FranceGeographyLocationLocatedinWesternEuropeBorderstheBayofBiscayandEnglishChannelBetweenBelgiumandSpain,southeastoftheUnitedKingdomBorderingtheMediterraneanSea,betweenItalyandSpainClimateGenerallycoolwintersandmildsummers,MildwintersandhotsummersalongtheMediterraneanOccasionalstrong,cold,dry,north-to-northwesterlywindknownasmistralTerrainMostlyflatplainsorgentlyrollinghillsinnorthandwestRemainderismountainous,especiallyinPyreneesinthesouthandtheAlpsintheEastLandutilityForfarmingArableland:33.46%permanentcrops:2.03%permanentpastures:20%forestsandwoodland:27%

other:18%EnvironmentNaturalResourcesCoal,ironore,bauxite,zinc,uranium,antimony,arsenic,potash,feldspar,fluorospar,gypsum,timberandfishNaturalhazards:FloodingAvalanchesMidwinterwindstormsDroughtandforestfiresinsouthneartheMediterraneanCurrentissues:SomeforestdamagefromacidrainAirpollutionfromindustrialandvehicleemissionsWaterpollutionfromurbanwastesandagriculturalrunoffRegionsofFranceTheFrenchRepublichas4overseasterritoriesduetoitshistoryasacolonialpower.Theyhavethesamestatusasmetropolitanregions,muchlikeHawaii’sequalstatustoacontinentalU.S.state.Theyareoverseasdépartements(départementd'outre-mer,orDOM,withthesamestatusasadépartementofmetropolitanFranceTheseoverseasdepartments,unlikeoverseascollectivities,arerepresentedinNationalAssembly,SenateandEconomicandSocialCouncil,electaMemberoftheEuropeanParliament,(MEP),andalsousetheEuroastheircurrency.FrenchGuianaLocation:NorthernSouthAmerica,borderingtheNorthAtlanticOcean,betweenBrazilandSurinameClimate:Tropical;hot,humidLittleseasonaltemperaturevariationTerrain:Low-lyingcoastalplainsrisingtohillsandsmallmountainsFarmland:arableland0.13%,permanentcrops0.04%,other99.83%(90%forest,10%other)NaturalResources:golddeposits,petroleum,kaolin,niobium,tantalumandclayMartiniqueLocation:CaribbeanIslandbetweentheCaribbeanSeaandNorthAtlanticOcean,northofTrinidadandTobagoClimate:subtropicaltemperedbytradewindsModeratelyhighhumidity,rainyseason,JunetoOctoberVulnerabletodevastatingcyclone,hurricanes,everyeightyearsonaverageTerrain:mountainouswithindentedcoastline;dormantvolcanoFarmland:arableland9.09%,permanentcrops10.0%,other80.91%GuadeloupeLocation:CaribbeanIslandsbetweentheCaribbeanSeaandNorthAtlanticOcean,southeastofPuertoRicoClimate:subtropicaltemperedbytradewinds;moderatelyhighhumidityRainyseason,JunetoOctober,Vulnerabletodevastatingcyclones,hurricanes,everyeightyearsonaverageTerrain:volcanicinoriginwithinteriormountainsReunionLocation:SouthernAfricaIslandintheIndianOcean,eastofMadagascarClimate:tropical,buttemperaturemoderateswithelevationCoolandcry,MaytoNovemberHotandrainy,NovembertoAprilTerrain:mostlyRuggedandMountainous,fertilelowlandsalongcoastFarmland:arableland13.94%,permanentcrops1.59%,other84.47%HistoryThenameFrancecomesfromtheLatinwordFranciawhichmeans“landoftheFranks”or“Frankland”

GaulTheregionofmodernFranceisapproximatelythesameastheancientcountrycalledGaul1stcenturyBCGaulcapturedbyJuliesCaesar2nd–3rdcenturyADRomanculturehadbeenincorporatedintosociety4thcenturyADtheeasternborderofGaularoundtheRhinewastakenoverbyGermanictribes,mostlybytheFranks843ADtheTreatyofVerdunendedCharlemagne’scontrolofFrance.ThetreatydividedtheCharlemagne’sCarolingianEmpireintothreeparts,EasterFrancia,MiddleFrancia,WesternFranciaModernFranceiscomposedofthelandofWesternFranciaFranceFrancewasruledbyCarolingiansuntil987ADwhenHughCapet,DukeofFranceandCountofParis,wascrownedKingofFranceTheFrenchmonarchyreacheditspeakwithLouisXIV1789:FrenchRevolutionendedtheruleofthemonarchy.Duringtherevolution,themonarchsKingLouisXVIandMarieAntoinettewereexecutedNapoleonBonaparte1799:NapoleonBonapartegainedcontroloftheRepublicBonapartenamedhimselfEmperoroftheFirstFrenchEmpire(1804–1814)1815:BattleofWaterloo,Bonaparte'sdefeatandexileAfterwards,FrancetransitionedthroughaseriesofrepublicsandempiresTimelineofRepublicsandEmpires

1870-1940:

FrenchThirdRepublic1848–1852:FrenchSecondRepublic1792–1804:FrenchRepublic1804–1814:FrenchFirstEmpireEmperorNapoleonBonaparte,NapoleonI1946-1958:

FrenchFourthRepublic1852-1870:

FrenchSecondEmpireEmperorLouis-NapoleonBonaparte,akaNapoleonIII1958-Present:FrenchFifthRepublic178018001820184018601880190019201940196019802000ImportantWars1789–1799:FrenchRevolutionJuly18,1815:BattleofWaterlooBonaparte'sdefeatJuly19,1870-May10,1871:Franco-PrussianWar1914–1918:WorldWarI1939–1945:WorldWarIIDecember1946-August1954:FirstIndochinaWarFrenchRevolutionMilitaryBranches:ArmyNavyAirForceNationalGendarmerieNolongerconstrictiveservice.Minimumeligibleageis17.

Womenareabletoserve

howeverasnon-combativeunits.

Thecurrentavailableservicemembersare:malesage17-49:13,676,509femalesage17-49:13,504,539(CIA2005est.)Theyspendanapproximated2.6%oftheirGDPonmilitary.

Thisamountsto:

$48,646,000,000,000CultureLiteratureandPoetryTheFrenchlanguagewasnotyetauniformlanguagebutitwassplitupintoseveraloildialectsFrenchliteratureoriginatedintheMiddleAgesIncluding:TristanandIseultandLancelot-GrailMuchofFrenchpoetrywasinfluencedbytheMatterofFrance,ataleofepicsFrenchPoetry:PerroutdeSaintCloude’s“RomandeRenart”ArthurFran?oisRabelais’sworkwasveryinfluentialtotheFrenchlanguageChrétiendeTroyeswasanimportantwriterfromtheMedievaltimes18thand19thcentury,duringtheRenaissance,wastheheightofFrenchliteratureandpoetryWriterslikeVoltaireandJeanJacques-RousseauemergedFamousFrenchliterature:TheThreeMusketeers,TheCountofMonteCristo,TwentyThousandLeaguesUndertheSea,andTheHunchbackofNotreDame.FamousLiteratureandAuthorsSportsPopularsportsincludebasketball,handball,rugbyunion,andfootball(soccer)FrancehoststheannualTourdeFranceMostfamousroadbicycleraceintheworldFranceisalsofamousforthe24HoursofLeManscompetition

ItisasportscarenduranceraceThenationalfootballteamandnationalrugbyteamarenicknamed“LesBleus,”thebluesMarianneMarianneisthesymboloftheFrenchRepublic.SherepresentslibertyandappearedduringtheFrenchRevolution

MontSaintMichelisasiteinFrancethatispopulartotouristsTheEiffelTowerisamajorlandmarkinParis,FranceThePalaisdespapes(Palaceofpopes)inAvignonisalsoamajorlandmark.

MontSaintMichelPalaisdespapes

EiffelTowerLandmarksFoodFrenchcuisine:EmphasisonfamousFrenchwineChampagne,comingfromtheChampagneregionofFranceCheesesProducesover400kindsofcheesesCookingstyles.Themostexquisitecuisinesarecalledhautecuisine.ArtPaintingbyClaudeMonetArtinancientFrancecanbetracedbacktothePaleolithicage(10,000–32,000yrsago).CavepaintingshavebeenfoundinAltamira,FontdeGaume,Lascaux,LesCombarelles,NiauxCaveandLesTroisFrères.Pierre-AugusteRenoirandClaudeMonetareamongthemostfamouspaintersfromFrance.TheywerepartoftheimpressionistartmovementinEuropeImportantFactsaboutCulture

TheFrenchnationalflagwasmadeduringtheFrenchRevolution.Itisatricolorflagwithverticalbandsofblue,white,andred.TheflagwasmadefamousbyMarquisdeLafayetteTheoriginoftheFrenchkingdomisdatedto496becauseitmarksthreeimportantfeaturesofthecountrywhichare:ThedefinitionofaterritorialboundaryThedefinitionofapowerrule(successionbyheir)Thedefinitionofasocialsystem3groupsofpeople:warriors,priests,andworkersFrance’smottois“Liberté,égalité,Fraternité’(Liberty,Equality,Brotherhood)Since1880,thenationalholidayofFranceistheFêteNationale(NationalHoliday).Itiscelebratedonthe14thofJuly.ItcelebratestheFêtedelaFédération..

Demographics

Totalpopulation:62,752,136Language:French100%withrapidlydecliningregionaldialectsandlanguagesofPovencal,Breton,Alsatian,Corsican,Catalan,Basque,FlemishBirthrateof11.99births/1,000populationanddeathrateof9.14deaths/1,000populationReligion:RomanCatholic83%-88%,Protestant2%,Jewish1%,Muslim5-10%,unaffiliated4%Race:CelticandLatinwithTeutonic,Slavic,NorthAfrican,Indochinese,BasqueminoritiesCountry’spopulationsharplyincreasedwiththebabyboomfollowingWorldWarIIFrenchRepublic

RepubliqeFrancaise

(TheFrenchRepublic)FranceisarepublicwithParisashercapital.(Thefifthrepublic)Thenationiscomposedoftwenty-sixregions,fourofwhichareoverseas.Ofthe22regions,thereare96metropolitandepartments.Independence-486AD

BastilleDayBastilleDay,14July1790istheNationalHoliday.Contrarytopopularbelief,BastilleDaycelebratesthefirstanniversaryfollowingthestormingoftheBastillein1789.TheFrenchRepublicFrancehasuniversalsuffragewithminimumageofeighteen.Womenattainedsuffragein1944.Acceptedcurrency:theEuro,adoptedon1January20024October1958theFrenchconstitutionenactedandrevisedin1962.TheFrenchRepublicThethreebranchesofgovernmentincludetheexecutive,legislativeandjudicial.Thepresidentiselectedeveryfiveyears.PresidentChirachasbeeninpowersince1995.Theprimeministerisappointedbythepresidentandconfirmedbytheparliament.

DominiqueDeVillepin

isthecurrentprimeminister.PresidentChirac(front)andDominiqueDeVillepin(back)TheFrenchRepublicTheparliamentcomprisesofaNationalAssemblyandSenate.TheNationalAssemblyisdirectlyelectedbytheFrenchpeoplewith577membersinfiveyearterms.Throughanelectoralcollege,318areelectedtotheSenatewithnineyeartermsandonethirdupofseatsareupforelection.Aconstitutionalcouncilprovidesasachecksystemfortheparliament.Membersofthiscouncilareappointed.TheFrenchNationalAssembly(Paris)TheFrenchRepublicThecourtsystemissetincivillaw.Acasecanmovefromcourts,courtsofappeal,andasthecourtoflastresort,Courdecassation.OthercourtsinFranceincludeConseild’Etat,whichacceptsadministrativecases(whichCourdecassationholdsnojurisdiction)CourtsofAssizeswhichtriescrimesofseveritythroughthreejudgesandninejurors.Thosetriedarepresumedinnocentuntilprovenguilty.PoliticalPartiesRassemblementpourlaRépublique(Chirac’sparty)TheSocialistpartyUnionpourlaDemocratieFran?aiseFrenchCommunistpartyFrenchCommunistPartyHeadquarters

GovernmentOrganizationsEuropeanUnion(EU)NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganization(NATO)UnitedNationsSecurityCouncilpermanentmember.WorldTradeOrganizationWorldHealthOrganizationOSCE,InternationalLaborOrganizationG-5,G-7,G-8,andG-10.GovernmentOrganizations,cont’dUndertheUNSecuritycouncil,from1946-2003Francehasusedhervetopowereighteentimes.FranceisalsoanoriginalmemberoftheEuropeanUnion(beginningin1957)whichwasoriginallytitleastheEuropeanCommunity.FranceandGermanyhavestrengthenedtheirrelationshipsinceWWII,encouragingstrongerdefensesoftheEU.FrenchFlagTheflagisknownas“Ledrapeautricolore”.EconomicsEconomicsFrancehasoneofthehigherincomeequalityindexesintheworldwithaGiniindexof

26.7Inflationrate:1.5%AgriculturalProducts:machinery,chemicals,automobiles,metallurgy,aircraft,

electronics;textiles,foodprocessing;tourismJustover48millionpeoplehavecellphonesinFranceandthereare35.7millionhard

telephonelines.

29.5millionusetheinternet.FrenchEconomyThe2006GDPis$1.871trillionFrancehasalaborforceof