France (Differently)

French Republic
*République française*
Timeline: Differently
French Republic République françaiseTimeline: Differently
Flag	Coat of arms
	Motto: ; Liberté, égalité, fraternité; "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
	Anthem: ; La Marseillaise; https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:La_Marseillaise.ogg;
	Location of France (green)
Capital; (and largest city)	Paris
Official languages	French
Government	Federal semi-presidential republic
Legislature	French Parliament
Establishment
Area
Population
Currency	French Franc (₣)
Drives on the	right

France, officially the French Republic (French: République française), is a country in Europe. It borders Spain and Andorra to the southwest, Flanders, Wallonia, Luxembourg and Germany to the northwest, and Switzerland, Italy and Monaco to the south east. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the North Sea on the northwest and the Mediterranean Sea on the south east. Out of France's 18 regions, five are overseas departments. Its surface area of 643,801 square kilometers makes France the second-largest country in Europe and the 43rd-largest in the world. With a population of over 67.1 million inhabitants, it is the third-most populous country in Europe and the 24th in the world.

Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, France was settled by Celtic tribes during the Iron Age. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, leading to a distinct Gallo-Roman culture that laid the foundation of the French language. After the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Germanic Franks formed the Kingdom of Francia, which would eventually become the feudalised Kingdom of France. In the Middle Ages, France was involved in a dynastic conflict with the Kingdom of England known as the Hundred Years' War, which ended with France successfully securing its monarchy. The French Renaissance saw culture flourish, and the establishment of a colonial empire; however, France was also constantly at war with the House of Habsburg, and in the late 16th century had a civil war between Catholics and Huguenots. The 17th century saw France become a global power under Louis XIV, although its status became challenged following his death in 1714, with France losing most of its colonies to the British in the Seven Years' War.

In 1789, after years of internal strife, the French Revolution broke out, eventually resulting in the proclamation of the French First Republic, which became increasingly authoritarian as the government waged wars across Europe. In 1799, after rapidly rising in the ranks of the military over the past decade, Napoleon Bonaparte launched a coup and took over the government, eventually proclaiming the French Empire with himself as "Emperor of the French" in 1804. Between 1804 and 1812, France oversaw a large expansion of its influence, dissolving the Holy Roman Empire and establishing numerous client states in its place. By 1813 however, French forces were being pushed back by Coalition forces, which forced Napoleon to sign peace, allowing him to retain his imperial title. The empire then expanded its influence into the Americas under Napoleon III, before being dissolved during the Franco-Prussian War in favour of the Second Republic. France became one of the dominant powers in Europe again following the Great War; after a period of right-wing rule and internal conflict, the modern-day federal Third Republic was established in 1958.

France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a founding member of the League of Nations and the European Union, and is a member of PANTO.

History[]

For French history prior to 1958, see French Second Republic

Early years of the Third Republic (1958-1973)[]

Opdracht NTS, aankomst Franse Minister Michel Debre (kop), Bestanddeelnr 919-9852 — President Michel Debré following the foundation of the Third Republic, 2 January 1958

The 1957 referendum on the new constitution passed, allowing for it to come into effect on 1 January 1958; President Michel Debré proclaimed that the new constitution marked "the beginning of a new France, the Third Republic", confirming that the new constitution effectively created a new iteration of the republic. Debré and prime minister Daniel Mayer maintained their positions, with fresh elections being scheduled to be held later that year as per the constitution. Negotiations between French colonial authorities in French Australia and the National Australian Front continued in early 1958, with Debré personally visiting the region to apologise for the brutal methods that the previous Georges Pernot government used during the War in French Australia. The Louisbourg Accords were created, with the French government promising to grant high autonomy to the region and to ensure the protection of Aboriginal rights; these terms were agreed on, and the conflict came to a full end on 29 May 1958. This helped legitimise the new government's status as a reformist, peace-making authority, with rallies being held in both France and French Australia to celebrate Debré as the "bringer of peace".

The September 1958 elections took place as scheduled with no major delays; Debré was reelected as the first president elected by popular vote in French history, while a coalition between the French Section of the Workers' International, the French Communist Party and the Democratic Union Alliance formed following the legislative election. On 28 September, during Debré's inauguration as president, the radical factions of the Armed Forces led by Raoul Salan staged a coup d'état, taking over the Palais Bourbon, dissolving the French Parliament and establishing an emergency government with Salan as Acting President and Jacques Soustelle as Acting Prime Minister; expecting public support, the military government instead received significant opposition from the public, with protests against the regime taking place. The next day, the loyalist faction of the military retook the Palais Bourbon and arrested Salan and the other officers, reinstating the proper law and order. Salan and the other coup conspirators were placed on trial in November 1958, and then proclaimed guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison for conspiring against the Republic.

Geography[]

Location and borders[]

Over 97% of France's territory and 96% of its population is situated in its mainland in Western Europe, called Metropolitan France, while the country's various overseas polities, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion, are collectively known as Overseas France. Except for the borders with Flanders, Wallonia and Luxembourg in the northeast, the country's land borders are roughly delineated by natural boundaries and geographic features, including the Pyrenees and the Alps and the Jura to the south and southeast and the Rhine river to the east. Owing to its shape, France is nicknamed l'Hexagone ("The Hexagon"). Metropolitan France includes various coastal islands, of which the largest is Corsica off its southeastern coast, and is situated mostly between latitudes 41° and 51° N and longitudes 6° W and 10° E, lying within the northern temperate zone. Its continental part covers about 1000 km from north to south and from east to west.

Spanning over 543,940 square kilometres (210,020 sq mi), Metropolitan France is the largest member state of the European Union. France's total land area, including its overseas departments and territories, is 559,955 km² (216,200 sq mi). The country holds a variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the southeast, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the southwest.

Politics[]

Government[]

Current leadership of France (Differently) — Valérie Pécresse (President), Jean-Christophe Lagarde (Vice President, and Laurent Wauquiez (Prime Minister)

French politics follow the 1958 constitution, which passed by a majority in the 1957 constitutional referendum. The first form of governing principles in France was the Constitution of 1791, which established a constitutional monarchy with popular sovereignty. After the abolition of the monarchy in 1792, several constitutions were implemented throughout the First Republic, with varying degrees of governance. The Constitution of 1804 established the Napoleonic French Empire, and was amended multiple times in 1826, 1848 and 1869 respectively. The Second Republic didn't follow a proper codified constitution, instead following a series of laws that effectively acted as governing laws; these laws were replaced with the 1958 constitution following the 1957 referendum.

The French government follows a directly-elected semi-presidential system, with both the president and prime minister having equal say in policy-making. The president serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and is the highest authority in France, commonly having the final say in policy-making; since 1958, the president has been directly elected by popular vote. The vice president acts as the deputy, and serves as the president in the event that the office becomes vacant due to death or resignation. The prime minister meanwhile serves as head of government, and is responsible for forming a government and has to respond to any presidential demands.

The French Parliament is the main legislature of the French Republic, composed of two houses: the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies. With all seats combined, there are 925 seats in Parliament. Elections for the parliament are held every four years, with the Senators and Deputies being able to run for two terms consecutively.

Administrative divisions[]

France is divided into [WIP] provinces, with the current administrative system being adopted after the 1960 administrative reorganisation to accommodate the various ethnic groups within France.

Name	Capital	President
Alsace	Rennes	Robert Spieler
Brittany	Rennes	Christian Troadec
Corsica	Corte	Jean-Guy Talamoni

Sports[]

Association football (soccer) is popular in France. It is the home country of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's international governing body. The country hosted the third edition of the FIFA World Cup in 1940 and their national team won the 2015 edition in Germany.