| French Republic République française Timeline: Differently | ||||||
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| Motto: Liberté, égalité, fraternité "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" |
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| Anthem: La Marseillaise |
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 Location of France (green)
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| Capital (and largest city) | Paris | |||||
| Official languages | French | |||||
| Government | Federal semi-presidential representative democratic republic | |||||
| - | President | Anne Hidalgo | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Aurélie Filippetti | ||||
| Legislature | French Parliament | |||||
| - | Upper house | Senate | ||||
| - | Lower house | National Assembly | ||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | Kingdom of the West Franks | 10 August 843 | ||||
| - | Kingdom of France | 3 July 987 | ||||
| - | First republic | 21 September 1792 | ||||
| - | Current republic | 11 July 1924 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 543,940 km2 210,016 sq mi |
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| Population | ||||||
| - | Estimate | 67,120,000 (24th) | ||||
| 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, the Netherlands, 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. Throughout its history in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, France was constantly at war with England (later Britain), most notably the Hundred Years' War where England attempted to take over France.
In 1789, after a financial crisis in the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolution broke out, turning France into a constitutional monarchy and eventually a republic, which was replaced with the Orléans monarch. In 1802, Napoleon launched a coup and declared himself emperor. After ten years of constant warfare, the Napoleonic Wars were over, as the Bourbon monarch was restored until the 1830 revolution, which reestablished the Orléans dynasty. In 1870, following the war with Prussia, France was briefly a republic before instating the Savoy dynasty, which lasted until 1919 when it was replaced with a military dictatorship led by Philippe Pétain. The dictatorship collapsed in 1924, when it was again replaced with a democracy.
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. There have been two French Latin Secretaries.
History[]
Era of peace and prosperity (1924–1940)[]
War with Germany (1940–1942)[]
Main article: Polish-German War
Decolonisation and Cold War (1942–1960)[]
War in French Australia (1960–1973)[]
Main article: War in French Australia
End of 20th century (1973–1999)[]
Modern era (1999–present)[]
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 Belgium 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[]
The French Republic is a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic with strong democratic traditions. The President of the French Republic (French: Président de la République française), currently Luc Lloris, is the head of state, elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a no limit term (President for Life). The Prime Minister of the French Republic (French: Premier ministre de la République française), currently Jean Castex, is the head of government, appointed by the president of the Republic to lead the Government of France.
The French Parliament is a bicameral legislature comprising a National Assembly (Assemblée nationale) and a Senate (Sénat). The National Assembly deputies represent local constituencies and are directly elected for 5-year terms. The Assembly has the power to dismiss the government; 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); one half of the seats are submitted to election every 3 years.
The Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the National Assembly has the final say. The Government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament.
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.
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