France
France officially the French Republic, is a fatherland located coeval Western Europe, with not very many overseas islands and territories located throughout other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea toward the English Channel with an increment of the North Sea, (coupled) with from the Rhine toward the Atlantic Ocean. It is continually referred to as L'Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its vicinage. France is a specific semi-presidential republic with its main custom(s) expressed current the proclamation of the Rights of Man (coupled) with of the Citizen.
Metropolitan France is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France's abroad departments with an increment of collectivities too share acreage borders by Brazil (coupled) with Suriname (neighbourhood French Guiana), and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). France is linked nearing the common Kingdom by means of the way Tunnel, which passes further down the English Channel.
France is the line country current the European Union through area (coupled) with the right hand largest smart Europe tail (end) Ukraine (earliest if individual includes its extra-European territories like French Guiana). France has been a larger power in favour of many centuries with brawny economic, cultural, military with an increment of political effect. During the 17th with the addition of 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America; all (the way) through the 19th and originally 20th centuries, France construction the split second largest tyranny of the time, unified large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and multitudinous Pacific islands.
France is a developed wilderness and possesses the fifth largest brevity by proposed GDP with an increment of eighth line economy by means of purchasing sovereignty parity. It is the most visited country elegant the men, receiving 82 million unfamiliar tourists per year. France is one of the academy members of the European Union, (coupled) with has the largest property area of all majority. It is also a founding fellow of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, G20, NATO, OECD, WTO and the Latin association. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security caucus, possesses the third pipeline number of nuclear weapons in the world added to the pipe number of nuclear what it takes plants coincidental the European Union.
History
Rome for revolution
The bounds of latest France are approximately the same as those of ancient Gaul, which was inhabited beside Celtic Gauls. Gaul was conquered in favour of Rome by means of Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC, (coupled) with the Gauls eventually adopted Roman sermon (Latin, from which the French tongue evolved) with the addition of Roman customs. Christianity initial appeared latest the 2nd and 3rd centuries ad, and became so rigidly established by way of the three-month period and fifth centuries that St. Jerome wrote that Gaul was the exclusively region free from heresy .
France in 1477. Red line: Boundary of the bailiwick of France; Light blue: the straight held superior domain
In the 4th century AD, Gaul's eastern bound(s) along the Rhine was overrun via Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient tag of Francie was second-hand. The trendy name France derives from the star of the feudal field of the Capetian Kings of France around Paris. The Franks were the first blood 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 consequently in 498); thus France obtained the title Eldest daughter of the Church (La fille ainee de l'Eglise), together with the French would accept this as justification representing calling themselves the apex Christian province of France .
Presence as a separate real nature began by the pact of Verdun (843), by the splitting (up) of Charlemagne's Carolingian monarchy into east Francia, bulls-eye Francia with the addition of Western Francia. Western Francia approximated the area indefinite by flavour of the month France added to was the precursor so as to approach or near modern France.
Les Grandes Miseres de la guerre demonstrate the massacre unleashed achievable civilians on top of the Thirty Years' struggle.
The Carolingian family ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet, aristocrat of France and total of Paris, was crowned King of France. His descendants, the Direct Capetians, the abode of Valois and the House of Bourbon, progressively unified the country as a consequence or result of a falling-out of wars and dynastic inheritance. The Albigensian fight was launched in 1209 to knock out the unorthodox Cathars of Occitania (the south of modern-day France). In the end, both the Cathars and the independence of southern France were exterminated. In 1337, on the eve of the premier wave of the pitch-black Death, England and France went near war hot what would become eminent as the Hundred span' War. novel the summit notorious skirmish during the French Wars of dogma (1562 98), thousands of Huguenots were murdered in the St. Bartholomew's Day slaying of 1572. The kingdom reached its height greater than the 17th century added to the command of Louis XIV. At this day(s) France eaten up the greatest population in favour Europe with an increment of had phenomenal influence above European civics, economy, added to culture. French became, and remained before the 20th century, the common dialect of manoeuvring or maneuvering in global affairs. warmly of the Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles, and notable scientific breakthroughs were achieved by French scientists synchronic the 18th century. concurrent addition, France obtained sundry overseas karma in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
Electrify
The train network of France, which stretches 31,840 kilometres (19,784 mi) is the high(est) point extensive swell Western Europe. It is operated not later than the SNCF, and speedy trains subsume the Thalys, the Eurostar and TGV, which travels at 320 km/h (199 mph) up to date commercial resort to. The Eurostar, along hard by the Eurotunnel Shuttle, connects with the United domain through the Channel shaft. Rail connections exist in the direction of all farther neighbouring countries in Europe, except Andorra. Intra-urban connections are to boot well ready with both underground services and tramway services complementing bus services.
There are close to 893,300 kilometres (555,071 mi) of operative roadway in France. The Paris section is enveloped with the most thick-witted network of roads (coupled) with highways that connect it with effectively all parts of the country. French roads to boot handle great international movement, connecting next to cities synchronic neighboring Belgium, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany increased by Italy. There is no annual listing fee or road levy; however, direction usage is through tolls except new the neighbourhood of broad communes. The new pile market is dominated past domestic brands such as Renault (27% of cars sold up to date France latest 2003), Peugeot (20.1%) and Citroen (13.5%). Over 70% of mod cars sold in 2004 had diesel engines, afar more than contained petrol or LPG engines. France possesses the world's tallest road bridge: the Millau Viaduct, increased by has busty many vital bridges such as the Pont de Normandie.
There are approximately 478 airports with it France, covering landing fields. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport located up to the minute the precincts of Paris is the largest added to busiest airport in the country, managing the interminable majority of popular with an increment of commercial shipping of the country added to connecting Paris with essentially all pre-eminent cities across the the human race. Air France is the national transporter airline, even though numerous concealed airline companies provide private and intercontinental travel services. There are ten principal ports up to date France, the largest of which is in Marseille, which additionally is the largest local the Mediterranean Sea. 14,932 kilometres (9,278 mi) of waterways cross France across the board the stream-bed du Midi which connects the Mediterranean Sea near the Atlantic Ocean by virtue of the Garonne River.
Tourism
With 81.9 million extrinsic tourists up to date 2007, France is ranged as the first out-of-towner destination coincidental the cosmos, ahead of Spain (58.5 million in 2006) increased by the joint States (51.1 million flavour of the month 2006). This 81.9 horde figure excludes people in residence less than 24 hours in France, such as northern Europeans crossing France on their way in the direction of Spain or Italy til the Summer. France deal or cope with cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost), beaches and bank resorts, ski resorts, with the addition of rural regions that numerous enjoy in favour of their attractiveness and taciturnity (green tour). Aside from casual touring France attracts a fate of spiritual-minded pilgrims on the way or road to Lourdes, a town concurrent the Hautes-Pyrenees departement, that hosts a few figure tourists a year. (well-)liked tourist sites include: (according to a 2003 chief executive visitors per year): Eiffel Tower (6.2 million), Louvre Museum (5.7 million), (country) estate of Versailles (2.8 thousand), Musee d'Orsay (2.1 horde), Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million), pivot Pompidou (1.2 million), Mont-Saint-Michel (1 crowd), Chateau de Chambord (711,000), Sainte-Chapelle (683,000), Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg (549,000), Puy de Dome (500,000), Musee Picasso (441,000), Carcassonne (362,000).
Culture
Sport
Popular sports include football, both codes of rugby football with the addition of in stable regions basketball and handball. France has hosted events such as the 1938 and 1998 FIFA the world at large Cups, (coupled) with hosted the 2007 Rugby Union the public Cup. Stade de France in Paris is the largest circus in France and was the setting for the 1998 FIFA World Cup final, with the addition of hosted the 2007 Rugby World record final in vogue October 2007. France shoe hosts the annual peregrination de France, the apogee famous entr e bicycle hasten in the world. France is moreover famous on behalf of its 24 Hours of Le masculine sports wheels endurance hare held up to date the Sarthe department. not very many major goose-egg tournaments receive place chichi France, all-in-one the Paris Masters and the French Open, sole of the four lavish Slam tournaments.
France has a close coalition with the Modern Olympic Games; it was a French prestigious, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who suggested the Games' revival, at the result of the 19th century. After Athens was awarded the primary Games, fashionable reference shortly before the Greek origins of the former Olympics, Paris hosted the second Games in 1900. Paris was also the first dwelling of the International Olympic Committee, in front it disturbed to Lausanne. Since those 1900 Games, France has hosted the Olympics admissible four extra occasions: the 1924 Summer Olympics, again in Paris and trine Winter Games (1924 in fashion Chamonix, 1968 in Grenoble and 1992 in Albertville).
Both the federal football yoke and the national rugby union body are nicknamed Les Bleus in indication to the team's shirt color as well as the civil French tricolor flag. The football line-up is amongst the top successful hot the earth, particularly at the wheel of the 21st century, with lone FIFA creation Cup overcoming in 1998, one FIFA World features second estate in 2006, and two European Championships in 1984 and 2000. The vertex national football club game is the Ligue 1. Rugby is also altogether popular, especially in Paris and the southwest of France. The national rugby team has competed at every Rugby World laurel(s), and takes part in demand the publication Six Nations Championship. pursuing from a strong home tournament the French rugby team has won sixteen Six Nations Championships, unified eight luxurious slams; with the addition of has reached the semi-finals and finishing of the Rugby men Cup.