French Republic
or France (French ''République Française''), is a country located in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France, along with Monaco make up the French_Region. It is a founding member of the European_Union. République Française France has no national coat_of_arms; see Marianne (In Detail) ''National , Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood)'' Official_languageFrench CapitalParis Largest CityParis President Jacques_Chirac Prime Minister Jean-Pierre_Raffarin Area - Total - % waterRanked 47th 547,030 km2 ¹ 0.26% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked 20th 60,180,529 ¹ 110/km² CurrencyEuro(&Euro;)², French_euro_coins Time_zoneUTC +1 (CET) National_anthemLa_Marseillaise Internet TLD.FR¹ Calling Code33¹ (1) Data for European (metropolitan) France(2) Prior toHistory
''Main article: History_of_France'' The borders of modern France closely match those of the ancient territory of Gaul, inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Gaul was conquered by the Romans in the first century BC, and the Gauls eventually adopted Romance speech and culture. Christianity also took root in the second and third centuries AD. Gaul's eastern frontiers along the Rhine were overrun by Germanic tribes in the fourth century AD, principally the Franks, from which the ancient name of "Francie" derived, modern name "France" derives from the name of the feudal domain of the Capetian Kings of France, around Paris (see now Île-de-France). Although the French monarchy is often dated to the 5th_century, France's continuous existence as a separate entity begins with the 9th-century division of Charlemagne's Frankish empire into an eastern and a western part. The eastern part can be regarded the beginnings of what is now Germany, the western part that of France. Charlemagne's descendants ruled France until 987, when Hugh_Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was crowned King of France. His descendants, starting with the Capetian dynasty, ruled France until 1792, when the French_Revolution established a Republic, in a period of increasingly radical change that began in 1789. Napoleon_Bonaparte seized control of the republic in 1799, making himself Emperor. His armies engaged in several wars across Europe, conquered many countries and established new kingdoms with Napoleon's family members at the helm. Following his defeat in 1815, monarchial rule was restored to France, which was then legislatively abolished and followed by a Second_Republic. The Second_Republic ended when the late Emperor's nephew, Louis-Napoléon_Bonaparte was elected President and proclaimed a Second_Empire. Less ambitious than his uncle, the second Napoleon was also ultimately unseated, and republican rule returned for a third time. 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. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy (known as the Fifth_Republic) that has not succumbed to the instabilities experienced in earlier more parliamentary regimes. In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of the Euro in January 1999. Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defense and security apparatus. It is also one of the five permanent members of the UN_Security_Council.Politics
''Main article: Politics_of_France'' The constitution of the Fifth_Republic was approved by public referendum on September_28 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the president is elected directly for a 5-year (originally 7-year) term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties. The National Assembly (''Assemblée Nationale'') is the principal legislative body. Its deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 9-year terms, and one-third of the Senate is renewed every 3 years. The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. See also:Administrative divisions
''Main articles: Administrative_divisions_of_France, List_of_regions_in_France'' France has 26 s''. The departments are numbered (mainly alphabetically) and this number is used in e.g. postal codes and vehicle number plates.Geography
''Main article: Geography_of_France'' France possesses a large variety of landscapes, ranging from coastal plains in the north and west, where France borders the North_Sea and the Atlantic_Ocean, to the mountain ranges in the south (the Pyrenees) and the southeast (the Alps), of which the latter contains the highest point of Europe, the Mont_Blanc at 4810 m. In between are found other elevated regions such as the Massif_Central or the Vosges_mountains and extensive river basins such as those of the Loire_River, the Rhone_River, the Garonne and Seine.Economy
''Main article: Economy_of_France'' France's economy combines extensive private enterprise with substantial, but declining, government intervention. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France_Telecom, in Air_France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. France joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on January_1 1999, with euro_coins and banknotes completely replacing the French franc in early 2002. See also: List_of_French_companiesDemographics
''Main article: Demographics_of_France'' The official language is French, with several local languages (Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch (Flemish), German (Alsatian), Occitan), but the French government and school system discouraged the use of any of them until recently. The regional languages are now taught at some schools, though French remains the only official language in use by the government, local or national.Religion
Following from the 1789 Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen, France guarantees freedom_of_religion as a constitutional right. A 1905 law instituted the separation_of_Church_and_State and prohibited the government from recognizing, salarying or subsidizing any religion. In the preceding situation, established 1801-1808 of the Concordat, the State used to support the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran_Church, the Calvinist_Church and the Jewish religion and provided for public religious educations in those religions (for historical reasons, this situation is still current in Alsace-Moselle). The French government does not keep statistics as to religion. The 2003 CIA_World_Factbook lists the religion of France as: Roman Catholic 83-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 5-10%, unaffiliated 4%. It is unclear where these numbers come from. However, in a
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