France
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| République française | |||||
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| National information | |||||
| National motto: | National motto: Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood (French: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité) |
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| National anthem: | La Marseillaise | ||||
| About the people | |||||
| Official languages: | French | ||||
| Population: (# of people) | |||||
| - Total: | 63,044,000[1]
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| - Density: | 111 per km² | ||||
| Geography / Places | |||||
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| Capital city: | Paris | ||||
| Largest city: | Paris | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - Total: | 674,843 km² (ranked 40) | ||||
| Politics / Government | |||||
| Leaders: | President:
Prime Minister: |
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| Economy / Money | |||||
| Currency: (Name of money) |
Euro (€)[3], CFP Franc[4] | ||||
| International information | |||||
| Time zone: | in summer | ||||
| Telephone dialing code: | 33 | ||||
| Internet domain: | .fr | ||||
France (French: France), officially the French Republic (French: République française) is a country in Europe. Its capital city is Paris. France is a member of the European Union. France is known for its many monuments, structures, and places such as the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Giverny, Versailles, and Notre Dame. France is a country divided into régions and départements.
There are many important cities in France. Some of them are Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes and of course Paris.
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[change] Sports
The Tour de France cycling race in July is one of the best-known sporting events. It is a 3 week (3,630 km) race that covers most of France and ends in the center of Paris. Football is another popular sport in France. They won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the UEFA European Football Championship in 1984 and 2000.
[change] Religion
France is a secular country and freedom of religion guaranteed by the constitution. The population is about 51% Roman Catholic, 31% is agnostics or atheists. 10% identified as being from other religions or being without opinion, 4% identified as Muslim, 3% identified as Protestant, 1% identified as Jewish.
[change] Landscape and Climate
France is in Western Europe. France has borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France has two mountain ranges near its borders: the Alps and the Pyrenees. In France there are a lot of rivers. One of these rivers is the Loire. Low hills and river valleys cover much of north and west France. The climate of France is varied. The Atlantic has a large effect on the weather in the north and west. The east has cold clear winters and hot, often stormy, summers.
[change] Attractions
One of the most famous attractions in France is the Eiffel Tower. It is in Paris, the capital of France, beside the River Seine. Another one is Mont St Michel.
[change] Language
French is the official language of France. It belongs to the Romance language group, which includes Italian and Spanish. Many regional dialects are used in France. Alsatian, a German dialect is spoken in Alsace and in parts of Lorraine in eastern France. French used to be the language of diplomacy and culture in Europe around 17th - 19th century.
Some people in France also speak Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, German, Flemish, and Occitan.
[change] Regions
France is split into (administrative) regions. 22 of them are in Metropolitan France (the part of the country that is in Europe):
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1. Alsace |
12. Île-de-France |
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- Corsica has a different status than the other 21 metropolitan regions. It is called collectivité territoriale.
France also has 4 overseas regions:
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- Guadeloupe (in the Caribbean)
- French Guiana (in South America)
- Martinique (in the Caribbean)
- Réunion (in the Indian Ocean)
These four overseas regions have the same status as the metropolitan ones. They are like the overseas American states of Alaska and Hawaii.
[change] Footnotes
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Metropolitan (i.e. European) France only
- ↑ Whole of the French Republic except the overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean
- ↑ French overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean only
[change] Other websites
- France Maps & Photographs
- France Travel Guide
- Guide To Paris The Capital Of France With Pictures & Paris City Map
- France Pictures
- France Map
- Song La France
- CIA World Factbook-France
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