France

Capital City - Paris
Currency - Euro
Population - 65,447,374 (January 2010 estimate)
National Language - French
Religion - France is secular nation wherein freedom of religion is protected by their constitution.  However, polls show that it is estimated that 65% of the nation consider themselves Roman Catholics while 24% consider themselves agnostic or atheist.  The remaining minorities of Muslims, Protestant Christians and Jews rank 6%, 2% and 1% respectively.  Certain religions such as Scientology and the Unification Church are considered by the French to be cults, and therefore, do not hold the same status as other religions.
Type of Government - Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic
Leaders - Nicholas Sarkozy (President); Francois Fillon (Prime Minister)
Country's Motto - "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" which means "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."

Geographical Highlights - The Metropolitan part of the French Republic is the largest country in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the English Channel to the northwest, Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast, Germany, Switzerland and Italy to the east, Monaco to the southeast, and The Meditteranean Sea, Spain and Andorra to the south.  France also has many territories in various parts of the world including North America, the Caribbean, South America, the Southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.  The European portion of the French Republic is made up of a varied landscape.  Mountainous regions, such as the Pyrenees near the border of Spain, the Alps near the Italian and Swiss border, and the Vosges mountains overlooking the Rhine Valley, create jagged formations in the countryside.  Brittany and Normandy form a scenic hill region, to the north; and fertile lowlands cover much of the remaining northern area of France, including the portion encompassing Paris.  Other major lowland areas include the Aquitanian Basin in the southwest and the Rhone-Saone Valley and Mediterranean lowlands in the southeast.

History - Once known as Gaul, France was initially inhabited by Celtic tribesman.  In the 1st century B.C., it was conquered by Rome and ruled by the Roman Empire until the 5th century A.D.  During its time of Roman rule, the Gauls adopted Latin speech, from which evolved the French language.  By 486, the Frankish Kingdom (as it was then known) was independently ruled by a Christian king, Clovis.  Following many years of similar Frankish rulers, Charlemagne, king sing 768, became emperor of the Romans in 800 A.D.  His powerful empire came to encompass the region between central Italy north to Denmark and eastern Germany west to the Atlantic Ocean.  However, by 843, this empire was divided into three parts: East Francia, Middle Francia and West Francia.  West Francia included the boundaries of modern day France and was a precursor to the nation's formation.

Following the Norman invasion of England in 1066, parts of France became placed under English rule.  It wasn't until 1453, following the bloody Hundred Years' War, that France was able to drive out the remaining English.  During that war, the French kings lost considerable amounts of power to the French nobles; however, Louis XI (who reigned 1461-1483) laid the groundwork for the absolute power of French kings in the centuries to come.

France continued to be a strong monarchy until the French Revolution in 1789.  By 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte took power and fought many military campaigns until his defeat in 1815.  The monarchy was then restored for a time, until 1848; and, the Second Repulic was founded.  In 1852, Napoleon's nephew became Napoleon III.  The Third Republic was formed in 1875.  During both World War I and II, France was the stage for much fighting.  The ravages of war lead to a great loss of citizenry and a damaged economy.  Post-war aid from the United States started to revive the economy; however, Communist-driven strikes lead to a lack of true progression.  This, mixed with fact that many of its overseas empires were seeking independence, brought about great unrest to the French spirit.  By 1954, France withdrew of French Indochina.  By 1962, they followed suit with Algeria.  Charles De Gaulle took power of the government in 1958 and created a new constitution.  On top of this, he formed the Fifth Republic.  Under this new government, the president had greater power than parliament.  De Gaulle, finally having been elected to the presidency, made use of his power by giving independence to most of France's overseas territories.  By that point, France had become a major member of the European Economic Community.

Landmarks -

• The Eiffel Tower - Originally built for the 1889 World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower was set for demolition in 1909.  However, due to its height, the tower proved useful for radio communication and was allowed to remain.  Today, it is one of the single most visitied landmarks in the world; and, is the most renowned symbol of Paris.
• Moulin Rouge - Famous cabaret in Paris, built in 1889; it is said to be the birthplace of the modern can-can dance.
• Versailles - A beautiful and ornate palace just outside of Paris, it housed many French kings from 1682 until the French Revolution in 1789.
• The Louvre Museum - One of the most famous art museums in the world, the Louvre in Paris houses more then 6,000 pieces of art, with their most famous example being Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa."
• Monet's Garden at Giverny - In the northern part of France, Giverny's biggest attraction is the home and gardens of painter Claude Monet.  His inspiration, the famous water lillies, still lounge in the ponds on the grounds.
• Lascaux Cave Paintings - Southwest France has the highest concentration of paleolithic cave paintings.  Though the actual Lascaux Cave has been closed to tourists since 1963, Lascaux II was opened in 1983 and serves as a nice reproduction of the original.
  

Interesting Trivia -

• French was the official language of England for over 300 years.
• France produces more nuclear electricity than Germany, Spain, Russia and the UK combined.
• Under laws that no-one has ever got round to removing from the statute book, it is illegal to call a pig Napoleon.
• The April Fool (or April Fish to the French) is thought to have originated in France in 1564, when the country switched to the Gregorian calendar. Those that hadn’t heard about the move still thought April 1st was New Year’s Day, and they were bought mock presents by those wanting to make fun of them.
• The Languedoc-Rousillon city of Nîmes is the birthplace of jeans. The distinctive fabric was imported to California by Levi Strauss in order to make tough work trousers for gold diggers. Denim is short for “de Nîmes.”
• In French two weeks is in fact 15 days, quinze jours.
• The Olympic Games, or Olympics, were revived by a French nobleman, Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin in the late 19th century.