France
All the essential information and
a summary of the fact sheet on France, its influence and its attractiveness.
Presentation
Capitale
Major cities
Language
Français
Political system
Républic
President
Flag
Three vertical stripes: blue, white, red
National anthem
National motto
Currency
Euro
GDP
2,121 billion Euros (5th in the world)
€33,152 / capita (oct. 2013)
Population
65,821,000 inhabitants in 2014
Area
244,340 sq mi (632 834 km2), 213,010 sq mi
(551 695 km2) of which are covered by Metropolitan France
Geography
France
is the most expansive country in the European Union and benefits from a wide
variety of landscapes. Located on Europe's western side, the metropolitan
territory has over 3,400 miles (5 500 km) of coastline stretching from the
North Sea and along the Channel to the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and along
the Mediterranean in the south. Several islands line the coasts, the largest of
which is Corsica located in the Mediterranean.
The
large mountain ranges are distributed in the east and the south while 4 great
river basins cross the country. The Seine in the north, the Loire and the
Garonne in the west, and the Rhône between Switzerland and the Mediterranean.
France
shares its borders with Belgium and Luxembourg in the north, Germany,
Switzerland and Italy in the east, and with Spain in the south.
It
also includes overseas territories which include a great number of islands.
In
addition to its metropolitan territory, France covers more than 46,000 mi² of
land overseas: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy off the coast of North
America; French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and Clipperton in the
Pacific Ocean; and Reunion Island, Mayotte, the Scattered Islands, the Crozet Islands and the Kerguelen Islands with St. Paul and Amsterdam in the Indian
Ocean. As for French Guiana, it is located in South America
while Adélie Land is in Antarctica.
History
In
the 1st century BC, Julius Caesar occupied a large part of the current
territory, which at the time was called Gaul and mostly inhabited by peoples of
Celtic origin. It was the Franks who gave their name to this country which they
conquered in the 5th century. By pushing out the Romans and constituting a
kingdom, Clovis put an end to the Gallo-Roman era.
However, it wasn't until the 9th century following a treaty that
dividedCharlemagne's empire that France was born.
Carolingian king Charles the Baldattempted to form a kingdom
but it was Hugues Capet, starting from the 10th century,
who implemented a model of great royal power.
Many
kings led wars and battles to strengthen their central authority and the
borders of the kingdom. This Capetian dynasty would illustrate itself
with Philippe Auguste and thenLouis IX, known as Saint Louis. The 14th and
a large part of the 15th centuries were marked by periods of
conflict like the Hundred Years War, great epidemics and social unrest.
The
ascension of François 1st in 1515 and with him the
emergence of the Renaissance in France concluded this terrible period. Put back
into question during the Wars of Religion between 1562 and 1598, royal
authority was restored by Louis XIII and especially Louis
XIV who established absolute power. This royal dynasty was
brought down by the revolution of 1789 with the end of the reign of Louis XVI and the proclamation of the 1st
Republic in 1792. In 1804, Napoleon established an imperial power
which, at its end in 1815, marked a period alternating between revolutions and
attempts to re-establish royalty. The end of the Second Empire in 1870
definitively sealed the return of the Republic.
The
20th century saw the two World Wars which were particularly
murderous. The first one, between 1914 and 1918, finished with a France that
was victorious but in ruins. The second one, between 1939 and 1945, opened a
dark chapter in the history of France, with the collaboration of the power in
place that was Nazi Germany. The Resistance rallied around General de Gaulle contributed to creating
a new political class which led the reconstruction of the country under the 4th Republic.
Up
until the 1960s, the period was marked by wars of independence and
decolonisation. The Algerian war concluded the end of a Republic on its last
breath. In 1958, a newconstitution proclaimed the 5th Republic.
Population and society
The constitution of the 5th Republic, proclaimed
on 4 October 1958, stipulates that “France is an indivisible, secular,
democratic and social republic.”
The
President of the Republic is elected for a 5 year term by direct universal
suffrage. He names the Prime Minister and based on his recommendation, the
members of the government.
The
President of the Republic presides over the Council of Ministers, promulgates
laws and is the Commander-in-Chief of the armies. The Prime Minister directs
the actions of the government which determine and lead national policy. He is
responsible before both Houses of Parliament:
·
The National
Assembly, 577 deputies elected by direct universal suffrage for a period of 5
years.
·
The Senate, 348
senators elected by indirect universal suffrage for a period of 6 years.
The
National Assembly and the Senate control the government and draw up and vote on
laws. In case of disagreement on a law, the National Assembly has the final
say.
Territorial Organisation
Metropolitan
France is composed of territorial collectivities whose members are elected by
direct universal suffrage: the communes, the departments and the regions. Every
collectivity is representative of itself according to defined capabilities.
The
status of France's overseas territories varies. Some are departments and
regions likeGuadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and Mayotte, while others have the status of anoverseas collectivity with varying
degrees of autonomy and capabilities.
Cultural heritage
France's
cultural heritage is the fruit of a long history and French passion for the
arts. Some 750 pieces of property are classified on the UNESCO World Heritage
List. The architectural heritage is particularly important, whether it be
religious, civilian, military or industrial.
France's museums count exceptional collections bearing
testimony to the history of art from around the world, such as the Louvre and
the great schools of French paintings of the 19th and
20th centuries. France is also the country of great writers and distinguished
composers, not to mention the homeland of cinema,
renowned filmmakers, as well as actors and actresses who have been recognized
around the world.
Economy
The
5th largest economic power, France's economy currently revolves around services
which employ more than 70% of the active population.
Its
dynamic agricultural sector makes France the leading agricultural producer in
the European Union, while its viticulture is particularly important since
France is the global leader in the production of wines
and spirits.
The
industrial sector is particularly developed in the agribusiness, automobile,
building and public works, chemical industry, rail, aeronautics and aerospace,
energy, and pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. The transport sector benefits
from an efficient road and rail network.
New
technologies hold an important place in the developing sectors and are mostly
supported by large enterprises but also a small ribbon of SMEs.
France
is also renowned for its luxury and tourism sector. It is the leading tourist
destination in the world.
To find out more:
Transport
A
large network of road and rail transport covers the country.
The
motorway network (more than 60,000 miles, as 10 000 kilomètres) crosses
France from north to south and east to west.
A
secondary road network services the smaller communities.
The
rail network is composed of high speed trains (TGV) servicing the large French
and European cities and a local network linking the main cities to the smallest
communities.
Air
transport services the large French cities and Paris boasts one of the largest
international airports.
The
public transport systems are very developed. In the large cities, metros,
tramways and buses provide transportation for travellers over a large radius
around the city centre.
In
the smaller towns or in the country, the local services or bus networks linked
to the train stations provide access to the majority of the French communities.
The French Flag
The "tricolour" (three-colour) flag is an
emblem of the Fifth Republic. It had its origins in the union, at the time of
the French Revolution, of the colours of the King (white) and the City of Paris
(blue and red). Today, the "tricolour" flies over all public
buildings. It is flown at most official ceremonies, both civil and military.
History
In
the early days of the French Revolution, the three colours were initially
brought together in the form of a cockade. In July 1789, just before the taking of the Bastille, Paris was in a state
of high agitation. A militia was formed; its distinctive sign was a two-colour
cockade made up of the ancient colours of Paris, blue and red. On July 17,Louis XVI came to
Paris to recognize the new National Guard, sporting the blue and red cockade,
to which the Commander of the Guard, Lafayette, it appears,
had added the royal white.
The
law of 27 pluviôse, Year II (February 15, 1794), established the
"tricolour" as the national flag. At the recommendation of the
painter David, the law stipulated that the blue should be flown nearest the
flagstaff.
Throughout
the 19th century, the blue of the legitimist royalists contended with the three
colours inherited from the Revolution. The white flag was re-introduced under
the Restoration, but Louis-Philippe reinstated the "tricolour,"
surmounting it with the Gallic rooster.
During
the Revolution of 1848, the provisional Government adopted the
"tricoloure," but the people on the barricades brandished a red flag
to signal their revolt.
Under
the Third Republic, a consensus gradually emerged around the three colours.
From 1880 onwards, the presentation of the colours to the armed forces, each
July 14, came to be a moment of high patriotic fervour.
While
the Comte de Chambord, claimant to the French throne, never accepted the
"tricolour," the royalists ended up rallying round the national flag
at the time of the First World War.
The french flag today
The
constitutions of 1946 and 1958 (article 2) instituted the "blue, white and
red" flag as the national emblem of the Republic.
Today,
the French flag can be seen on all public buildings. It is flown on the
occasion of national commemorations, and it is honoured according to a very
precisely-defined ceremonial. The French flag frequently serves as a backdrop
when the French President addresses the public. Depending on the circumstances,
it may be accompanied by the European flag or the flag of another country.
Bastille Day – 14th July
Commemorating
the storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789, Bastille Day takes place on the
same date each year. The main event is a grand military parade along the
Champs-Élysées, attended by the President of the Republic and other political
leaders. It is accompanied by fireworks and publics dances in towns throughout
the whole of France.
1789,
Storming of the Bastille
With les
États Généraux (the Estates General), summoned in spring 1789,
becomingl'Assemblée nationale constituante (The National
Constituent Assembly), and Paris experiencing unrest, the direct cause of this
initial uprising of the people of Paris was the dismissal of Necker, a popular
Minister, by Louis XVI. On the morning of 14th July, the people of Paris took
weapons from les Invalides (L'Hôtel national des Invalides,
the National Residence of the Invalids) and headed towards the old royal
fortress of Bastille. It was seized following bloody gunfire, and the prisoners
released. The King quickly surrendered: he reinstated Necker and acknowledged
new Parisian leaders: Mayor Bailly and le commandant de la garde
nationale (Commander of the National Guard), La Fayette.
1790, la
Fête de la Fédération (Celebration of the Federation)
On 14th July
1790, the demolition of the fortress of Bastille was completed and 260,000
Parisians, along with the King, the Queen consort and delegates from all
administrative departments, celebrated the first anniversary of the storming of
the Bastille on the Champ de Mars. Known as the Fête de la Fédération, it
celebrated the short-lived success of the constitutional monarchy.
1880,
14th July becomes Bastille Day
Thereafter, 14th July
celebrations were abandoned until, under the Third Republic, the 14th July
was declared as a national holiday by the law of 6th July 1880.
In order to affirm the recovery of France following the 1870 defeat, emphasis
is placed on the patriotic and military nature of the celebration, which begins
on the night of the 13th with the retraite aux
flambeaux (a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille, which sees
people carrying torch flames). The following day, church bells signal the
military parade. Dances and fireworks conclude the day. 14th July
has officially been the French Bastille Day since 1880. For the French, it
symbolises the end of absolute monarchy and the beginning of the
Republic.
