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The French Republic, or France, is a country located in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. It is a founding member of the European Union.

History

Main article: History of France

The roots of France as a separate entity started with Charlemagne dividing his Frankish empire into an eastern and a western part. The eastern part can be regarded the beginnings of what is now Germany, the western part that of France. A variety of descendants of Charlemagne ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet, a duke, was crowned King of France. His descendants, the Capetian dynasty, ruled France until 1789, when the French overthrew their monarchy during the French Revolution.

Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy (known as the Fifth Republic) resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the advent of the euro in January 1999. Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.

Politics

Main article: Politics of France

The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by public referendum on September 28 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the president is elected directly for a 5-year term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties.

The National Assembly (Assemblé Nationale) is the principal legislative body. Its deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 9-year terms, and one-third of the Senate is renewed every 3 years. The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament.

Regions & Departments

Main articles: Departement, Region (France)

France has 23 regions (French: région (de programme)), which are further subdivided into 100 départements. The departments are numbered (mainly alphabetically) and this number is used in e.g. postal codes and vehicle number plates.

The overseas departments are former colonies outside France that now enjoy a status similar to European or metropolitan France. They can be considered to be a part of France (and the EU), rather than dependent territories and together they form a single region. Beyond these there are also four overseas territories (TOM), French Polynesia (987), New Caledonia (988), Wallis and Futuna (986) and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, that do not have this status. Furthermore there are two separate territorial collectivities: Saint Pierre and Miquelon (975) and Mayotte (976). Finally, France maintains control over a number of small islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Geography

Main article: Geography of France

France possesses a large variety of landscapes, ranging from coastal plains in the north and west, where France borders the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, to the mountain ranges in the south (the Pyrenees) and the southeast (the Alps), of which the latter contains the highest point of France, the Mont Blanc at 4810 m. In between are found other elevated regions such as the Massif Central or the Vosges mountains and extensive river basins such as those of the Loire, the Rhone, the Garonne and Seine.

• National parks (France)

Economy

Main article: Economy of France

France's economy combines modern capitalistic methods with extensive, but declining, government intervention. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of each sector, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Telecom, in Air France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. Meanwhile, large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. Persistently high unemployment continues to pose a major problem for the government; a 35-hour work week is being introduced. France has shied away from cutting exceptionally generous social welfare benefits or the enormous state bureaucracy, preferring to pare defense spending and raise taxes to keep the deficit down.

France joined 11 other EU members to launch the euro on January 1 1999, with euro coins and banknotes completely replacing the French franc in early 2002.

• Communications
• Transportation

Demography

Main article: Demography of France

The language is primarily French, with several local languages (Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch, German, Occitan), but the French government and school system had discouraged the use of these dialects until recently.

Culture

Main article: Culture of France

• Famous French People

Miscellaneous topics

The capital and most populous city, Paris, is home to the Eiffel Tower, a tower of girdered steel constructed in 1889.

Cities and major towns include:

Abbeville, Ajaccio, Albertville, Albi, Amiens, Angoulême, Aurillac, Bastia, Besancon, Bordeaux, Barcelonnette, Bayonne, Belfort, Brest, Brive, Caen, Cahors, Calais, Cannes, Carcassonne, Chamonix, Charlesville-Mezières, Clermont-Ferrand, Colmar, Deauville,Dieppe, Dignes-les-Bains, Dijon, Dole, Dreux, Dunkerque, Evreux, Firmini, Foix, Grenoble, La Baule, La Rochelle, Le Havre, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Mende, Metz, Mont-de-Marsan, Montauban, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Nimes, Orleans, Paris, Pau, Perigueux, Perpignan, Poitiers, Quimper, Reims, Rennes, Rochefort, Rodez, Roubaix, Saint-Gaudens, Saint-Etienne, Saint-Giron, Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Raphael, Saint-Tropez, Sete, Strasbourg, Tarbes, Tavaux, Toulon, Toulouse, Tours, Tourcoing, Valence

• Military
• Transnational Issues

• Vichy France

External links

• Official site of the Office of the French President (www.elysee.fr/ang/index.shtm) - The Elysée Palace
• Official site of the Office of the French Prime Minister (www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/) - Main governmental site
• The French National Assembly / Assemblé Nationale (www.assemblee-nat.fr/english/index.asp) - The French parliament
• Official site of the French civil service (www.service-public.fr/etranger/english.html) - Contains many links to various administrations and institutions

European Union:
Austria  |  Belgium  |  Denmark  |  Finland  |  Germany  |  Greece  |  Ireland  |  Italy  |  Luxembourg  |  Netherlands  |  Portugal  |  Spain  |  Sweden  |  United Kingdom