitors per year): Eiffel Tower (6. The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built 2 million), Louvre Museum (5. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France 7 million), Palace of Versailles (2. The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region 8 million), Musée d'Orsay (2. The Musée d'Orsay is a Museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine, housed in the former railway station the Gare 1 million), Arc de Triomphe (1. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. 2 million), Centre Pompidou (1. Centre Georges Pompidou (constructed 1971–1977 and known as the Pompidou Centre in English) is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement 2 million), Mont-Saint-Michel (1 million), Château de Chambord (711,000),Sainte-Chapelle (683,000), Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (549,000), Puy de Dôme (500,000), Musée Picasso (441,000), Carcassonne (362,000). Mont Saint-Michel ( English: St Michael's Mount) is a rocky Tidal island in Normandy, France. The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable Châteaux in the world because of its very La Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel is a Gothic Chapel on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France. The château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is located at Orschwiller, Alsace, France, in the Vosges mountains just west of Sélestat. Puy-de-Dôme (Puèi Domat Puèi de Doma is a large Lava dome and one of the youngest Volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central This article refers to the museum in Paris. There are a number of other Musée Picasso. Carcassonne (Carcassona is a fortified French town in the Aude département, of which it is the Prefecture,

France has an important aerospace industry led by the European consortium Airbus, and is along with Sweden the only European power (excluding Russia) to have its own national spaceport (Centre Spatial Guyanais). Airbus SAS (ˈɛərbʌs in English, Airbus2ogg|/ɛʁbys/]] in French, and /ˈɛːɐbʊs/ in German) is an aircraft manufacturing A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching Spacecraft, by analogy with Seaport for Ships or Airport for Aircraft The Guiana Space Centre, or more commonly Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG is a French Spaceport near Kourou in French Guiana. France is also the most energy independent Western country due to heavy investment in nuclear power (Nuclear power in France), which also makes France the smallest producer of carbon dioxide among the seven most industrialized countries in the world. Nuclear power is any Nuclear technology designed to extract usable Energy from atomic nuclei via controlled Nuclear reactions In France, As of 2002, Électricité de France (EDF — the country's main Electricity generation and distribution company — manages the country's 59 Greenhouse gases are gaseous constituents of the atmosphere bothnatural and anthropogenic that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared As a result of large investments in nuclear technology, most of the electricity produced in the country is generated by nuclear power plants (78. 1% in 2006,[30] up from only 8% in 1973, 24% in 1980, and 75% in 1990).

Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and EU subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer and exporter in Europe. Wheat, poultry, dairy, beef, and pork, as well as an internationally recognised foodstuff and wine industry are primary French agricultural exports. The food industry is the complex global collective of diverse Businesses that together supply much of the Food energy consumed by the World population. EU agriculture subsidies to France total almost $14 billion.

Since the end of the Second World War the government made efforts to integrate more and more with Germany, both economically and politically. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Today the two countries form what is often referred to as the “core” countries in favour of greater integration of the European Union.

Demography

Main articles: Demography of France and Languages of France
Metropolitan French cities with over 100,000 inhabitants
Metropolitan French cities with over 100,000 inhabitants

With an estimated population of 64. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. There are a number of languages of France. The French language is by far the most widely spoken and the only Official language of France, but several 5 million people, France is the 19th most populous country in the world. France's largest cities are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Nice, and Nantes. This is a list of communes in France with a population over 20000 at the March 8 1999 census. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Marseille, ( English alt Marseilles mɑrˈseɪ — French: maʁsɛj locally — Provençal Occitan: Marselha maʀˈsijɔ ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. Lille (lil Rijsel is a city in northern France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in the country Toulouse ( pronounced in standard French, and in the local accent ( Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced) is a city in southwest Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast

In 2003, France's natural population growth (excluding immigration) was responsible for almost all natural population growth in the European Union. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In 2004, population growth was 0. 68% and then in 2005 birth and fertility rates continued to increase. The natural increase of births over deaths rose to 299,800 in 2006. The lifetime fertility rate rose to 2. 00 in 2007, from 1. 92 in 2004. [1]

In 2004, a total of 140,033 people immigrated to France. Of them, 90,250 were from Africa and 13,710 from Europe. [31] In 2005, immigration level fell slightly to 135,890. [32] France is an ethnically diverse nation. According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, it has an estimated 4. INSEE ( French: I nstitut N ational de la S tatistique et des É tudes É conomiques; inse (not) in French is the 9 million foreign-born immigrants, of which 2 million have acquired French citizenship. [33] France is the leading asylum destination in Western Europe with an estimated 50,000 applications in 2005 (a 15% decrease from 2004). According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race [34] The European Union allows free movement between the member states. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in While the UK (along with Ireland) did not impose restrictions, France put in place controls to curb Eastern European migration. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent.

France's legacy: a map of the Francophone world      native language      administrative language      secondary or non-official language      francophone minorities
France's legacy: a map of the Francophone world      native language      administrative language      secondary or non-official language      francophone minorities
Demography evolution from 1961 up to 2003 (according to the FAO, 2005). Population in thousands of inhabitants
Demography evolution from 1961 up to 2003 (according to the FAO, 2005). French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Population in thousands of inhabitants

A perennial political issue concerns rural depopulation. Rural depopulation is a phenomenon affecting Rural locales in both developed and developing countries whereby net population movement leaves rural places with decreasing population Over the period 1960-1999 fifteen rural départements experienced a decline in population. In the most extreme case, the population of Creuse fell by 24%. Creuse ( Occitan: Cruesa) is a department in central France named after the Creuse River.

According to Article 2 of the Constitution, French is the sole official language of France since 1992. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people This makes France the only Western European nation (excluding microstates) to have only one officially recognised language. The European microstates or ministates are a handful of very small sovereign States on the European Continent and the surrounding islands However, 77 regional languages are also spoken, in metropolitan France as well as in the overseas departments and territories. There are a number of languages of France. The French language is by far the most widely spoken and the only Official language of France, but several Until recently, the French government and state school system discouraged the use of any of these languages, but they are now taught to varying degrees at some schools. [35] Other languages, such as Portuguese, Italian, Maghrebi Arabic and several Berber languages are spoken by immigrants. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Maghrebi Arabic is a cover term for the varieties of Arabic spoken in the Maghreb, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Nomenclature The term Berber has been used in Europe since at least the 17th century and is still used today

Religion

Main article: Religion in France
France religiosity
religion percent
Christianity
  
 54%
Not religious
  
 31%
Islam
  
 4%
Buddhism
  
 1. France is a secular country where Freedom of thought and of religion are preserved in virtue of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the 2%
Judaism
  
 1%
Other religions or no opinion
  
 10%

France is a secular country as freedom of religion is a constitutional right, although some religious organisations such as Scientology, Children of God, the Unification Church, and the Order of the Solar Temple are considered cults. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices initially created by American Science fiction author L The Children of God (COG later known as the Family of Love, the Family, and now the Family International (TFI is a Christian religious group widely The Unification Church is a New religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. The Order of the Solar Temple also known as Ordre du Temple Solaire ( OTS) in French, and the International Chivalric Organization of the Solar Tradition This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice [36] According to a January 2007 poll by the Catholic World News:[37][38] 51% identified as being Catholics, 31% identified as being agnostics or atheists. As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the Atheism (Another poll[39] gives atheists proportion equal to 27%), 10% identified as being from other religions or being without opinion, 4% identified as Muslim, 3% identified as Protestant, 1% identified as Jewish. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[40] 34% of French citizens responded that “they believe there is a god”, whereas 27% answered that “they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force” and 33% that “they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force”. Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973 One other study gives 32% of people in France declaring themselves to be atheists, and another 32% declaring themselves “sceptical about the existence of God but not an atheist”. Atheism [41]

The current Jewish community in France numbers around 600,000 according to the World Jewish Congress and is the largest in Europe. The Jewish community in France presently numbers around 600000 according to the World Jewish Congress and 500000 according to the Appel Unifié Juif de France and is The World Jewish Congress ( WJC) is an international federation of Jewish communities and organizations Estimates of the number of Muslims in France vary widely. Statistics Estimates of the number of Muslims in France vary widely According to the 1999 French census returns, there were only 3. 7 million people of “possible Muslim faith” in France (6. 3% of the total population). There are an estimated 200,000 to 1 million illegal immigrants in France.

The concept of laïcité exists in France and because of this, since 1905, the French government is legally prohibited from recognising any religion (except for legacy statutes like those of military chaplains and Alsace-Moselle). Laïcité (laisiˈte is the French concept of a Secular society, connoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs A chaplain is typically a Priest, Pastor, ordained Deacon, Rabbi, Imam or other member of the Clergy serving a group of Alsace-Moselle is the current legal name of the Alsace-Lorraine territory the part of France that was part of Germany from 1871 to 1919 (and then Instead, it merely recognises religious organisations, according to formal legal criteria that do not address religious doctrine. Conversely, religious organisations should refrain from intervening in policy-making. Tensions occasionally erupt about alleged discrimination against minorities, especially against Muslims (see Islam in France). Statistics Estimates of the number of Muslims in France vary widely

Public health

The French healthcare system was ranked first worldwide by the World Health Organisation in 1997. This article describes policy-related systems For the article on hospital networks which are sometimes referred to as health care systems see Hospital network. [42] It is almost entirely free for people affected by chronic diseases (Affections de longues durées) such as cancers, AIDS or Cystic Fibrosis. In Medicine, a chronic disease is a Disease that is long-lasting or recurrent Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Cystic fibrosis (also known as CF, mucoviscoidosis, or mucoviscidosis) is a hereditary disease affecting the exocrine (mucus glands of the lungs Average life expectancy at birth is 79. 73 years.

As of 2003, there are approximately 120,000 inhabitants of France who are living with AIDS [2]

France, as all EU countries, is under an EU directive to reduce sewage discharge to sensitive areas. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in As of 2006, France is only 40% in compliance with this directive, placing it as one of the lowest achieving countries within the EU with regard to this wastewater treatment standard [3]. Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing Contaminants from Wastewater, both Runoff ( Effluents

The death of Chantal Sébire revived the debate over euthanasia in France. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Chantal Sébire ( January 28 1955 &ndash March 19 2008) was a retired 53-year-old French Teacher who suffered from Euthanasia (literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner It was reported on March 21, 2008. [43]

Culture

René Descartes, "Father of Modern Philosophy"
René Descartes, "Father of Modern Philosophy"
Main article: Culture of France

Architecture

Main article: French architecture
Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the finest and most famous examples of French Gothic architecture
Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the finest and most famous examples of French Gothic architecture
Saint Louis' Sainte Chapelle represents the French impact on religious architecture.
Saint Louis' Sainte Chapelle represents the French impact on religious architecture. The Culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by its geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and L'Académie française, or the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. For practical purposes the history of French art has been divided into a series of separate articles accessible through the template to the right French cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. The cinema of France comprises the art of Film making within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad The Notable Gardens of France is a list and description of the two hundred and some gardens classified as "Jardins Remarquable" by the French Ministry of Culture and France has long been considered a center for European Art and Music. The modern social structure in France started in the late 1950s and is based on three distinct classes The French educational system is highly centralized organised and ramified Public Holidays in France are This is a list of French people of note Actors/actresses A Isabelle Adjani Renée Adorée Franco-Belgian comics are Comics that are created in Belgium and France. History Baroque Classicism Empire Styles French provincial One of the most distinctive characteristics of many French NotreDameFlyingButtressjpg|right|thumb|250px|Notre Dame de Paris Flying Buttress]] Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Cathedral on the eastern half of the See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. La Sainte-Chapelle (The Holy Chapel is a Gothic Chapel on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France.
The Eiffel Tower is an icon of both Paris and France
The Eiffel Tower is an icon of both Paris and France

There is, technically speaking, no architecture named French Architecture, although that has not always been true. The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built Gothic Architecture's old name was French Architecture (or Opus Francigenum). See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The term “Gothic” appeared later as a stylistic insult and was widely adopted. Northern France is the home of some of the most important Gothic cathedrals and basilicas, the first of these being the Saint Denis Basilica (used as the royal necropolis); other important French Gothic cathedrals are Notre-Dame de Chartres and Notre-Dame d'Amiens. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral The Latin word basilica (derived from Greek, Basiliké Stoà, Royal Stoa) was originally used to describe a Roman The Basilica of Saint Denis ( French: Basilique de Saint-Denis, or simply Basilique Saint-Denis) is the burial site of almost all the French The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens) or simply Amiens Cathedral, is the tallest complete Cathedral in The kings were crowned in another important Gothic church: Notre-Dame de Reims. Notre-Dame de Reims ( Our Lady of Rheims) is the Cathedral of Reims, where the kings of France were once crowned Aside from churches, Gothic Architecture had been used for many religious palaces, the most important one being the Palais des Papes in Avignon. The Palais des Papes is a historical palace in Avignon, southern France, one of the largest and most important Medieval Gothic buildings in

During the Middle Ages, fortified castles were built by feudal nobles to mark their powers against their rivals. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. When King Philip II took Rouen from King John, for example, he demolished the ducal castle to build a bigger one. Philip II Augustus (Philippe Auguste ( 21 August[[ 165]] &ndash 14 July 1223) was the King of France from 1180 until his death Rouen (ʁwɑ̃ in French) is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northwestern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital John (24 December 1167 &ndash 19 October 1216 reigned as a King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death Fortified cities were also common, unfortunately most French castles did not survive the passage of time. This is why Richard the Lionheart's Château-Gaillard was demolished, as well as the Château de Lusignan. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death Château-Gaillard is a ruined medieval Castle, located above the town of Les Andelys, in the Eure département of The Château de Lusignan (in Lusignan, Vienne département, France) was the seat of the Lusignan family, Poitevin Some important French castles that survived are Chinon, Château d'Angers, the massive Château de Vincennes and the so called Cathar castles. Chinon is a castle located on the bank of the Vienne river in Chinon, France. The Château d'Angers is a castle in the city of Angers, in the département of Maine-et-Loire, in France. The Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the Cathar castles (in French Châteaux cathares) is a modern term used by the tourism industry (following the example of Pays Cathare - Cathar Country to arbitrarily

Before the appearance of this architecture France had been using Romanesque architecture like most of Western Europe (with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula, which used Mooresque architecture). Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which Some of the greatest examples of Romanesque churches in France are the Saint Sernin Basilica in Toulouse and the remains of the Cluniac Abbey (largely destroyed during the Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars). Saint-Sernin basilica located in Toulouse France was built during the Romanesque Period between AD 1080 and 1120 The Abbey of Cluny (or Cluni, or Clugny, pronunciation klyˈni is an abbey in France.

The end of the Hundred Years' War marked an important stage in the evolution of French architecture. It was the time of the French Renaissance and several artists from Italy and Spain were invited to the French court; many residential palaces, Italian-inspired, were built, mainly in the Loire Valley. French Renaissance is a recent term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century Such residential castles were the Château de Chambord, the Château de Chenonceau, or the Château d'Amboise. The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France is one of the most recognizable Châteaux in the world because of its very The Château de Chenonceau, near the small village of Chenonceaux, in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley The royal Château at Amboise is a Château located in Amboise, in the Indre-et-Loire département of the Loire Valley Following the renaissance and the end of the Middle Ages, Baroque Architecture replaced the gothic one. Baroque architecture, starting in the early 17th century in Italy, took the humanist Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical However, in France, baroque architecture found a greater success in the secular domain than in the religious one. [44] In the secular domain the Palace of Versailles has many baroque features. The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region Jules Hardouin Mansart can be said to be the most influential French architect of the baroque style, with his very famous baroque dome of Les Invalides. Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris April 16, 1646 &ndash Marly-le-Roi, France May 11, 1708) was a French Architect whose Les Invalides in Paris, France, is a complex of buildings in the city's 7th arrondissement containing Museums and monuments all relating Some of the most impressive provincial baroque architecture is found in places that were not yet French such as the Place Stanislas in Nancy. The Place Stanislas, known colloquially as the place Stan', is a large pedestrianized square in Nancy, Lorraine, France. Nancy (nɑ̃si archaic Nanzig Nanzeg is a city and commune in the Lorraine région of northeastern France On the military architectural side Vauban designed some of the most efficient fortresses of Europe and became a very influential military architect. Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to

After the Revolution the Republicans favoured Neoclassicism although neoclassicism was introduced in France prior to the revolution with such building as the Parisian Pantheon or the Capitole de Toulouse. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and The Panthéon ( Latin Pantheon, from Greek Pantheon meaning "All the gods" is a building in the Latin Quarter The Capitole de Toulouse is the seat of the municipal administration of the French city of Toulouse. Built during the French Empire the Arc de Triomphe and Sainte Marie-Madeleine represent this trend the best. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. L'église de la Madeleine (more formally L'église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine; less formally just La Madeleine) Madeleine Church in English is a church

Under Napoleon III a new wave of urbanism and architecture was given birth. If some very extravagant buildings such as the neo-baroque Palais Garnier were built, the urban planing of the time was very organised and rigorous. Neo-Baroque is a term used to describe artistic creations which display important aspects of Baroque style but are not from the Baroque period proper around the 17th-18th The Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra, is a 2200-seat For example Baron Haussmann rebuilt Paris. Georges-Eugène Haussmann ( March 27, 1809 &ndash January 11, 1891) who called himself Baron Haussmann, was a French The Haussmann Renovations, or Haussmannisation of Paris, was a work commissioned by Napoléon III and led by the Seine prefect, Baron These times also saw a strong Gothic-Revival trend across Europe, in France the associated architect was Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc ( January 27 1814 &ndash September 17, 1879) was a French Architect and theorist famous for his "restorations" In the late 19th century Gustave Eiffel designed many bridges (like the Garabit viaduct) and remains one of the most influential bridge designer of his time, although he is best remembered for the Eiffel Tower. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( December 15, 1832 &ndash December 27, 1923; in French efɛl in English usually ˈaɪfəl was a French Eiffel and his bridge The French recession of 1864 prematurely ended Eiffel's tenure at the General Railway Equipment Company but he used the misfortune to begin independent consulting The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built

In the 20th century the Swiss Architect Le Corbusier designed several buildings in France. Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, who chose to be known as Le Corbusier ( October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965) was a Swiss More recently French architects have combined both modern and old architectural styles. The Louvre Pyramid is a good example of modern architecture added to an older building. The Louvre Pyramid is a large Glass and metal Pyramid, surrounded by three smaller ones in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum ( Musée du Louvre Certainly the most difficult buildings to integrate within French cities are skyscrapers, as they are visible from afar. France's largest financial district is La Defense, where a significant number of skyscrapers are located. La Défense is a major Business district for the city of Paris, bordering Neuilly-sur-Seine, west of the city itself Other massive buildings that are a challenge to integrate into their environment are large bridges; a good example of the way this has been done is the Millau Viaduct. The Millau Viaduct (le Viaduc de Millau) is a large cable-stayed road-bridge that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau Some famous modern French architects include Jean Nouvel or Paul Andreu. Jean Nouvel (born 12 August 1945) is a French Architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding Paul Andreu (born July 10, 1938 in Caudéran / Gironde) is a renowned French Architect.

Literature

Main article: French literature
Molière is the most played author in the Comédie-Française
Molière is the most played author in the Comédie-Française

French literature tracks its origins back to the Middle Ages. This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his Stage name, Molière, ( January 15, 1622 – February 17 1673) was a French The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few State Theaters in France. French was not yet a uniform language but was divided into several dialects (mainly: northern oïl, southern oc dialects). Each writer used his own spelling and grammar. Several French mediaeval texts are not signed- such is the case with Tristan and Iseult, or with Lancelot and the Holy Grail, among many others. The legend of Tristan and Iseult is an influential romance and tragedy retold in numerous sources with as many variations The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the Prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend A significant part of mediaeval French poetry and literature was inspired by the Matter of France, such as the The Song of Roland and the various Chansons de geste. The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of Legendary history that springs from the Old French Medieval literature The Song of Roland (La Chanson de Roland is the oldest remaining major work of French literature. The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of Heroic deeds lineages" are the epic poems that appear at the dawn of French literature The “Roman de Renart” was written in 1175 by Perrout de Saint Cloude, and told the story of the medieval character Reynard ('the Fox') ; it is also a popular example of early French story-telling. Reynard the Fox, also known as Renard, Renart, Reinard, Reinecke, Reinhardus, Reynardt, Reynaerde

In spite of the anonymous character of many French writings of the Middle-Ages, some medieval writers became quite famous: Chrétien de Troyes, for instance. Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and Trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. 'Oc' culture was also quite influent in the Middle Ages. Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan An early example of a vernacular poet writing in Occitan was Duke William IX of Aquitaine. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality Occitan ( IPA BrE: /ˈɒksɪtn/ AmE: /ˈɑksəˌtɑn/ known also as Lenga d'òc or Langue d'oc (native name occitan

About the history of the French language, one of the most important writer is unquestionably François Rabelais. Modern French took a great deal from his style. His most famous work is quite probably Gargantua and Pantagruel. The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel (in French, La vie de Gargantua Later on, Jean de La Fontaine wrote his famous “Fables”, a collection of short stories, written in verse, and usually ending with a “moral teaching”.

During the 17th century Pierre Corneille, Jean Racine and Molière's plays, Blaise Pascal and René Descartes's moral and philosophical books deeply influenced the aristocracy leaving an important heritage for the authors of the following decades. Pierre Corneille ( June 6, 1606 – October 1, 1684) was a French tragedian who was one of the three great seventeenth Century French Jean Racine ( ( December 22, 1639 &ndash April 21, 1699) was a French Dramatist, one of the "big three" of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his Stage name, Molière, ( January 15, 1622 – February 17 1673) was a French Blaise Pascal (blɛz paskal (June 19 1623 &ndash August 19 1662 was a French Mathematician, Physicist, and religious Philosopher

But it is most certainly in the 18th and 19th centuries which French literature and poetry reach its highest point. The 18th century saw the writings of such huge writers, essayists and moralists as Voltaire, Denis Diderot and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. François-Marie Arouet ( 21 November 1694 30 May 1778) better known by the Pen name Voltaire, was a French Denis Diderot ( October 5, 1713 – July 31, 1784) was a French Philosopher and writer As concerns French children's literature in those times, Charles Perrault was probably the most prolific writer, with stories such as: “Puss in Boots”, “Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Bluebeard”. Cinderella ( French: Cendrillon, Slovak: Popoluška, German: Aschenputtel, Spanish: Cenicienta Sleeping Beauty ( "La Belle au Bois dormant" (The Beauty asleep in the wood is a Fairy tale classic the first in the set published in 1697 by Bluebeard is the title character in a famous Fairy tale about a violent nobleman and his curious wife

The 19th century saw the birth of many French novels of world renown; Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Jules Verne are probably among the most famous among these writers, both in and outside of France, with such highly popular novels such as The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte-Cristo, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, or The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction The Three Musketeers ( Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a Novel by Alexandre Dumas père. The Count of Monte Cristo ( Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an Adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas père. For the 1954 film starring Kirk Douglas see 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Notre-Dame de Paris is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. Other 19th century fiction writers include Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, Théophile Gautier and Stendhal. Émile François Zola ( (2 April 1840 &ndash 29 September 1902 was an influential French Writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of Guy de Maupassant (gi də mopasɑ̃ (5 August 1850 &ndash 6 July 1893 was a popular 19th-century French Writer and considered one of the fathers of the modern See also Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French Poet, Dramatist Henri-Marie Beyle ( January 23, 1783 &ndash March 23, 1842) better known by his Pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century

Symbolist poetry of the turn of the 19th century also proved to be a strong movement in French poetry, with artists such as Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé. Paul-Marie Verlaine (vɛʁˈlɛn March 30, 1844 &ndash January 8, 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé (malaʁ'me ( March 18, 1842 – September 9, 1898) whose real name was Étienne Mallarmé, was a French

Now also famous outside of France (whereas they used to be mostly known inside of France) are Louis-Ferdinand Céline and Albert Camus. Louis-Ferdinand Céline was the Pen name of French writer and doctor Louis-Ferdinand Destouches (27 May 1894 &ndash 1 July 1961 Albert Camus ( (7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960 was an Algerian born French Author, philosopher, and journalist who won the Nobel prize One of the most well-known 20th century writers is Antoine de St. -Exupéry, whose “Little Prince” has been translated and become a bestseller in a great many countries, remaining popular both with children and adults. The Little Prince ( Le Petit Prince) published in 1943 is French Aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry 's most famous Novella

Nowadays, the Prix Goncourt (first given in 1903) rewards “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year”. The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given to the Author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year" It has quite probably become France's best-known contemporary literary award.

Sport

Main article: Sport in France
Tour de France
Tour de France

Popular sports include football, both codes of rugby football and in certain regions basketball and handball. The most-watched sports in France is football. Other popular sports include Handball, Basketball, Rugby union, Cycling, Sailing and History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Rugby football (usually just " rugby " may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of Football developed at Rugby School Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six France has hosted events such as the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups, and hosted the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup. The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup and was held in France from June 4 to June 19. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th staging of the World Cup was held in France from June 10 to July 12 after 60 years to celebrate the third edition scheduled The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international Rugby union world championship inaugurated in 1987. Stade de France in Paris is the largest stadium in France and was the venue for the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, and hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup final in October 2007. The Stade de France is a Stadium in Saint-Denis, France in the inner suburbs of Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city France also hosts the annual Tour de France, the most famous road bicycle race in the world. History See also:CategoryTour de France by year The dominant sports newspaper in France Road bicycle racing is a popular Bicycle racing Sport held on roads (following the Geography of the area using Racing bicycles The France is also famous for its 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race held in the Sarthe department. The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, Sports car racing is a form of circuit Auto racing with Automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants Sarthe (saʁt is a French department, named after the Sarthe River. Several major tennis tournaments take place in France, including the Paris Masters and the French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) The BNP Paribas Masters is an annual Tennis tournament for male professional players held in Paris, France. The French Open ( Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros) is a major Tennis tournament held over The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most important Tennis events of the year

France is the country of creation of the Modern Olympic Games, due to a French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, in the end of the 19th century. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the After Athens in reference to the Greek origin of the ancient Olympic Games, Paris hosted the second Games in 1900. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Paris was also the first home of the IOC, before moving to Lausanne for more neutrality. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Lausanne ( pronounced, Losanna is a city in Romandy, the French -speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva During the Modern era, France has hosted the Olympic Games fives times: two Summer Games (1900 and 1924, both in Paris) and three Winter Games (1924 in Chamonix -the first edition-, 1968 in Grenoble and 1992 in Albertville). The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or more commonly Chamonix (ʃamɔni in French is a Town and commune in eastern France, in the Haute-Savoie The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 Grenoble is a city and commune in south-east France situated at the foot of the Alps where the Drac joins the Isère River. The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was staged in 1992 Albertville ( Arpitan: Arbèrtvile) is a commune in the Savoie department in the Alps in southeastern France

Both the national football team and the national rugby union team are nicknamed “Les Bleus” in reference to the team’s shirt color as well as the national French tricolor flag. The French national football team represents the nation of France in international football. The France national rugby union team represents France in Rugby union. The football team is regarded as one of the most skillful teams in the world with one FIFA World Cup victory in 1998, one FIFA World Cup second place in 2006, and two European Championships in 1984 and 2000. The FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international Association football The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA (the Union of European The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by The top national football club competition is the Ligue 1. Current Teams (2008-2009 Ligue 1 teams in European competitions The original European Cup of 1955-56 featured Real Madrid against Stade Rugby is also very popular, particularly in Paris and the southwest of France. The national rugby team has competed at every Rugby World Cup, and takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international Following from a strong domestic tournament the French rugby team has won sixteen Six Nations Championships, including eight grand slams; and have reached the semi-finals and final of the Rugby World Cup. The Top 14 is a Rugby union club competition which is played in France. The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition

Marianne

Main article: Marianne
Masonic Marianne bronze
Masonic Marianne bronze

Marianne is a symbol of the French Republic. Marianne, a National emblem of the French Republic, is by extension a Personification]alagor of Liberty and Reason. Marianne, a National emblem of the French Republic, is by extension a Personification]alagor of Liberty and Reason. She is an allegorical figure of liberty and the Republic and first appeared at the time of the French Revolution. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The earliest representations of Marianne are of a woman wearing a Phrygian cap. The Phrygian cap is a soft red conical cap with the top pulled forward worn in antiquity by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia The origins of the name Marianne are unknown, but Marie-Anne was a very common first name in the 18th century. Anti-revolutionaries of the time derisively called her La Gueuse (the Commoner). It is believed that revolutionaries from the South of France adopted the Phrygian cap as it symbolised liberty, having been worn by freed slaves in both Greece and Rome. Mediterranean seamen and convicts manning the galleys also wore a similar type of cap.

Under the Third Republic, statues, and especially busts, of Marianne began to proliferate, particularly in town halls. She was represented in several different manners, depending on whether the aim was to emphasise her revolutionary nature or her “wisdom”. Wisdom is a concept of personal gaining of Knowledge, Understanding, Experience, discretion and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity Over time, the Phrygian cap was felt to be too seditious, and was replaced by a diadem or a crown. In recent times, famous French women have been used as the model for those busts. Recent ones include Sophie Marceau, and Laetitia Casta. Sophie Marceau (sɔfi maʁso (born November 17, 1966) is a French actress. Laetitia Marie Laure Casta (born May 11, 1978 in Pont-Audemer, Normandy) is a French model and Actress. She also features on everyday articles such as postage stamps and coins. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services main - title Coin keywords numismatics coin review

International rankings

See also

Main list: List of basic France topics

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and territories, but excluding the French territory of Terre Adélie in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE The World Bank Group (WBG is a family of five International organizations responsible for providing Finance and advice to countries for the purposes of economic International trade is exchange of Capital, Goods, and Services across International borders or Territories. International trade is exchange of Capital, Goods, and Services across International borders or Territories. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to
  2. ^ French National Geographic Institute data. The Institut Géographique National (National Geographic Institute or IGN is a French public state administrative establishment founded in 1940 whose task is to
  3. ^ French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km² (0. In Law, land registration is a system by which the Ownership of estates in land, is recorded and registered usually by Government, in order "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. 386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers.
  4. ^ INSEE, Government of France. INSEE ( French: I nstitut N ational de la S tatistique et des É tudes É conomiques; inse (not) in French is the The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares Population totale par sexe et âge au 1er janvier 2008, France métropolitaine. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign (French)
  5. ^ INSEE, Government of France. INSEE ( French: I nstitut N ational de la S tatistique et des É tudes É conomiques; inse (not) in French is the The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares Bilan démographique 2007 : des naissances toujours très nombreuses. Retrieved on 2008-01-15. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign (French)
  6. ^ a b c Metropolitan France only. Metropolitan France (France métropolitaine or la Métropole, or colloquially l'Hexagone) is the part of France located in Europe, including
  7. ^ Whole of the French Republic except the overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean.
  8. ^ French overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean only.
  9. ^ In addition to .fr, several other Internet TLDs are used in French overseas départements and territories: .re, .mq, .gp, .tf, .nc, .pf, .wf, .pm, .gf and .yt. France also uses .eu, shared with other members of the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in
  10. ^ The overseas regions and collectivities form part of the French telephone numbering plan, but have their own country calling codes: Guadeloupe +590; Martinique +596; French Guiana +594, Réunion and Mayotte +262; Saint Pierre et Miquelon +508. The French telephone numbering plan is not only used for metropolitan France, but also for the French Overseas departments and some overseas collectivities Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Réunion ( French: Réunion or formally La Réunion; previously Île Bourbon) is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of The Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a group of small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, the The overseas territories are not part of the French telephone numbering plan; their country calling codes are: New Caledonia +687, French Polynesia +689; Wallis and Futuna +681
  11. ^ For more information, see Category:Overseas departments, collectivities and territories of France. For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. French Polynesia ( French: Polynésie française, Tahitian: Pōrīnetia Farāni) is a French Overseas collectivity in the Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of Wallis and Futuna Islands ( French: Wallis et Futuna or Territoire des îles Wallis et Futuna,
  12. ^ a b Government of France, Directorate of Tourism. The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares Le tourisme international en France en 2007. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem (French)
  13. ^ Elizabeth M. Hallam & Judith Everard - Capetian France 937-1328, chapter 1 “The origins of Western Francia” page 7: “What did the name Francia mean in the tenth and eleventh centuries? It still retained a wide general use; both Byzantine and western writers at the time of the crusades described the western forces as Franks. But it was also taking on more specific meanings. From 911 onwards the west Frankish king was known as the Rex Francorum -king of the Franks- and the name Francia could be used to describe his kingdom, as it was also used by the east Frankish, or German, kingdom. . . The Robertines, forerunners of the Capetians, were duces francorum, dukes of the Franks, and their 'duchy' covered in theory most of northern France. Then as royal power contracted further, leaving the early Capetian only a small bloc of lands around Paris and Orleans, the term Francia was used for this region. ”
  14. ^ Sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System
  15. ^ CIA (2007). The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The World Factbook. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev
  16. ^ a b CIA (2006). near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The World Factbook: Field Listing - Elevation extremes. Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
  17. ^ (French) French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of France, is the cabinet minister responsible for the Foreign relations of France. La France en bref. Retrieved on 2008-03-20. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1600 - The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden.
  18. ^ According to a different calculation cited by the Pew Research Center, the EEZ of France would be 10,084,201 square kilometres (3,893,532 sq mi), still behind the United States (12,174,629 km² / 4,700,651 sq mi), and still ahead of Australia (8,980,568 km² / 3,467,416 sq mi) and Russia (7,566,673 km² / 2,921,508 sq mi). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
  19. ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005). The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of France, is the cabinet minister responsible for the Foreign relations of France. Discovering France: Geography. Retrieved on 2006-12-29. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II
  20. ^ Rôle et fonctionnement du Sénat. French Senate (2006). The Senate (Sénat is the Upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president. Retrieved on 2006-04-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
  21. ^ Comparison of recognised and alleged nuclear powers.
  22. ^ La marine chinoise accède au rang de 3ème puissance mondiale
  23. ^ L'automobile magazine, hors-série 2003/2004 page 294
  24. ^ www.ademe.fr/particuliers/Fiches/voiture/rub3.htm.
  25. ^ UK slips behind France on economy. Financial Times (2008-01-11). The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Retrieved on 2008-05-12. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre.
  26. ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). Labour productivity 2003 (Microsoft Excel). In Computing, Microsoft Excel (full name Microsoft Office Excel) consists of a proprietary Spreadsheet -application written and distributed Retrieved on 2006-04-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
  27. ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). Differentials in GDP per capita and their decomposition, 2004 (Microsoft Excel). In Computing, Microsoft Excel (full name Microsoft Office Excel) consists of a proprietary Spreadsheet -application written and distributed Retrieved on 2006-04-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
  28. ^ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). OECD Employment Outlook 2005 - Statistical Annex (PDF format). Retrieved on 2006-06-29. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland.
  29. ^ Musées et Monuments historiques
  30. ^ DGEMP / Observatoire de l'énergie (April 2007). Électricité en France: les principaux résultats en 2006.. Retrieved on 2007-05-23. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
  31. ^ Inflow of third-country nationals by country of nationality (2004).
  32. ^ Immigration and the 2007 French Presidential Elections (PDF).
  33. ^ INSEE (2005-01-25). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Enquêtes annuelles de recensement 2004 et 2005. Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people (French)
  34. ^ UNHCR (2006). Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a UNHCR Global Report 2005: Western Europe (PDF). Retrieved on 2006-12-14. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people
  35. ^ Jeanjean, Henri. “Language Diversity in Europe: Can the EU Prevent the Genocide of French Linguistic Minorities?” (PDF).
  36. ^ Commission d’enquête sur les sectes.
  37. ^ Catholic World News (2003). France is no longer Catholic, survey shows. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire.
  38. ^ (Romanian) Franţa nu mai e o ţară catolică, Cotidianul 2007-01-11
  39. ^ La Vie, issue 3209, 2007-03-01 (French)
  40. ^ Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11. Cotidianul is a Romanian newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Berliner format Retrieved on 2007-05-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
  41. ^ Religious Views and Beliefs Vary Greatly by Country, Financial Times/Harris Poll, December 2006
  42. ^ the ranking, see spreadsheet details for a whole analysis.
  43. ^ France searches its soul after euthanasia plea woman dies - CNN.com
  44. ^ Claude Lébedel - Les Splendeurs du Baroque en France: Histoire et splendeurs du baroque en France page 9: “Si en allant plus loin, on prononce les mots ‘art baroque en France’, on provoque alors le plus souvent une moue interrogative, parfois seulement étonnée, parfois franchement réprobatrice: Mais voyons, l'art baroque n'existe pas en France!”

External links

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Dictionary

France

-proper noun

  1. A country in Western Europe having borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. Member state of the European Union. Official name: French Republic (République Française). Population: 62 million inhabitants.
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