France

Guide Note

France is a country in Western Europe with various islands and territories located on other continents. France is the most visited country in the world with over 79 million tourists annually.

Fast Facts

  1. Capital: Paris
  2. Government: Republic
  3. Population: 63,713,926 (July 2007 est.)
  4. Currency: Euro
  5. Official Language: French
  6. Anthem: "La Marseillaise"

History

In the Roman era, the area now known as France was called "Gaul". In the 4th Century, a Celtic tribe called the Franks invaded the area, and it is from this group that France gets its name. When the Treaty of Verdun divided European lands in 843, it created Western Francia. In 987, Hugh Capet became king of the nation known as France. This monarchy would continue until the French Revolution in 1789. The government was unstable until Napoleon Bonaparte took over in 1799. His penchant for conquest led to his defeat, however, but France would go through several other monarchs until the Third Republic was established in 1870. Though technically victorious in World War I, the war took a tremendous physical and economic toll on France, and it was rapidly conquered by Nazi Germany in World War II. The Fourth Republic was unstable, and when it collapsed, France began the Fifth Republic under former general Charles de Gaulle.

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. Official French Government Tourism Office site: FranceGuide
  2. Official Site: Embassy of France in the U.S.
  3. Wikipedia: France
  4. CIA World Factbook: France
  5. Foreign & Commonwealth Office: France
  6. Mahalo's pages on History of France
  7. BBC News: France

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Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"
Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

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