Travel to France:
France tourist information with details about travel to and around the country. Where to
stay and what to see is made easier with insider tips and hand-selected France links, by
dedicated editors and visitors to TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel.
The capital of France is Paris.
Buy
a Map of France.
The flag of France is three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist
side), white, and red.
Known as the 'Le drapeau tricolore' (French Tricolor), the origin of
the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution.
The design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags,
including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands.
The flag of France is also the official flag for all French dependent
areas.
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France
suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant
nation-state.
Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the
world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a
presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary
democracies.
In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have
proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a
common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999.
At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's
military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.
Geographically
Metropolitan France:
Western Europe - bordering the
Bay of Biscay and English Channel; between Belgium
and Spain, southeast of the United Kingdom - also bordering the Mediterranean Sea;
between Italy and Spain.
French Guiana:
Northern South America -
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean; between Brazil
and Suriname.
Guadeloupe:
Caribbean - islands
between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean; southeast of Puerto Rico.
Martinique:
Caribbean - island
between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean; north of Trinidad and Tobago.
Reunion:
Southern Africa - island in
the Indian Ocean; east of Madagascar.
Administrative Divisions
Metropolitan France is divided
into 22 regions (including the 'territorial collectivity' of Corse or
Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments.
Alsace; Aquitaine; Auvergne; Basse-Normandie; Bourgogne; Bretagne; Centre; Champagne-Ardenne; Corse; Franche-Comte; Haute-Normandie; Ile-de-France; Languedoc-Roussillon; Limousin; Lorraine; Midi-Pyrenees; Nord-Pas-de-Calais; Pays de la Loire; Picardie; Poitou-Charentes; Provence-Alpes-Cote
d'Azur; Rhone-Alpes.
See also: Overseas
Departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas
territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre, Miquelon).
Dependent Areas
Bassas da India; Clipperton Island; Europa Island; French Polynesia; French Southern and
Antarctic Lands; Glorioso Islands; Juan de Nova Island; New Caledonia; Tromelin Island; Wallis and Futuna.
Independence
486 (unified by Clovis).
National Holiday
Fete de la Federation: 14th July (1790).
Although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the
celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the
storming of the Bastille (on 14th July, 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional
monarchy.
Other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and
quatorze juillet (14th of July).
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