Learn everything you need to know about France in under 2 minutes!
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)
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
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
GDP Per Capita
$41,500 (USD)
Currency
€ (Euro)
Exchange Rate
$1 (USD) = € (Euro)0.86
Internet Code
.fr
Telephone Code
+33
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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.
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.