France
is a country located in Western Europe. It is the largest country
in northwestern Europe and the third largest country on the European
portion of the Eurasian landmass, after Russia and the Ukraine. It
has a total area of 211,108 square miles (547,029 square
kilometers), and is about the size of the state of Texas.
Countries bordering mainland France are Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. France’s natural borders include the English Channel, the Rhine River, the Jura and Alp mountain ranges, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pyrenees Mountains, and the Atlantic Ocean.
France includes the Mediterranean island of Corsica, and a number of overseas territories which were formerly French colonies; these include the region of French Guiana in northern South America, the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French West Indies, Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, New Caledonia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands in the South Pacific, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Canada.
The current government of France is a republic, headed by a president, a prime minister and a council of ministers. There is a bicameral Parliament, and a Supreme Court of Appeals. The capital of the country is Paris.
The unit of currency is the Euro.
France has a total population of 64,057,790, of whom 60,876,136 live in metropolitan France, estimated as of July 2008. The official language is French, universally spoken; there are also a number of regional dialects spoken by a declining number of inhabitants. French is a Romance language, derived from Latin, the language spoken by the Romans.
The predominant ethnic groups of origin are Celtic and Latin, but others include Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, and Basque in mainland France, as well as black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, and Amerindian in the overseas territories.
Religions professed in France are Roman Catholic (83-88%), Protestant (2%), Jewish (1%), Muslim (5-10%), and unaffiliated (4%).
France has been inhabited since prehistoric times. A variety of peoples has lived in France, among them the ancient Ligurians, the ancient Celts, the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Franks (Germanic), the British Celts, and the Northmen (Norse) from Scandinavia.
France has been a cultural center of Western Europe since the medieval period. There are existing churches and monasteries and universities which were founded in the Middle Ages. There is extensive literature in the French language, and its history is peopled by philosophers, mathematicians, historians, musical composers and conductors, artists, and others who have contributed to world culture.
Some famous Frenchmen and women include the religious Abelard and Heloise, the philosopher Descartes, the composers Debussy, Berlioz, Ravel, Bizet and Delibes, the artists Renoir, Matisse, Seurat, Braque, and Chagall, and the writers Moliere, Racine, Hugo, Malraux, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, and St-Exupery. There have been famous French filmmakers, as well; Francois Truffaut is perhaps the most well-known. The annual Cannes Film Festival showcases modern French films.
France is also known today for its people’s love of fine food and wine, and sports.
Web Sites
- CIA: The World Factbook
- Department of State. (U.S.) Consular Affairs Information Sheet
- Embassy of France in the U.S
- Cinema of France (Wikipedia.org)
- Embassy of France in the U.S. for Kids
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for France: Description and Travel.
Databases
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