Official English Name: French Republic
Official Local Name(s): République française
Common English Name: France
Capital: Paris

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Official Language(s)

French
Secondary Languages: Creole, Mahorian, Basque, Arabic

Resources

Coal, Iron ore, Bauxite, Zinc, Uranium, Antimony, Arsenic, Potash, Feldspar, Fluorspar, Gypsum, Timber, Fish, Gold, Petroleum, Kaolin, Niobium, Tantalum, Clay

Neighbors

Mainland France, Belgium (North), Luxembourg (Northeast), Germany (East), Switzerland (East), Italy (Southeast), Monaco (Southeast), Spain (Southwest), Andorra (Southwest), French Guiana, Suriname (West), Brazil (South and East), Guadeloupe, None (Island), Martinique, None (Island), Mayotte, None (Island), Réunion, None (Island)

Ethnic groups

French (89.40%), North African (5.23%), Black (2.94%), Asian (1.22%), Turkish (0.71%)

People

Est. Population:

66,836,154

Demonym:

French

Largest City:

Paris (2,229,621)

Other Cities:

Marseille (855,393)
Lyon (500,715)
Toulouse (458,298)
Nice (342,295)
Nantes (292,718)

Geography

Region:

Mainland France
Western Europe
French Guiana
Northern South America
Guadeloupe
Caribbean
Martinique
Caribbean
Mayotte
Southern Indian Ocean
Réunion
Southern Africa

Bodies of Water:

Mainland France
Atlantic Ocean (West)
English Channel (Northwest)
Mediterranean Sea (Southeast)
French Guiana
Atlantic Ocean (North)
Guadeloupe
Caribbean Sea (West)
Atlantic Ocean (East)
Martinique
Caribbean Sea (West)
Atlantic Ocean (East)
Mayotte
Indian Ocean (Surrounded)
Réunion
Indian Ocean (Surrounded)

Total Area:

643,801 km2 (99.5% land, 0.5% water)

Total Land:

3,956 km

Total Coastline:

4,853 km

Climate

Mainland France
Mediterranean climate in south
Temperate climate toward the north
French Guiana
Tropical
Guadeloupe
Subtropical
Martinique
Subtropical
Mayotte
Tropical marine
Réunion
Tropical

Terrain:

Mainland France
Flat plains
Rolling hills to the north and west
Mountainous
French Guiana
Coastal plains with hills and mountains
Guadeloupe
Volcanic islands
Martinique
Mountainous
Mayotte
Generally smooth terrain with ancient volcanic peaks
Réunion
Rugged and mountainous with coastal fertile lowlands

Highest Point

Mont Blanc (4,807 m)

Lowest Point

Rhone River Delta (-2 m)

Natural Disasters

Flooding
Avalanches
Cold windstorms
Droughts
Forest fires
Hurricanes
Volcanic activity

Government

Type:

Republic

Head of State:

President Emmanuel Macron

Head of Government:

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe

Admin. Divisions

27 Regions

Independence:

4 October 1958 (Establishment of Fifth French Republic)

Nat'l Symbol:

Fleur-de-lis

Nat'l Anthem:

La Marseillaise

Economy

GDP Per Capita

$41,500 (USD)

Currency

€ (Euro)

Exchange Rate

$1 (USD) = € (Euro)0.86

Communication

Internet Code

.fr

Telephone Code

+33

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Cultural Notes

When greeting each other, people usually perform what the locals call “se faire la bise”, which means that they kiss each other on the cheek.
When visiting somebody’s house, the guests usually bring along a bottle of wine along with either bread, flowers, chocolates, or deserts.
Food varies by region, and most people in France enjoy cooking, as it is very important to them.
Hosts offer their guests “l’apératif”, which consists of pre-dinner drinks with salty foods such as chips or peanuts. People use this time to discuss what has been happening in their lives.

Sources

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html (Majority of information)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/frances-crisis-of-national-identity-1826942.html (Ethnic data)
http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=0&ref_id=NATTEF02131 (Ethnic data)
http://countrydigest.org/france-population/#Ethnic_groups_in_France (Ethnic and religious data)
http://bit.ly/2e9Dtkk (Religious group data)
http://www.insee.fr/fr/ppp/bases-de-donnees/recensement/populations-legales/default.asp (City population data)
Wolfram|Alpha (Currency exchange data)
Information accurate to best of ability as of 4 November 2016
1 It is illegal in France to collect data on ethnicity and religion, so these numbers are estimates, the most recent of which occurred in 2010.