This article is about the country. For other uses see France (disambiguation). French Republic Rpublique franaise1 Flag National Emblem (unofficial) Motto:  Libert galit Fraternit (Liberty Equality Fraternity) Anthem: "La Marseillaise" Location of  Metropolitan France  (dark green)  on the European continent  (green & dark grey)  in the European Union  (green)    Legend Territory of the French Republic in the world (excl. Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended) Capital (and largest city) Paris 4851.4N 221.05E / 48.8567N 2.35083E / 48.8567; 2.35083 Official language(s) French Regional languages (both official and not official)   Alsatian Basque Breton Bushi (Mayotte)2 Catalan Corsican Creoles2 Flemish Franco-Provenal Lorrain New Caledonian languages2 Occitan Ol Shimaore dialect (Mayotte)2 Tahitian22 Demonym French Government Unitary semi-presidential republic  -  President Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP)  -  Prime Minister Franois Fillon (UMP) Legislature Parliament  -  Upper House Senate  -  Lower House National Assembly Formation  -  Francia 486 (Unification by Clovis)   -  West Francia 843 (Treaty of Verdun)   -  Current constitution 5 October 1958 (5th Republic)  Area  -  Total3 674843 km2 (41st) 260558 sq mi   -  Metropolitan France   - IGN4 551695 km2 (47th) 213010 sq mi   - Cadastre5 543965 km2 (47th) 210026  sq mi Population   (2011 estimate)  -  Total3 658218857 (20th)  -  Metropolitan France 631361806 (22nd)  -  Density8 116/km2 (89th) 301/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $2.145 trillion9   -  Per capita $340779  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $2.582 trillion9   -  Per capita $410189  Gini (2008) 32.710  HDI (2010) 0.87211 (very high) (14th) Currency Euro12 CFP franc13   (EUR    XPF) Time zone CET8 (UTC+1)  -  Summer (DST) CEST8 (UTC+2) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code FR Internet TLD .fr14 Calling code 331 1 The overseas regions and collectivities form part of the French telephone numbering plan but have their own country calling codes: Guadeloupe +590; Martinique +596; French Guiana +594 Runion and Mayotte +262; Saint Pierre and Miquelon +508. The overseas territories are not part of the French telephone numbering plan; their country calling codes are: New Caledonia +687 French Polynesia +689; Wallis and Futuna +681 2 Spoken mainly in overseas territories

France (i /frns/ franss or /frns/ frahnss; French pronunciation (helpinfo): fs) officially the French Republic (French: Rpublique franaise pronounced: epyblik fsz) is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian Pacific and Atlantic oceans.15 Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as lHexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is bordered (clockwise starting from the northeast) by Belgium Luxembourg Germany Switzerland Italy and Monaco; with Spain and Andorra to the south. France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel which passes underneath the English Channel. In addition to these borders on the European continent France has land borders with Suriname and Brazil through French Guiana as well as with the Netherlands through the Collectivity of Saint Martin. It is the largest west-European country and it possesses the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world covering 11035000 km2 (4260000 sq mi) just behind that of the United States (11351000 km2 / 4383000 sq mi).

Over the past 500 years16 France has been a major power with strong cultural economic military and political influence in Europe and in the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries France colonised great parts of North America and South Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries France built the second largest empire of the time including large portions of North West and Central Africa Southeast Asia and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

France has its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The French Republic is defined as indivisible secular democratic and social by its constitution.17 France is one of the world's most developed countries18 and possesses the world's fifth largest and Europe's second largest economy by nominal GDP.19 France is the wealthiest European (and the world's 4th) nation20 in aggregate household wealth. France enjoys a high standard of living as well as a high public education level and has also one of the world's highest life expectancies.21 France has been listed as the world's "best overall health care" provider by the World Health Organization.22 It is the most visited country in the world receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually.23

France has the world's third largest nominal military budget24 the third largest military in NATO and EU's largest army. France also possesses the third largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world25 with 300 active warheads as of 25 May 2010 and the world's second largest diplomatic corps (second only to that of the United States).26

France is a founding member of the United Nations one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a member of the Francophonie the G8 G20 NATO OECD WTO and the Latin Union. It is also a founding and leading member state of the European Union and the largest one by area.27 In 2010 France was listed 14th on the Human Development Index and 24th on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Contents 1 History 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Prehistory and Antiquity 1.3 Middle Age to Revolution 1.4 Monarchy to Republic 2 Geography 2.1 Environment 2.2 Administrative divisions 2.3 Overseas regions and territories 3 Politics 3.1 Government 3.2 Law 3.3 Foreign relations 3.4 Development aid 3.5 Military 4 Economy 4.1 Agriculture 4.2 Labour market 4.3 Tourism 4.4 Transport 5 Demographics 5.1 Language 5.2 Religion 5.3 Health 5.4 Education 6 Culture 6.1 Painting 6.2 Architecture 6.3 Literature 6.4 Music 6.5 Cinema 6.6 Fashion 6.7 Media 6.8 Society 6.9 Cuisine 6.10 Sports 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History Main article: History of France See also: Military history of France Economic history of France and Territorial formation of France Etymology Main article: Name of France See also: List of country name etymologies

The name "France" comes from the Latin Francia which means "country of the Franks".28 There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks. One is that it is derived from the Proto-Germanic word frankon which translates as javelin or lance as the throwing axe of the Franks was known as a francisca.29 Another proposed etymology is that in an ancient Germanic language Frank means free as opposed to slave.

However it is also possible that the word is derived from the ethnic name of the Franks because as the conquering class only the Franks had the status of freemen.citation needed In German (and other Germanic languages such as Scandinavian languages and Dutch) France is still called "Realm of the Franks" (Frankreich Frankrike Frankrige). In order to distinguish from the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne Modern France is called Frankreich in German while the Frankish Realm is called Frankenreich. Prehistory and Antiquity Main articles: Prehistory of France Gaul and Roman Gaul One of the paintings of Lascaux which represents a horse (Dordogne approximately 18000 BC).

The oldest traces of human life in what is now France date from approximately 1800000 years ago.30 Men were then confronted by a hard and variable climate marked by several glacial eras which modified their framework of life and led them to a nomadic life of hunters-gatherers.30 France counts a large number of decorated caves from the upper Paleolithic era including one of the most famous and best preserved: Lascaux30 (Dordogne approximately 18000 BC).

At the end of the Last glacial period (10.000 BC) the climate softened30 and from approximately 7000 BC this part of Western Europe entered the Neolithic era and its inhabitants became sedentary. After a strong demographic and agricultural development between the 4th and 3rd millennia metallurgy appeared at the end of the 3rd millennium initially with the work of gold copper and bronze and later with iron.31 France counts numerous megalithic sites from the Neolithic period including the exceptionally dense Carnac stones site in Brittany (c. 3300 BC). In 600 BC Ionian Greeks originating from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia (present-day Marseille) on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea making it the oldest city of France.3233 At the same time some Gallic Celtic tribes penetrated some parts of the current territory of France but this occupation spread in the rest of France only between the 5th and 3rd century BC.34 The concept of Gaul emerged at that time; it corresponds to the territories of Celtic settlement ranging between the Rhine the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The borders of modern France are approximately the same as those of ancient Gaul which was inhabited by Celtic Gauls. Gaul was then a prosperous country of which the southernmost part was heavily subject to Greek and Roman influences. However around 390 BC the Gallic chieftain Brennus made his own way through the Alps defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Allia and sacked Rome for several months. The Gallic invasion left Rome weakened and encouraged several subdued Italian tribes to rebel. One by one over the course of the next 50 years these tribes were defeated and brought back under Roman dominion. Meanwhile the Gauls would continue to harass the region until 345 BC when they entered into a formal treaty with Rome. But Romans and Gauls would maintain an adversarial relationship for the next several centuries and the Gauls would remain a threat in Italia. Gallic tribes before the Roman conquest Around 125 BC the south of Gaul was conquered by the Romans who called this region Provincia Romana ("Roman Province") which evolved into the name Provence in French.35 The sacking of Rome was still remembered by Romans when Julius Caesar conquered the remainder of Gaul and overcame a revolt carried out by the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix in 52 BC.36 The Maison Carre was a temple of the Gallo-Roman city of Nemausus (present-day Nmes) and is one of the best preserved vestiges of the Roman Empire Gaul was divided by Augustus into Roman provinces the principal ones being Gallia Narbonensis in the south Gallia Aquitania in the south-west Gallia Lugdunensis in the center and Gallia Belgica in the north.37 Many cities were founded during the Gallo-Roman period including Lugdunum (present-day Lyon) which is considered to be the capital of the Gauls.38 These cities were built in the traditional Roman style with a forum a theatre a circus an amphitheatre and thermal baths. The Gauls mixed with Roman settlers and eventually adopted Roman speech (Latin from which the French language evolved) and Roman culture. The Roman polytheism merged with the Gallic paganism into the same syncretism. Around the 3rd century AD Roman Gaul underwent a serious crisis with its "limes" (fortified borders protecting the Empire) crossed on several occasions by Barbarians.39 The weakness of the central imperial power at this time led Gallo-Roman leaders to proclaim the independence of the short-lived Gallic Empire40 which ended with the Battle of Chlons in 274 which saw Gaul reincorporated in the Roman Empire. Nevertheless the situation improved in the first half of the 4th century AD which was a period of revival and prosperity for Roman Gaul.41 In 312 the emperor Constantin I converted to Christianity. Christians persecuted until then multiplied across the entire Roman Empire.42 But from the second half of the 4th century AD the Barbarian Invasions started again43 and Germanic tribes such as the Vandals Suebi and Alans crossed the Rhine and settled in Gaul Spain and other parts of the collapsing Roman Empire.44 At the end of the Antiquity period ancient Gaul was divided into several Germanic kingdoms and some remaining Gallo-Roman territories notably the Kingdom of Syagrius. Middle Age to Revolution Main articles: France in the Middle Ages Absolute monarchy in France Ancien Rgime in France Early modern France and List of French monarchs Frankish expansion from the early Clovis I' kingdom (481) to the divisions of Charlemagne's Empire (843/870). French territorial gains (green) and losses (red) from 985 to present-day (Overseas possessions not shown see below) The pagan Franks from whom the ancient name of Francie was derived originally settled the North-East of Gaul but conquered most of northern and central Gaul under Clovis I. The Frankish King Clovis I was the first Germanic conqueror after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert in 498 to Catholic Christianity rather than Arianism; thus France obtained the title Eldest daughter of the Church (La fille ane de lglise) from the papacy45 and the French kings would adopt this as justification for calling their country the Most Christian Kingdom of France until the French Revolution. The Franks embraced the Christian Gallo-Roman heritage and ancient Gaul was progressively renamed Francia ("Land of the Franks"). The Germanic Franks adopted Romanic languages except in northern Gaul where Roman settlements were less dense and where Germanic languages emerged. Clovis made Paris his capital and established the Merovingian dynasty but his kingdom would not survive his death. The Franks treated land purely as a private possession and divided it among their heirs so four kingdoms emerged: Paris Orlans Soissons and Rheims. The last Merovingian kings sometimes referred as Rois fainants ("lazy kings") lost effective power to their mayors of the palace. The mayor of the palace Charles Martel defeated a Muslim invasion from Hispania at the Battle of Tours (732) and earned respect and power within the Frankish Kingdoms. His son Pepin the Short eventually seized the crown of Francia from the discredited Merovingians and founded the Carolingian dynasty. Pippin's son Charlemagne reunited the Frankish Kingdoms and built a vast empire across Western and Central Europe. Joan of Arc led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War which paved the way for the final victory. Proclaimed "Roman Emperor" by the Pope Charlemagne tried to revive the Western Roman Empire and its cultural grandeur from its Palace of Aachen. The efficient administration of this immense empire was ensured by high civil servants carrying the still non-hereditary titles of counts (in charge of a County) marquis (in charge of a March) dukes (military commanders) etc. Charlemagne's son Louis I (emperor 814840) kept the empire united; however this Carolingian Empire would not survive Louis I's death. The Empire was divided between Louis' three sons with the Treaty of Verdun (843) into East Francia to Louis the German Middle Francia to Lothair I and West Francia to Charles the Bald. Western Francia approximated the area occupied by modern France and was the precursor to modern France.46 Constantly threatened by Viking invasions France became a very decentralised state: the nobility's titles and lands became hereditary the authority of the king became more religious than effective and constantly challenged by powerful noblemen. Thus was established feudalism in France. Some of the king's vassals would grow so powerful that they would become a threat to the king. By example after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 the Duke of Normandy added "King of England" to his titles becoming vassal (as Duke of Normandy) and equal (as king of England) to the king of France. The Carolingian dynasty ruled France until 987 when Hugh Capet Duke of France and Count of Paris was crowned King of France.47 His descendants the Direct Capetians the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon progressively unified the country through a series of wars such as the Saintonge War and dynastic inheritance into a Kingdom of France. The Albigensian Crusade was launched in 1209 to eliminate the heretical Cathars in the south-western area of modern-day France. In the end the Cathars were exterminated and the autonomous County of Toulouse was annexed.48 Later Kings expanded their territory to cover over half of modern continental France including most of the North Centre and West of France. French knights took also an active part in the various Crusades that were fought between 1095 and 1291 to restore Christian control over the Holy Land. Meanwhile the royal authority became more and more assertive centred around a hierarchically conceived society distinguishing nobility clergy and commoners. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre (1572) was the climax of the French Wars of Religion which were brought to an end by the Edict of Nantes (1598). Charles IV (The Fair) died without an heir in 1328.49 Under the rules of the Salic law adopted in 1316 the crown of France could not pass to a woman nor could the line of kinship pass through the female line.49 Accordingly the crown passed to the cousin of Charles Philip of Valois rather than through the female line to Charles' nephew Edward who would soon become Edward III of England. In the reign of Philip of Valois the French monarchy reached the height of its medieval power.49 However Philip's seat on the throne was contested by Edward III of England and in 1337 on the eve of the first wave of the Black Death50 England and France went to war in what would become known as the Hundred Years' War.51 The exact boundaries changed greatly with time but French landholdings of the English Kings remained extensive for decades. With charismatic leaders such as Joan of Arc and La Hire strong French counterattacks won back all English continental territories except Calais which was captured in 1558 by the French. Like the rest of Europe France was struck by the Black Death. Around 1340 France had a population of about 17 million52 which by the end of the pandemic had declined by about one-half.53 Louis XIV of France the "sun king" was the absolute monarch of France and made France the leading European power. The French Renaissance saw a long set of wars known as the Italian Wars between the Kingdom of France and the powerful Holy Roman Empire It saw also the first standardization of the French language which would become the official language of France and the language of Europe's aristocracy. French explorers such as Jacques Cartier or Samuel de Champlain claimed lands in the Americas for France paving the way for the expansion of the First French colonial empire. The rise of Protestantism in Europe led France to a civil war known as the French Wars of Religion where in the most notorious incident thousands of Huguenots were murdered in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572.54 The wars of Religion were ended in France by Henry IV's Edict of Nantes which granted some freedom of religion to the Huguenots. Henry IV was eventually murdered by a Catholic fanatic. The monarchy reached its height during the 17th century and the reign of Louis XIV. By turning powerful feudal lords into courtiers in Versailles Louis XIV's personal power became unchallenged. Remembered for his numerous wars he made France the leading European power. At this time France possessed the largest population in Europe (see Demographics of France) and had tremendous influence over European politics economy and culture French became the most used language in diplomacy science literature and international affairs until the 20th century.55 In addition France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas Africa and Asia. However Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes forcing thousands of Huguenots to exile. Under Louis XV while the continental territory of France kept growing with notable acquisitions such as Lorraine (1766) and Corsica (1770) most of its overseas possessions were lost after the French defeat during the Seven Years' War which ended in 1763. Louis XVI actively supported the Americans seeking independence from Great Britain (realized in the 1783 Treaty of Paris). The example of the American Revolution was one of the many contributing factors to the French Revolution. Much of the Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles and major scientific breakthroughs and inventions such as the automobile (1771) and the first hot air balloon carrying passengers (1783) were achieved by French scientists in the 18th century. The Enlightenment philosophy in which reason was advocated as the primary source for legitimacy and authority undermined the Absolute monarchy and prepared the French Revolution. Monarchy to Republic Main articles: France in the long nineteenth century and France in the twentieth century See also: French Revolution Napoleonic era and French colonial empire The Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 was the starting event of the French Revolution. It is now commemorated as the French National Day. After the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 the absolute monarchy was abolished and France became a constitutional monarchy. Through the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen the French Republic established fundamental rights for French citizens and all men without exception. The Declaration affirms "the natural and imprescriptible rights of man" to "liberty property security and resistance to oppression". It called for the destruction of aristocratic privileges by proclaiming an end to exemptions from taxation freedom and equal rights for all men and access to public office based on talent rather than birth. The monarchy was restricted and all citizens were to have the right to take part in the legislative process. Freedom of speech and press were declared and arbitrary arrests outlawed. The Declaration also asserted the principles of popular sovereignty in contrast to the divine right of kings that characterized the French monarchy and social equality among citizens eliminating the privileges of the nobility and clergy. Napoleon I Empereur des Franais built a Great Empire across Europe. He helped to spread the French revolutionary ideals and his legal reforms had a major influence worldwide. In 1792 the French Republic was proclaimed. As European monarchies attacked the new Republic to restore the French monarchy Louis XVI (and later his wife Marie Antoinette) was convicted of treason and guillotined in 1793. Facing increasing pressures from European monarchies and facing internal guerrilla wars and counterrevolutions like the War in the Vende or the Chouannerie the young Republic fell into the Reign of Terror between 1793 and 1794 where 16000 to 40000 persons were executed. In Western France the civil war between the Bleus (the "Blues" supporters of the Revolution) and the Blancs (the "Whites" supporters of the Monarchy) last from 1793 to 1796 and cost around 450000 lives (200000 Patriotes and 250000 Vendens).56 Both foreign armies and French counterrevolutionnaries were crushed and the French Republic survived. Furthermore the French Republic extended greatly its boundaries following its victories and established "Sister Republics" in the surrounding countries. Animated map of the growth and decline of the French colonial empire. After a short-lived governmental scheme Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the Republic in 1799 making himself First Consul and later Emperor of the First Empire (18041814/1815). As a continuation of the wars sparked by the European monarchies against the French Republic changing sets of European Coalitions declared wars to Napoleon's French Empire. His armies conquered most of continental Europe with members of the Bonaparte family being appointed as monarchs in some of the newly established kingdoms. After the catastrophic Russian campaign Napoleon was finally defeated and the Bourbon monarchy restored. About a million Frenchmen died during the Napoleonic Wars.57 After his brief return from exile Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo the monarchy was re-established (18151830) but with new constitutional limitations. The discredited Bourbon dynasty was overthrown by the civil uprising of 1830 which established the constitutional July Monarchy which lasted until 1848 when the French Second Republic was proclaimed. In 1852 Louis-Napolon Bonaparte Napoleon Is nephew proclaimed the second Empire as Napoleon III. He multiplied the French interventions abroad especially in Crimea in Mexico and Italy but was unseated following defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and his regime was replaced by the Third Republic. Charles de Gaulle took an active part in all major events of the 20th century : a hero of World War I leader of the Free French during World War II he then became President where he facilitated the decolonization maintained France as a major power and overcame the May 1968 revolt. France had colonial possessions in various forms since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries its global overseas colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British Empire. At its peak between 1919 and 1939 the second French colonial empire extended over 12347000 square kilometres (4767000 sq mi) of land. Including metropolitan France the total area of land under French sovereignty reached 12898000 square kilometres (4980000 sq mi) in the 1920s and 1930s which is 8.6% of the world's land area. France was a member of the Triple Entente when World War I broke out. A small part of Northern France was occupied but France and its allies eventually emerged victorious against the Central Powers at a tremendous human and material cost: the first war left 1.4 million French soldiers dead.58 The interbellum phase was marked by a variety of social reforms introduced by the Popular Front government. Following the German Blitzkrieg campaign in World War II metropolitan France was divided in an occupation zone in the north and Vichy France a newly established authoritarian regime collaborating with Germany in the south.59 The Allies and the French Resistance eventually emerged victorious from the Axis powers and French sovereignty was restored. The Fourth Republic was established after World War II and saw spectacular economic growth (les Trente Glorieuses). France was one of the founding members of the NATO (1949) which was the Western counterpart of the Warsaw Pact system of collective defence. France attempted to regain control of French Indochina but was defeated by the Viet Minh at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Only months later France faced a new conflict in Algeria. The debate over whether or not to keep control of Algeria then home to over one million European settlers60 wracked the country and nearly led to civil war. In 1958 the weak and unstable Fourth Republic gave way to the Fifth Republic which contained a strengthened Presidency.61 In the latter role Charles de Gaulle managed to keep the country together while taking steps to end the war. The Algerian War was concluded with peace negotiations in 1962 that led to Algerian independence. France granted independence progressively to its colonies the last one being Vanuatu in 1980. A vestige of the colonial empire are the French overseas departments and territories that include French Guiana Martinique and French Polynesia. France has been at the forefront of the European Union member states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to create a more unified and capable European Union political defence and security apparatus.62 Geography Main article: Geography of France See also: Outline of France Metropolitan French cities with over 100000 inhabitants Metropolitan France is situated mostly between latitudes 41 and 51 N (Dunkirk is just north of 51) and longitudes 6 W and 10 E on the western edge of Europe and thus lies within the northern temperate zone While Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe France also has a number of territories in North America the Caribbean South America the southern Indian Ocean the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.63 These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas department to overseas collectivity. France's overseas departments and collectivities share land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana) and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). The Exclusive Economic Zone of France extends over 11000000 km2 (4200000 sq mi) of ocean across the world.64 Metropolitan France covers 547030 square kilometres (211209 sq mi)10 having the largest area among European Union members.27 France possesses a wide variety of landscapes from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west. At 4810.45 metres (15782 ft)65 above sea level the highest point in Western Europe Mont Blanc is situated in the Alps on the border between France and Italy. Metropolitan France also has extensive river systems such as the Seine the Loire the Garonne and the Rhone which divides the Massif Central from the Alps and flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the Camargue. Corsica lies off the Mediterranean coast. France's total land area with its overseas departments and territories (excluding Adlie Land) is 674843 km2 (260558 sq mi) 0.45% of the total land area on Earth. However France possesses the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world66 covering 11035000 km2 (4260637 sq mi) approximately 8% of the total surface of all the EEZs of the world just behind the United States (11351000 km2/4382646 sq mi) and ahead of Australia (8232000 km2/3178393 sq mi).67 The north and northwest have a temperate climate while a combination of maritime influences latitude and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France.68 In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall mild winters and cool to warm summers. Inland the climate becomes more continental with hot stormy summers colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps and other mountainous regions is mainly alpine with the number of days with temperatures below freezing over 150 per year and snow cover lasting for up to six months. Landscapes and climates of France Limestone cliffs of Normandy near tretat.   Mediterranean vegetation (lavender) in Provence.   Alpine climate in Savoie (note the Alpine Ibex on the left).   Vineyards in Cte de Nuits Burgundy.   The Vosges Mountains.   Bora-Bora in French Polynesia.   Calanques de Sugiton near Marseille.   Environment See also: Ministry of Ecology Energy Sustainable Development and Sea National parks of France and Regional natural parks of France Regional and National natural parks in France. Indicated in green and purple colour respectively. France was one of the first countries to create a Ministry of the Environment in 1971.69 Although France is one of the most industrialised and developed countries it is ranked only seventeenth by carbon dioxide emissions behind such less populous nations as Canada Saudi Arabia or Australia. This situation results from the French government's decision to invest in nuclear power in 1974 (after the 1973 oil crisis70) which now accounts for 78% of France's electricity production71 and explains why France pollutes less than comparable countries.7273 Like all European Union members France agreed to cut carbon emissions by at least 20% of 1990 levels by the year 202074 in comparison the USA agreed to a fall of 4% of its emissions75 whereas China stated it wanted to "reduce its carbon intensity by 4045% by the year 2020" (compared with 2005 levels)76 which means with a GDP growth of 8% yearly an augmentation of 80%75 to 250%77 of the Chinese carbon emissions by 2020. In 2009 the French carbon dioxide emissions per capita level is lower than the Chinese one.78 France was even set to impose a carbon tax in 2009 at 17 Euros per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted.79 The carbon tax would have brought in 4.3 billion Euros of revenue per year.80 However 6 months later the plan for a carbon tax was abandoned for various reasons one being that French companies would have a more difficult time competing with companies in neighboring countries who would not have to pay such steep taxes on carbon dioxide emissions. Instituting a carbon tax was also an unpopular political move for President Sarkozy.81 In 2010 a study at Yale and Columbia universities ranked France the most environmentally conscious nation of the G20.8283 Forests account for 2827% of the land area of France.8485 France is the second most wooded country of the EU.86 French forests are also some of the most diversified of Europe with more than 140 differents varieties of trees.87 There are 9 national parks88 and 46 natural parks in France.89 France wants to convert 20% of its Exclusive Economic Zone in a Marine Protected Area by 2020.90 Administrative divisions The Place du Capitole in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) in the Midi-Pyrnes region Main articles: Administrative divisions of France Regions of France and Departments of France See also: Metropolitan Area (France) and List of communes in France with over 20000 inhabitants (1999 census) France is divided into 27 administrative regions.10 22 are in metropolitan France (21 are on the continental part of metropolitan France; one is the territorial collectivity of Corsica) and five are overseas regions. The regions are further subdivided into 101 departments91 which are numbered (mainly alphabetically). This number is used in postal codes and vehicle number plates amongst others. The 101 departments are subdivided into 341 arrondissements which are in turn subdivided into 4051 cantons. These cantons are then divided into 36697 communes which are municipalities with an elected municipal council. There also exist 2588 intercommunal entities grouping 33414 of the 36697 communes (i.e. 91.1% of all the communes). Three communes Paris Lyon and Marseille are also subdivided into 45 municipal arrondissements. The regions departments and communes are all known as territorial collectivities meaning they possess local assemblies as well as an executive. Arrondissements and cantons are merely administrative divisions. However this was not always the case. Until 1940 the arrondissements were also territorial collectivities with an elected assembly but these were suspended by the Vichy regime and definitely abolished by the Fourth Republic in 1946. Historically the cantons were also territorial collectivities with their elected assemblies. The 22 regions and 96 departments of metropolitan France includes Corsica (Corse lower right). Paris area is expanded (inset at left) Region Departments  Alsace Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin  Aquitaine Dordogne Gironde Landes Lot-et-Garonne Pyrnes-Atlantiques  Auvergne Allier Cantal Haute-Loire Puy-de-Dme  Basse-Normandie Calvados Manche Orne  Bourgogne Cte-d'Or Nivre Sane-et-Loire Yonne  Brittany Ctes-d'Armor Finistre Ille-et-Vilaine Morbihan  Centre Cher Eure-et-Loir Indre Indre-et-Loire Loiret Loir-et-Cher  Champagne-Ardenne Ardennes Aube Haute-Marne Marne  Corsica (Corse) Corse-du-Sud Haute-Corse  Franche-Comt Doubs Haute-Sane Jura Territoire de Belfort  Haute-Normandie Eure Seine-Maritime  le-de-France Essonne Hauts-de-Seine Paris Seine-et-Marne Seine-Saint-Denis Val-de-Marne Val-d'Oise Yvelines  Languedoc-Roussillon Aude Gard Hrault Lozre Pyrnes-Orientales  Limousin Corrze Creuse Haute-Vienne  Lorraine Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges  Midi-Pyrnes Arige Aveyron Gers Haute-Garonne Hautes-Pyrnes Lot Tarn Tarn-et-Garonne  Nord-Pas-de-Calais Nord Pas-de-Calais  Pays de la Loire Loire-Atlantique Maine-et-Loire Mayenne Sarthe Vende  Picardie Aisne Oise Somme  Poitou-Charentes Charente Charente-Maritime Deux-Svres Vienne  Provence-Alpes-Cte d'Azur Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-Maritimes Bouches-du-Rhne Hautes-Alpes Var Vaucluse  Rhne-Alpes Ain Ardche Drme Haute-Savoie Isre Loire Rhne Savoie Overseas regions and territories Main article: Overseas departments and territories of France Among the 101 departments of France five (French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Mayotte and Runion) are in overseas regions (ROMs) that are also simultaneously overseas departments (DOMs) and are an integral part of France (and the European Union) and thus enjoy a status similar to metropolitan departments. In addition to the 27 regions and 101 departments the French Republic also has five overseas collectivities (French Polynesia Saint Barthlemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Wallis and Futuna) one sui generis collectivity (New Caledonia) one overseas territory (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and one island possession in the Pacific Ocean (Clipperton Island). The lands making up the French Republic shown at the same geographic scale. Name Constitutional status  Clipperton Island State private property under the direct authority of the French government  French Guiana Overseas region (rgions d'outre-mer) and simultaneously overseas department (dpartement d'outre-mer or DOM)  French Polynesia Designated as an overseas land (pays d'outre-mer or POM) the status is the same as an overseas collectivity.  French Southern and Antarctic Lands overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer or TOM)  Guadeloupe Overseas region and department (DOM)  Martinique Overseas region and department (DOM)  Mayotte Overseas region and department (DOM)  New Caledonia Sui generis collectivity  Runion Overseas region and department (DOM)  Saint Barthlemy Overseas collectivity (collectivit d'outre-mer or COM)  Saint Martin Overseas collectivity (collectivit d'outre-mer or COM)  Saint Pierre and Miquelon Overseas collectivity (collectivit d'outre-mer or COM). Still referred to as a collectivit territoriale.  Wallis and Futuna Overseas collectivity (collectivit d'outre-mer or COM). Still referred to as a territoire. Overseas collectivities and territories form part of the French Republic but do not form part of the European Union or its fiscal area (with the exception of St. Bartelemy which seceded from Guadeloupe in 2007). The Pacific Collectivities (COMs) of French Polynesia Wallis and Fortuna and New Caledonia continue to use the CFP franc929394 whose value is linked to that of the euro. In contrast the five overseas regions used the French franc and now use the euro.95 Politics Main article: Politics of France Government Main articles: Government of France and Constitution of France Logo of the French Republic The French Republic is a unitary semi-presidential republic with strong democratic traditions. The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by referendum on 28 September 1958.96 It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to parliament. The executive branch itself has two leaders: the President of the Republic currently Nicolas Sarkozy who is head of state and is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year term (formerly 7 years)97 and the Government led by the president-appointed Prime Minister currently Franois Fillon. Nicolas Sarkozy has been the President of the French Republic since 2007 The French parliament is a bicameral legislature comprising a National Assembly (Assemble Nationale) and a Senate.98 The National Assembly deputies represent local constituencies and are directly elected for 5-year terms.99 The Assembly has the power to dismiss the cabinet and thus the majority in the Assembly determines the choice of government. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 6-year terms (originally 9-year terms) and one half of the seats are submitted to election every 3 years starting in September 2008.100 The Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers the National Assembly has the final say.101 The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. French politics are characterised by two politically opposed groupings: one left-wing centred around the French Socialist Party and the other right-wing centred previously around the Rassemblement pour la Rpublique (RPR) and now its successor the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).102 The executive branch is currently composed mostly of the UMP. Law Main article: Law of France The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen France uses a civil legal system;10 that is law arises primarily from written statutes; judges are not to make law but merely to interpret it (though the amount of judicial interpretation in certain areas makes it equivalent to case law). Basic principles of the rule of law were laid in the Napoleonic Code. In agreement with the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen law should only prohibit actions detrimental to society. As Guy Canivet first president of the Court of Cassation wrote about the management of prisons: :Freedom is the rule and its restriction is the exception; any restriction of Freedom must be provided for by Law and must follow the principles of necessity and proportionality. That is Law should lay out prohibitions only if they are needed and if the inconveniences caused by this restriction do not exceed the inconveniences that the prohibition is supposed to remedy. French law is divided into two principal areas: private law and public law. Private law includes in particular civil law and criminal law. Public law includes in particular administrative law and constitutional law. However in practical terms French law comprises three principal areas of law: civil law criminal law and administrative law. France does not recognise religious law nor does it recognise religious beliefs or morality as a motivation for the enactment of prohibitions. As a consequence France has long had neither blasphemy laws nor sodomy laws (the latter being abolished in 1791). However "offences against public decency" (contraires aux bonnes murs) or disturbing public order (trouble l'ordre public) have been used to repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution. Criminal laws can only address the future and not the past (criminal ex post facto laws are prohibited) ; and to be applicable laws must be officially published in the Journal Officiel de la Rpublique Franaise. France is tolerant of the LGBT community. Since 1999 civil unions for homosexual couples are permitted although same-sex marriage is illegal in France. Laws sentencing racism sexism or antisemitism are old and important for instance laws prohibiting discriminatory speech in the press are as old as 1881.103 France is one of the most tolerant countries of the world religiously speaking according to a survey conducted in 15 different countries.104 Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of France See also: European Union Latin Union Francophonie United Nations Security Council and NATO Signing of the Rome Treaty. France is a founding member of the EEC in 1957 and the European Union in 1993. France is a member of the United Nations and serves as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto rights.105 It is also a member of the G8 World Trade Organisation (WTO)106 the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)107 and the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).108 It is an associate member of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)109 and a leading member of the International Francophone Organisation (OIF) of fifty-one fully or partly French-speaking countries.110 It hosts the headquarters of the OECD111 UNESCO112 Interpol113 Alliance Base114 and the International Bureau for Weights and Measures.115 In 1953 France received a request from the United Nations to pick a coat of arms that would represent it internationally. Thus the French emblem was adopted and is currently used on passports.116 French foreign policy has been largely shaped by membership of the European Union of which it was a founding member. In the 1960s France sought to exclude the British from the organisation117 seeking to build its own standing in continental Europe. Since the 1960s France has developed close ties with reunified Germany to become the most influential driving force of the EU.118 French President Nicolas Sarkozy and United States President Barack Obama before NATO summit in Strasbourg on 3 April 2009. France is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation but under President de Gaulle it excluded itself from the joint military command to avoid the American domination of its foreign and security policies.119 However as a result of Nicolas Sarkozy's (much criticised in France by the leftists and by a part of the right)120121 pro-American politics France rejoined the NATO joint military command on 4 April 2009. In the early 1990s the country drew considerable criticism from other nations for its underground nuclear tests in French Polynesia.122 France vigorously opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq123124 straining bilateral relations with the US125126 and the UK.127 France retains strong political and economic influence in its former African colonies (Franafrique)128 and has supplied economic aid and troops for peace-keeping missions in the Ivory Coast and Chad.129 France has the second largest network of diplomatic missions in the world second only to the USA.130 Development aid In 2007 France is the third largest (in absolute numbers) donor of development aid in the world behind the US and Germany but ahead of Japan and the UK.131 This represents 0.5 % of its GDP in this regard rating as average among the developed countries and not meeting the International Aid Target of 0.7 %.132 The organism managing the French help is the French Development Agency which finances primarily humanitarian projects in sub-Saharan Africa.133 The main goals of this help are "developing infrastructure access to health care and education the implementation of appropriate economic policies and the consolidation of the rule of law and democracy."133 Military Main article: French Armed Forces See also: Military history of France and Deployments of the French military Examples of France's military. Clockwise from top left: Nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle; A pair of Rafale fighter aircraft; French Chasseurs alpins patrolling the valleys of Kapisa province in Afghanistan; a Leclerc tank in Paris for the 14th July Bastille Day Military Parade. France's armed forces (Armes franaises) comprising the French Army (Arme de Terre) French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the French Air Force (Arme de l'Air) and the auxiliary paramilitary force the National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie nationale) is the thirteenth largest in the world.134 Individually the Navy employs 42550 professional sailors and 15000 part-time reservists135 and has a displacement 307000 tons making it the world's sixth biggest navy.136 The Army employs 123100 regulars and 118350 part-time reservists 137 making it the fourth largest in NATO. The Air Force is the oldest and first professional air force in the world138 and employs 57400 regulars making it also the fourth largest in NATO. While administratively a part of the French armed forces and therefore under the purview of the Ministry of Defence the Gendarmerie is operationally attached to the Ministry of the Interior. The gendarmerie is a military police force which serves for the most part as a rural and general purpose police force. It encompasses the counter terrorist units of the Parachute Intervention Squadron of the National Gendarmerie (Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) and the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale). One of the French intelligence units the Directorate-General for External Security (Direction Gnrale de la Scurit Extrieure) reports to the Ministry of Defence. The other the Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence (Direction Centrale du Renseignement Intrieur) reports directly to the Ministry of the Interior. There has been no national conscription since 1997.139 The president is the supreme commander of the French Armed Forces. France is a permanent member of the Security Council of the UN and a recognised nuclear state since 1960. France has signed and ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)140 and acceeded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. France's annual military expenditure in 2010 was US$61.3 billion or 2.5 percent of its GDP141 making it the third biggest military spender in the world after China and the United States of America.141 The French deterrence (formerly known as Force de frappe) relies on complete independence. The current French nuclear force consists of four Triomphant class submarines equipped with submarine-launched ballistic missiles. In addition to the submarine fleet it is estimated that France has about 60 ASMP medium-range air-to-ground missiles with nuclear warheads142 of which 50 are carried by the Mirage 2000N long-range multirole fighter and arm the Air Force and 10 can be carried by the French Navy's Super tendard Modernis (SEM) attack planes which use the only non-American nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the world the Charles de Gaulle when at sea. The new Rafale F3 aircraft will gradually replace all Mirage 2000N and SEM in the nuclear strike role with the improved ASMP-A missile with a nuclear warhead. France has major military industries that have produced the Rafale fighter the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier the Exocet missile and the Leclerc tank amongst others. Some weaponry like the E-2 Hawkeye or the E-3 Sentry was bought from the United States. Despite withdrawing from the Eurofighter project France is actively investing in European joint projects such as the Eurocopter Tiger multipurpose frigates the UCAV demonstrator nEUROn and the Airbus A400M. France has the largest aerospace industry in Europe.143144 France is a major arms seller145146 with most of its arsenal's designs available for the export market with the notable exception of nuclear-powered devices. Economy Main articles: Economy of France and Energy in France Further information: List of French companies and Economic history of France The first completed Airbus A380 at the A380 Reveal event in Toulouse on 18 January 2005. Airbus is a symbol of the globalisation of the French and European economy. A member of the G8 group of leading industrialised countries it is ranked as the world's fifth largest and Europe's second largest economy by nominal GDP;147 with 39 of the 500 biggest companies of the world in 2010 France ranks world's 4th and Europe's 1st in the Fortune Global 500 ahead of Germany and the UK. France joined 11 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999 with euro coins and banknotes completely replacing the French franc () in early 2002.148 France derives 79% of its electricity from nuclear power the highest percentage in the world.149 France has a mixed economy which combines extensive private enterprise (nearly 2.5 million companies registered)150151 with substantial (though declining152) state enterprise and government intervention (see dirigisme). The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors with majority ownership of railway electricity aircraft nuclear power and telecommunications.152 It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s.152 The government is slowly corporatising the state sector and selling off holdings in France Tlcom Air France as well as the insurance banking and defence industries.152 France has an important aerospace industry led by the European consortium Airbus and has its own national spaceport the Centre Spatial Guyanais. France is part of a monetary union the Eurozone (dark blue) and of the EU single market. According to the WTO in 2009 France was the world's sixth-largest exporter and the fourth-largest importer of manufactured goods.153 In 2008 France was the third-largest recipient of foreign direct investment among OECD countries at $117.9 billion ranking behind Luxembourg (where foreign direct investment was essentially monetary transfers to banks located in that country) and the United States ($316.1 billion) but above the United Kingdom ($96.9 billion) Germany ($24.9 billion) or Japan ($24.4 billion).154155 In the same year French companies invested $220 billion outside of France ranking France as the second most important outward direct investor in the OECD behind the United States ($311.8 billion) and ahead of the United Kingdom ($111.4 billion) Japan ($128 billion) and Germany ($156.5 billion).154155 With 39 of the 500 biggest companies of the world in 2010 France ranks 4th in the Fortune Global 500 behind the USA Japan and China but ahead of Germany and the UK.156 France is the smallest emitter of carbon dioxide among the seven most industrialized countries in the world due to its heavy investment in nuclear power.157 As a result of large investments in nuclear technology most of the electricity produced in the country is generated by 59 nuclear power plants (78% in 2006158 up from only 8% in 1973 24% in 1980 and 75% in 1990). In this context renewable energies (see the power cooperative Enercoop) are having difficulties taking off the ground. Agriculture Vineyards near Carcassonne. France has historically been an important producer of agricultural products.159 Large tracts of fertile land the application of modern technology and EU subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer and exporter in Europe160 (representing alone 20% of the EU's agricultural production161) and the world's third biggest exportator of agricultural products.162 Wheat poultry dairy beef and pork as well as an internationally recognized foodstuff and wine industry are primary French agricultural exports. EU agriculture subsidies to France have decreased for the last years but still amounted to $8 billion in 2007.163 This same year France sold 33.4 billion euros of transformed agricultural products.164 Agriculture is thus an important sector of France's economy : 3.5% of the active population is employed in agriculture161 whereas the total agri-food industry made up 4.2% of French GDP in 2005.161 Labour market The French GDP per capita is similar to the GDP per capita of other comparable European countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom.165 GDP per capita is determined by (i) productivity per hour worked which in France is the highest of the G8 countries in 2005 according to the OECD166 (ii) the number of hours worked which is one the lowest of developed countries167 and (iii) the employment rate. France has one of the lowest 1564 years employment rates of the OECD countries: in 2004 only 69% of the French population aged 1564 years were in employment compared to 80% in Japan 79% in the UK 77% in the US and 71% in Germany.168 La Dfense just outside Paris is the largest business district in Europe.169 This gap is due to the very low employment rates at both age extremes: the employment rate of people aged 5564 was 38.3% in 2007 compared to 46.6% in the EU15;170 for the 1524 years old the employment rate was 31.5% in 2007 compared to 37.2% in EU25.171 These low employment rates are explained by the high minimum wages which prevent low productivity workers such as young people from easily entering the labour market172 ineffective university curricula that fail to prepare students adequately for the labour market173 and concerning the older workers restrictive legislation on work and incentives for premature retirement.174175 The unemployment rate decreased from 9% in 2006 to 7% in 2008 but remains one of the highest in Europe.176177 In June 2009 the unemployment rate for France was 9.4%.178 Shorter working hours and the reluctance to reform the labour market are mentioned as weak spots of the French economy in the view of the right when the left mentions the lack of government policies fostering social justice. Liberal economists have stressed repeatedly over the years that the main issue of the French economy is an issue of structural reforms in order to increase the size of the working population in the overall population reduce the taxes' level and the administrative burden. Keynesian economists have different answers to the unemployment issue and their theories led to the 35-hour workweek law in the early 2000s which turned out to be a failure in reducing unemployment. Afterwards between 2004 and 2008 the Government made some supply-oriented reforms to combat unemployment but met with fierce resistance179 especially with the contrat nouvelle embauche and the contrat premire embauche which both were eventually repealed.180 The current Government is experiencing the revenu de solidarit active to redress the negative effect of the revenu minimum d'insertion on work incentive.181 Tourism Main article: Tourism in France The Palace of Versailles is one of the most popular tourist destinations in France. With 81.9 million foreign tourists in 200723 France is ranked as the first tourist destination in the world ahead of Spain (58.5 million in 2006) and the United States (51.1 million in 2006). This 81.9 million figure excludes people staying less than 24 hours in France such as Northern Europeans crossing France on their way to Spain or Italy during the summer. The Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most visited sites of France France features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost but also Toulouse Strasbourg Bordeaux Lyon...) beaches and seaside resorts ski resorts and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). Small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage (such as Collonges-la-Rouge or Locronan) are promoted through the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (litt. "The Most Beautiful Villages of France"). The "Remarkable Gardens" label is a list of the over two hundred gardens classified by the French Ministry of Culture. This label is intended to protect and promote remarkable gardens and parks. France also attracts many religious pilgrims on their way to St. James or to Lourdes a town in the Hautes-Pyrnes that hosts a few million visitors a year. France and especially Paris have some of the world's largest and renowned museums including the Louvre which is the most visited art museum in the world but also the Muse d'Orsay mostly devoted to impressionism and Beaubourg dedicated to Contemporary art. The Chteau de Chambord is one of the many French royal residences of the Loire Valley. Disneyland Paris is France's and indeed Europe's most popular theme park with 15405000 combined visitors to the resort's Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park in 2009.182 The historical theme park Puy du Fou in Vende is the second most visited park of France.183 Other popular theme parks are the Futuroscope of Poitiers and the Parc Astrix. With more than 10 millions tourists a year the French Riviera (or Cte d'Azur) in south-eastern France is the second leading tourist destination in the country after the Parisian region.184 According to the Cte d'Azur Economic Development Agency it benefits from 300 days of sunshine per year 115 kilometres (71 mi) of coastline and beaches 18 golf courses 14 ski resorts and 3000 restaurants.185 Each year the Cte d'Azur hosts 50% of the world's superyacht fleet with 90% of all superyachts visiting the region's coast at least once in their lifetime.186 An other major destination are the Chteaux of the Loire Valley this World Heritage Site is noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage in its historic towns such as Amboise Angers Blois Chinon Nantes Orlans Saumur and Tours but in particular for its castles (chteaux) such as the Chteaux d'Amboise de Chambord d'Uss de Villandry and Chenonceau which illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the French Renaissance. The most popular tourist sites include: (according to a 2003 ranking187 visitors per year): Eiffel Tower (6.2 million) Louvre Museum (5.7 million) Palace of Versailles (2.8 million) Muse d'Orsay (2.1 million) Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million) Centre Pompidou (1.2 million) Mont-Saint-Michel (1 million) Chteau de Chambord (711000) Sainte-Chapelle (683000) Chteau du Haut-Knigsbourg (549000) Puy de Dme (500000) Muse Picasso (441000) Carcassonne (362000). Transport Main articles: Transport in France and Rail transport in France A TGV Sud-Est which can reach a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186.41 mph). The railway network of France which as of 2008 stretches 29473 kilometres (18314 mi)188 is the second most extensive in Western Europe after the German one.189 It is operated by the SNCF and high-speed trains include the Thalys the Eurostar and TGV which travels at 320 km/h (199 mph) in commercial use.190191 The Eurostar along with the Eurotunnel Shuttle connects with the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel. Rail connections exist to all other neighbouring countries in Europe except Andorra. Intra-urban connections are also well developed with both underground services and tramway services complementing bus services. There are approximately 1027183 kilometres (638262 mi) of serviceable roadway in France ranking it the most extensive network of the European continent.192 The Paris region is enveloped with the most dense network of roads and highways that connect it with virtually all parts of the country. French roads also handle substantial international traffic connecting with cities in neighboring Belgium Spain Andorra Monaco Switzerland Germany and Italy. There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however motorway usage is through tolls except in the vicinity of large communes. The new car market is dominated by domestic brands such as Renault (27% of cars sold in France in 2003) Peugeot (20.1%) and Citron (13.5%).193 Over 70% of new cars sold in 2004 had diesel engines far more than contained petrol or LPG engines.194 France possesses the Millau Viaduct the world's tallest bridge195 and has built many important bridges such as the Pont de Normandie. There are 475 airports in France.10 Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport located in the vicinity of Paris is the largest and busiest airport in the country handling the vast majority of popular and commercial traffic and connecting Paris with virtually all major cities across the world. Air France is the national carrier airline although numerous private airline companies provide domestic and international travel services. There are ten major ports in France the largest of which is in Marseille196 which also is the largest bordering the Mediterranean Sea.197198 12261 kilometres (7619 mi) of waterways traverse France including the Canal du Midi which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean through the Garonne river.10 Demographics Main articles: Demography of France and French people Population density in the French Republic at the 1999 census. With an estimated population of 65.8 million people (as of 1 Jan. 2011)7 France is the 20th most populous country in the world. In 2003 France's natural population growth (excluding immigration) was responsible for almost all natural population growth in the European Union. The natural growth (excess of births over deaths) rose to 302432 in 2006199 its highest since the end of the baby boom in 1973. The total fertility rate rose to 2.01 in 20107 from a nadir of 1.68 in 1994.200 In the five years between Jan. 2006 and Jan. 2011 population growth was on average +0.58% per year.199 The largest cities in France in terms of metropolitan area population are Paris (11836970) Lyon (1757180) Marseille (1618369) Lille (1163934) Toulouse (1118472) Bordeaux (1009313) Nice (999678) Nantes (768305) and Strasbourg (641853). In 2004 a total of 140033 people immigrated to France. Of them 90250 were from Africa and 13710 from Europe.201 In 2008 France granted citizenship to 137000 persons mostly to people from Morocco Algeria and Turkey.202 It is illegal for the French state to collect data on ethnicity and race a law with its origins in the 1789 revolution and reaffirmed in the constitution of 1958.203 While official data on the size of the country's ethnic minorities is not available it has been estimated that between three million204 and six million 205 people are of North African ancestry while an estimated 2.5 million people are of Black African ancestry.206207 It is currently estimated that 40% of the French population is descended at least partially from the different waves of immigration the country has received.208 Between 1921 and 1935 about 1.1 million net immigrants came to France.209 An estimated 1.6 million European pieds noirs returned to France as the country's North African possessions gained independence.210211 According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies it has an estimated 4.9 million foreign-born immigrants of which 2 million have acquired French citizenship.212 France is the leading asylum destination in Western Europe with an estimated 50000 applications in 2005 (a 15% decrease from 2004).213 The European Union allows free movement between the member states. While UK and Ireland did not impose restrictions France put in place controls to curb Eastern European migration. A perennial political issue concerns rural depopulation. Over the period 19601999 fifteen rural dpartements experienced a decline in population. In the most extreme case the population of Creuse fell by 24%. Language Main article: French Language See also: Languages of France Language policy in France and Francophonie France's legacy: a map of the Francophone world   native language   administrative language   secondary or non-official language   francophone minorities According to Article 2 of the Constitution the official language of France is French214 a Romance language derived from latin. Since 1635 the Acadmie franaise is France's official authority on the usages vocabulary and grammar of the French language although its recommendations carry no legal power. The French government does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals but the use of French is required by law in commercial and workplace communications. In addition to mandating the use of French in the territory of the Republic the French government tries to promote French in the European Union and globally through institutions such as La Francophonie. The perceived threat from anglicisation has prompted efforts to safeguard the position of the French language in France. Besides French there exist 77 vernacular minority languages of France 8 in the French metropolitan territory of continental Europe and 69 in the French overseas territories. From the 17th century to the mid 20th century French served as the pre-eminent international language of diplomacy and international affairs as well as a lingua franca among the educated classes of Europe.215 The dominant position of French language in international affairs has only been challenged recently by English since the emergence of the USA as a major power.55216217 As a result of France's extensive colonial ambitions between the 17th and 20th centuries French was introduced to America Africa Polynesia South-East Asia and the Caribbean. French is the second most-studied foreign language in the world after English218 and is a lingua franca in some regions notably in Africa. The legacy of French as a living language outside Europe is mixed: it is nearly extinct in some former French colonies (Southeast Asia) while creoles and pidgins based on French have emerged in the French departments in the West Indies and the South Pacific (French Polynesia). On the other hand many former French colonies have adopted French as an official language and the total number of French speakers is increasing especially in Africa. Religion Main article: Religion in France France is a secular country and freedom of religion is a constitutional right. The French government does not keep statistics on religious adherence nor on ethnicity or on political affiliation. However some unofficial survey estimates exist. Roman Catholicism has been the predominant religion in France for more than a millennium though it is not as actively practiced today as it once was. A survey by the Catholic newspaper La Croix found that whilst in 1965 81% of the French declared themselves to be Catholics in 2009 this proportion was 64%. Moreover whilst 27% of the French went to Mass once a week or more in 1952 only 4.5% did so in 2006; 15.2% attended Mass at least once a month.219 The same survey found that Protestants accounted for 3% of the population an increase from previous surveys and 5% adhered to other religions with the remaining 28% stating that they had no religion.219 Notre-Dame de Reims is the Roman Catholic cathedral where the kings of France were crowned until 1825.220 According to a January 2007 poll by the Catholic World News221 only 5% of the French population attended church regularly (or 10% attend church services regularly among the respondents who did identify themselves as Catholics). The poll showed222 51% identified as being Catholics 31% identified as being agnostics or atheists (another poll223 sets the proportion of atheists equal to 27%) 10% identified as being from other religions or being without opinion 4% identified as Muslim 3% identified as Protestant 1% identified as Buddhist 1% identified as Jewish. Meanwhile an independent estimate by the politologist Pierre Brchon in 2009 concluded that the proportion of Catholics had fallen to 42% while the number of atheists and agnostics had risen to 50%.224 According to the Pewforum "In France proponents of a 2004 law banning the wearing of religious symbols in schools say it protects Muslim girls from being forced to wear a headscarf but the law also restricts those who want to wear headscarves or any other conspicuous religious symbol including large Christian crosses and Sikh turbans as an expression of their faith"225 According to the most recent but in 2010 somewhat outdated Eurobarometer Poll 2005226 34% of French citizens responded that they believe there is a god whereas 27% answered that they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force and 33% that they do not believe there is any sort of spirit god or life force. One other study shows 32% of people in France declaring themselves to be atheists and another 32% declaring themselves sceptical about the existence of God but not an atheist.227 Estimates of the number of Muslims in France vary widely. According to the more than one decade old 1999 French census returns there were 3.7 million people of possible Muslim faith in France (6.3% of the total population). In 2003 the French Ministry of the Interior estimated the total number of Muslims to be between five and six million (810%).228229 The current Jewish community in France numbers around 600000 according to the World Jewish Congress and is the largest in Europe. However both the North American Jewish Data bank and the Vitual Jew Library put the estimates closer to 480000 as of 2010. Since 1905 the French government has followed the principle of lacit in which it is prohibited from recognising any specific right to a religious community (except for legacy statutes like that of military chaplains and the local law in Alsace-Moselle). Instead it merely recognises religious organisations according to formal legal criteria that do not address religious doctrine. Conversely religious organizations should refrain from intervening in policy-making. Certain bodies of beliefs such as Scientology Children of God the Unification Church or the Order of the Solar Temple are considered cults ("sectes" in French)230 and therefore do not have the same status as religions in France. Secte is considered a pejorative term in France.231 Health Main article: Health in France The Piti-Salptrire Hospital a teaching hospital in Paris one of Europe's largest hospitals.232 The French healthcare system was ranked first worldwide by the World Health Organization in 1997233 and then again in 2000.234 Care is generally free for people affected by chronic diseases (Affections de longues dures) such as cancer AIDS or Cystic Fibrosis. Average life expectancy at birth is 77 years for men and 84 years for women one of the highest of the European Union.235 There are 3.22 physicians for every 1000 inhabitants in France236 whereas average health care spending per capita is US$4719 in 2008.237 As of 2007 there are approximately 140000 inhabitants (0.4%) of France who are living with HIV/AIDS.152 Even if the French have the reputation of being one of the thinnest people in developed countries238239240241242243 Francelike other rich countriesfaces an increasing and recent epidemic of obesity due mostly to the replacement of traditional healthy French cuisine by junk food in French eating habits.238239244 Nevertheless the French obesity rate is far below that of the USA (for instance obesity rate in France is the same that the American once was in the 1970s239) and is still the lowest of Europe241244 but it is now regarded by the authorities as one of the main public health issues245 and is fiercely fought; rates of childhood obesity are slowing in France while continuing to grow in other countries.246 France as all EU countries is under an EU directive to reduce sewage discharge to sensitive areas. As of 2006 France is only 40% in compliance with this directive placing it as one of the lowest achieving countries within the EU with regard to this wastewater treatment standard.247 The death of Chantal Sbire revived the debate over euthanasia in France. It was reported on 21 March 2008.248 Education Main article: Education in France See also: History of education in France and Baccalaurat School system in France In 1802 Napolon Bonaparte created the lyce.249 Nevertheless it is Jules Ferry who is considered to be the father of the French modern school which is free secular and compulsory until the age of 13 since 1882250 (school attendance in France is now compulsory until the age of 16251). Nowadays the schooling system in France is centralized and is composed of three stages primary education secondary education and higher education. The Programme for International Student Assessment coordinated by the OECD currently ranks France's education as the 25th best in the world being neither significantly higher nor lower than the OECD average.252 Primary and secondary education are predominantly public run by the Ministry of National Education. Culture Main article: Culture of France Marianne in painting by Eugne Delacroix La Libert guidant le peuple (1830) France has been a center of cultural creation for centuries. Many French artists have been among the most renowned of their time and France is still recognized in the world for its rich cultural tradition. The successive political regimes have always promoted artistic creation and the creation of the Ministry of Culture in 1959 helped preserve the cultural heritage of the country and make it available to the public. The Ministry of Culture has been very active since its creation granting subsidies to artists promoting French culture in the world supporting festivals and cultural events protecting historical monuments. The French government also succeeded in maintaining a cultural exception to defend audiovisual products made in the country. France receives the highest number of tourists per year largely thanks to the numerous cultural establishments and historical buildings implanted all over the territory. It counts 1200 museums welcoming more than 50 million people annually.253 The most important cultural sites are run by the government for instance through the public agency Centre des monuments nationaux which have around a hundred national historical monuments at charge.clarification needed The 43180 buildings protected as historical monuments include mainly residences (many castles or chteaux in French) and religious buildings (cathedrals basilicas churches etc.) but also statutes memorials and gardens. Painting Main article: French painting Claude Monet founded the Impressionist movement (Femme avec un parasol 1886 Muse d'Orsay). The origins of French painting were very much influenced by Italian art. The two most famous French artists of the time of Renaissance Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain lived in Italy. Louis XIV's prime minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert founded in 1648 the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture to protect these artists and in 1666 he created the still-in-activity French Academy in Rome to have direct relations with Italian artists. French painting also followed the evolution of Italian painters towards a rococo style in the 18th century as an imitation of old baroque style the works of court-endorsed artists Antoine Watteau Franois Boucher and Jean-Honor Fragonard being the most representative in the country. The French Revolution brought great changes as Napoleon I favoured painters of neoclassic style as Jacques-Louis David. The middle of the eighteen century was dominated by two successive movements at first Romanticism with Thodore Gricault and Eugne Delacroix a more realistic painting with Camille Corot Gustave Courbet and Jean-Franois Millet. In the second part of the 18th century France became a center of artistic creation developing a new style of painting and counting on the most famous impressionist painters of the period among them Camille Pissarro douard Manet Edgar Degas Claude Monet Auguste Renoir.254 Second generation of impressionist-style painters Paul Czanne Paul Gauguin Toulouse-Lautrec and Georges Seurat were also at the avant-guarde of artistic evolutions255 as well as fauvist artists Henri Matisse Andr Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck.256257 At the beginning of 20th century Cubism was developed by Georges Braque and Spanish painter Pablo Picasso living in Paris. Other foreign artists also settled and worked in or near Paris like Vincent van Gogh Marc Chagall and Wassily Kandinsky. Many museums in France are entirely or partly devoted to painting works. A huge collection of old masterpieces created before or during the 18th century are displayed in the state-owned Muse du Louvre such as Mona Lisa also known as La Joconde. While the Louvre Palace has been for a long time a museum the Muse d'Orsay was inaugurated in 1986 in the old railway station Gare d'Orsay in a major reorganization of national art collections to gather French paintings from the second part of the 19th century (mainly Impressionism and Fauvism movements).258259 Modern works are presented in the Muse National d'Art Moderne which moved in 1976 to the Centre Georges Pompidou. These three state-owned museums welcome close to 17 million people a year.260 Other national museums hosting paintings include the Grand Palais (13 million visitors in 2008) but there are also many museums owned by cities the most visited being the Muse d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (08 million entries in 2008) which hosts contemporary works.260 Architecture Main article: French architecture Technically speaking there is no standard type of "French" architecture although that has not always been true. Gothic Architecture's old name was French Architecture (or Opus Francigenum).261 The term Gothic appeared later as a stylistic insult and was widely adopted. The Gothic Architecture was the first French style of Architecture to be copied in all Europe.262 Northern France is the home of some of the most important Gothic cathedrals and basilicas the first of these being the Saint Denis Basilica (used as the royal necropolis); other important French Gothic cathedrals are Notre-Dame de Chartres and Notre-Dame d'Amiens. The kings were crowned in another important Gothic church: Notre-Dame de Reims.263 Aside from churches Gothic Architecture had been used for many religious palaces the most important one being the Palais des Papes in Avignon. Saint Louis' Sainte Chapelle represents the French impact on religious architecture. During the Middle Ages fortified castles were built by feudal nobles to mark their powers against their rivals. When King Philip II took Rouen from King John for example he demolished the ducal castle to build a bigger one. Fortified cities were also common unfortunately most French castles did not survive the passage of time. This is why Richard the Lionheart's Chteau Gaillard was demolished as well as the Chteau de Lusignan. Some important French castles that survived are Chinon Chteau d'Angers the massive Chteau de Vincennes and the so called Cathar castles. Before the appearance of this architecture France had been using Romanesque architecture like most of Western Europe (with the exception of the Iberian Peninsula which used Mooresque architecture which now consists of Spain and Portugal). Some of the greatest examples of Romanesque churches in France are the Saint Sernin Basilica in Toulouse (largest romanesque church in Europe264) and the remains of the Cluniac Abbey (largely destroyed during the Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars). Opra Garnier Paris a symbol of the French Neo-Baroque style The end of the Hundred Years' War marked an important stage in the evolution of French architecture. It was the time of the French Renaissance and several artists from Italy and Spain were invited to the French court; many residential palaces inspired by the Italians were built but mainly in the Loire Valley. Such residential castles were the Chteau de Chambord the Chteau de Chenonceau or the Chteau d'Amboise. Following the renaissance and the end of the Middle Ages Baroque Architecture replaced the traditional gothic style. However in France baroque architecture found a greater success in the secular domain than in a religious one.265 In the secular domain the Palace of Versailles has many baroque features. Jules Hardouin Mansart was said to be the most influential French architect of the baroque era with his famous dome Les Invalides. Some of the most impressive provincial baroque architecture is found in places that were not yet French such as the Place Stanislas in Nancy. On the military architectural side Vauban designed some of the most efficient fortresses in Europe and became an influential military architect; as a result imitations of his works can been found all over Europe the Americas Russia and Turkey.266267 The Eiffel Tower is an icon of both Paris and France After the Revolution the Republicans favoured Neoclassicism although neoclassicism was introduced in France prior to the revolution with such building as the Parisian Pantheon or the Capitole de Toulouse. Built during the French Empire the Arc de Triomphe and Sainte Marie-Madeleine represent this trend the best.268 Under Napoleon III a new wave of urbanism and architecture was given birth. If extravagant buildings such as the neo-baroque Palais Garnier were built the urban planning of the time was very organised and rigorous.citation needed For example Baron Haussmann rebuilt Paris. The architecture associated to this era is named Second Empire in English the term being taken from the Second French Empire. At this time there was a strong Gothic resurgence across Europe and in France the associated architect was Eugne Viollet-le-Duc. In the late 19th century Gustave Eiffel designed many bridges such as Garabit viaduct and remains one of the most influential bridge designer of his time although he is best remembered for the iconic Eiffel Tower. In the 20th century Swiss Architect Le Corbusier designed several buildings in France. More recently French architects have combined both modern and old architectural styles. The Louvre Pyramid is an example of modern architecture added to an older building. Certainly the most difficult buildings to integrate within French cities are skyscrapers as they are visible from afar. For instance in Paris since 1977 new buildings had to be under 37 meters or 121 feet.269 France's largest financial district is La Defense where a significant number of skyscrapers are located.270 Other massive buildings that are a challenge to integrate into their environment are large bridges; a good example of the way this has been done is the Millau Viaduct. Some famous modern French architects include Jean Nouvel or Paul Andreu. Literature Main article: French literature French literary figures. Clockwise from top left: Molire is the most played author in the Comdie-Franaise;271 Victor Hugo is one of the most important French novelists and poets and is sometimes seen as the greatest French writer of all time.272 19th century poet writer and translator Charles Baudelaire; 20th century philosopher and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre. The earliest French literature dates from the Middle Ages when what is now known as modern France did not have a single uniform language. There were several languages and dialects and each writer used his own spelling and grammar.citation needed The authors of French mediaeval texts are unknown such as Tristan and Iseult and Lancelot and the Holy Grail. Much mediaeval French poetry and literature were inspired by the legends of the Matter of France such as The Song of Roland and the various Chansons de geste. The Roman de Renart written in 1175 by Perrout de Saint Cloude tells the story of the mediaeval character Reynard ('the Fox') and is another example of early French writing. The names of some authors from this period are known for example Chrtien de Troyes and Duke William IX of Aquitaine who wrote in Occitan. An important 16th century writer was Franois Rabelais who influenced modern French vocabulary and metaphor.citation needed During the 17th century plays by Pierre Corneille Jean Racine and Molire as well as the moral and philosophical books by Blaise Pascal and Ren Descartes deeply influenced the French aristocracy leaving an important new niche for authors of the following decades such as Jean de La Fontaine who was an important poet from this century. French literature and poetry flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. The 18th century saw the works of writers essayists and moralists such as Voltaire Denis Diderot and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Charles Perrault was a prolific writer of famous children's fairy tales including Puss in Boots Cinderella Sleeping Beauty and Bluebeard. At the turn of the 19th century symbolist poetry was an important movement in French literature with poets such as Charles Baudelaire Paul Verlaine and Stphane Mallarm.clarification needed273 The 19th century saw the writings of French authors: Victor Hugo (Les Misrables) Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo) and Jules Verne (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) which are amongst the most well-known in France and the world. Other 19th century fiction writers include mile Zola Honor de Balzac Guy de Maupassant Thophile Gautier and Stendhal. The Prix Goncourt is a French literary prize first awarded in 1903.274 Important writers of the 20th century include Marcel Proust Louis-Ferdinand Cline Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Antoine de Saint Exupry wrote Little Prince which has remained popular for decades with children and adults around the world.275 For most of the 20th century French authors had more Literature Nobel Prizes than those of any other nation.276 Compare the Evolution of Nobel Prizes by country. Music Main article: Music of France Although the musical creation in France dates back to the Middle Ages it knew its golden age in the 17th century thanks to Louis XIV who employed several musicians and composers in the royal court. The most renowned composers of this period include Marc-Antoine Charpentier Franois Couperin Michel-Richard Delalande Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marin Marais all of them composers at the court. After the death of the "Roi Soleil" French musical creation lost dynamism but in the next century the music of Jean-Philippe Rameau reached some prestige and today he is still one of the most renowned French composers. French classical music knew a revival in the 19th and 20th century at the end of the romantic movement at first with opera composers Hector Berlioz Georges Bizet Gabriel Faur Charles Gounod Jacques Offenbach douard Lalo Jules Massenet and Camille Saint-Sans. This period was a golden age for operas being popular in the country the opra bouffon the opera-ballet and the opra comique genres. Later came precursors of modern classical music rik Satie Francis Poulenc and above all Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy who invented new musical forms.277278279280 More recently at the middle of the 20th century Maurice Ohana Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Boulez contributed to the evolutions of contemporary classical music.281 Daft Punk pioneers of the French house. French music then followed the rapid emergence of pop and rock music at the middle of the 20th century. Although English-speaking creations achieved popularity in the country French pop music known as chanson franaise has also remained very popular. Among the most important French artists of the century are Edith Piaf Georges Brassens Lo Ferr Charles Aznavour and Serge Gainsbourg. Although there are very few rock bands in France compared to English-speaking countries282 bands such as Noir Dsir Mano Negra Niagara Rita Mitsouko and more recently Superbus Phoenix and Gojira283 have reached worldwide popularity. Other French artists with international careers have been popular in several countries for example female singers Mireille Mathieu and Mylne Farmer283 electronic music pioneers Jean-Michel Jarre Laurent Garnier and Bob Sinclar and later David Guetta. In the 1990s and 2000s electronic duos Daft Punk Justice and Air also reached worldwide popularity and contributed to the reputation of modern electronic music in the world.283284285 Among current musical events and institutions in France many are dedicated to classical music and operas. The most prestigious institutions are the state-owned Paris National Opera (with its two sites Palais Garnier and Opra Bastille) the Opra National de Lyon the Thtre du Chtelet in Paris the Thtre du Capitole in Toulouse and the Grand Thtre de Bordeaux. As for music festivals there are several events organized the most popular being the Eurockennes and Rock en Seine. The Fte de la Musique imitated by many foreign cities was first launched by the French government in 1982.286287 Major music halls and venues in France include Le Znith sites present in many cities and other places in Paris (Paris Olympia Thtre Mogador lyse Montmartre etc.). Cinema Main article: Cinema of France World's first movie advertising for l'Arroseur Arros 1895 France has historical and strong links with cinema. It is two Frenchmen Auguste and Louis Lumire (known as the Lumiere Brothers) who created the cinema in 1895.288 More recently in 2006 France produced more films than any other European country.289 Cannes Festival is one of the most important and famous film festivals in the world.290291 Although the French film market is dominated by Hollywood it is however the Western country (out of the United States) where the share of the American films in the total film revenues is the smallest at 50.1% to compare with 77.3% of Germany and 69.4% of Japan.292 Thus French films account for 34.8% of the total film revenues of France which is the highest percentage of national films revenues in developed countries (the U.S. not included) to compare with 13.7% in Spain and 8.3% in the UK.292 France was for centuries and not so long ago the cultural center of the world.215 But France's dominant position has been overthrown by American culture and thus France tries to protect its culture. France has been a strong advocate of the cultural exception.293 France therefore succeeded in convincing all the EU members to refuse to include culture and audiovisuals in the list of liberalized sectors of the WTO in 1993.294 Moreover this decision was confirmed in a voting in the UNESCO in 2005 and the principle of "cultural exception" won an overwhelming victory: 198 countries voted for it only 2 countries the U.S and Israel voted against it.295 Fashion Main article: French fashion Chanel's headquarters on the Place Vendme Paris. Fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France since the 17th century and modern "haute couture" originated in Paris in the 1860s. Today Paris along with London Milan and New York City is considered one of the world's fashion capitals and the city is home or headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses. The expression Haute couture is in France a legally protected name guaranteeing certain quality standards. The association of France with fashion and style (French: la mode) dates largely to the reign of Louis XIV296 when the luxury goods industries in France came increasingly under royal control and the French royal court became arguably the arbiter of taste and style in Europe. But France renewed its dominance of the high fashion (French: couture or haute couture) industry in the years 18601960 through the establishing of the great couturier houses such as Chanel Dior and Givenchy. In the 1960s the elitist "Haute couture" came under criticism from France's youth culture. In 1966 the designer Yves Saint Laurent broke with established Haute Couture norms by launching a prt--porter ("ready to wear") line and expanding French fashion into mass manufacturing. With a greater focus on marketing and manufacturing new trends were established by Sonia Rykiel Thierry Mugler Claude Montana Jean-Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix in the 1970s and 80s. The 1990s saw a conglomeration of many French couture houses under luxury giants and multinationals such as LVMH. Media Main article: Telecommunications in France Compared to other developed countries the French do not spend much time reading newspapers due to the popularity of broadcast media. Best-selling daily national newspapers in France are Le Monde and right-wing Le Figaro with around 300.000 copies sold daily but also L'quipe dedicated to sports coverage.297 In the past years free dailies made a breakthrough with Metro 20 Minutes and Direct Plus distributed at more than 650.000 copies respectively.298 However the widest circulations are reached by regional daily Ouest France with more than 750.000 copies sold and the 50 other regional papers have also high sales.299300 The sector of weekly magazines is stronger and diversified with more than 400 specialized weekly magazines published in the country.301 The most influential news magazine are left-wing Le Nouvel Observateur centrist L'Express and right-wing Le Point (more than 400.000 copies)302 but the highest circulation for weeklies is reached by TV magazines and by womens magazines among them Marie Claire and ELLE which have foreign versions. Influential weeklies also include investigative and satirical papers Le Canard Enchan and Charlie Hebdo as well as Paris Match. Like in most industrialized nations the print media have been affected by a severe crisis in the past decade. In 2008 the government have launched a major initiative to help the sector reform to be financially independent303304 but in 2009 it had to give 600.000 euros to help the print media cope with the economic crisis in addition to existing subsidies.305 In 1974 after years of centralized monopoly on radio and television the governmental agency ORTF was split into several national institutions but the three already-existing TV channels and four national radio stations306307 remained under state-control. It was only in 1981 when the government allowed free broadcasting in the territory ending state monopoly on radio.307 French television was partly liberalized in the next two decade with the creation of several commercial channels mainly thanks to cable and satellite television. In 2005 the national service Tlvision Numrique Terrestre introduced digital television all over the territory allowing the creation of other channels. The four existing national channels are now owned by state-owned consortium France Tlvisions while public broadcasting group Radio France run five national radio stations. Among these public media are Radio France Internationale which broadcasts programs in French all over the world and Franco-German TV channel TV5 Monde. In 2006 the government created global news channel France 24. Long-established TV channels TF1 (privatized in 1987) France 2 and France 3 have the highest shares while radio stations RTL Europe 1 and state-owned France Inter are the least listened to. Society Voltaire fought intolerance and fanaticism and was a prominent and very prolific philosopher of the Enlightenment. According to a 2010 BBC poll based on 29977 responses in 28 countries France is globally seen as a positive influence in the world's affairs: 49 % have a positive view of the country's influence whereas 19 % have a negative view.308309 The Nation Brand Index of 2008 suggested that France has the second best international reputation only behind Germany.310 In January 2010 the International Living ranked France as "best country to live in" ahead of 193 other countries surveyed for the fifth year running according to a survey taking in account 9 criteria of quality of life: Cost of Living Culture and Leisure Economy Environment Freedom Health Infrastructure Safety and Risk and Climate.311312 France has historical strong ties with Human Rights.313 Since the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 France is often nicknamed as "the country of Human Rights".314 Furthermore in 1948 a Frenchman Ren Cassin was one of the main redactors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the UN members in Paris.313 National symbols strongly reflect the heritage of the Revolution. The four official symbols of the Republic as stated by the Constitution315 all commemorate events from the period. Bastille Day the national holiday commemorate the Fte de la Fdration held on 14 July 1790 to celebrate the storming of the Bastille.316 The origins of Tricolored flag also date back to the Revolution as the cockade was the symbols adopted by the revolutionaries in 1789.317 As for the national anthem La Marseillaise it was written in 1792 as a war song for the French Army.318319 The official motto of the French Republic "Libert galit fraternit" (Liberty equality brotherhood) also appeared during the French Revolution.320 Marianne unofficial symbol is an allegorical figure of liberty and of the Republic and also appeared at the time of the Revolution.321 A common and traditional symbol of the French people is the Gallic rooster. Its origins date back to Antiquity since the Latin word Gallus meant both "rooster" and "inhabitant of Gaul". Then this figure gradually became the most widely shared representation of the French used by French monarchs then by the Revolution and under the successive republican regimes as representation of the national identity used for some stamps and coins.322 Although it is not an official symbol of the Republic it is the most common image to symbolize France in the collective imagination and abroad. Cuisine Main article: French cuisine Foie gras French cuisine is renowned for being one of the finest in the world.323324325326327328329 French cuisine is extremely diverse and has exerted a major influence on other western cuisines.330 According to the regions traditional recipes are different the North of the country prefers to use butter as the preferred fat for cooking whereas olive oil is more commonly used in the South.331 Moreover each region of France has iconic traditional specialities : Cassoulet in the Southwest Choucroute in Alsace Quiche in the Lorraine region Beef bourguignon in the Bourgogne provenal Tapenade etc. France's most renowned products are wines332 including Champagne Bordeaux Bourgogne and Beaujolais as well as a large variety of different cheeses such as Camembert Roquefort and Brie. There are more than 400 different varieties.333334 French cuisine is also regarded as a key element of the quality of life and the attractiveness of France.312 A French publication the Michelin guide had by 2006 awarded 620 stars to French restaurants at that time more than any other country although the guide also inspects more restaurants in France than in any other country (by 2010 Japan was awarded as many Michelin stars as France despite having half the number of Michelin inspectors working there).335336 Sports Main article: Sport in France Tour de France Popular sports played in France include football judo and tennis.337 France has hosted events such as the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups338 and hosted the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup.339 Stade de France in Paris is the largest stadium in France and was the venue for the 1998 FIFA World Cup final and hosted the 2007 Rugby World Cup final in October 2007. France also hosts the annual Tour de France the most famous road bicycle race in the world.340341 France is also famous for its 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race held in the Sarthe department.342 Several major tennis tournaments take place in France including the Paris Masters and the French Open one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. France has a close association with the Modern Olympic Games; it was a French aristocrat Baron Pierre de Coubertin who suggested the Games' revival at the end of the 19th century.343344 After Athens was awarded the first Games in reference to the Greek origins of the ancient Olympics Paris hosted the second Games in 1900.345 Paris was also the first home of the International Olympic Committee before it moved to Lausanne.346 Since that 1900 Games France has hosted the Olympics on four further occasions: the 1924 Summer Olympics again in Paris344 and three Winter Games (1924 in Chamonix 1968 in Grenoble and 1992 in Albertville).344 Both the national football team and the national rugby union team are nicknamed Les Bleus in reference to the teams shirt color as well as the national French tricolor flag. The football team is among the most successful in the world particularly at the turn of the 21st century with one FIFA World Cup victory in 1998347 one FIFA World Cup second place in 2006348 and two European Championships in 1984349 and 2000.350 The top national football club competition is the Ligue 1. Rugby is also very popular particularly in Paris and the southwest of France.351 The national rugby team has competed at every Rugby World Cup and takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship. Following from a strong domestic tournament the French rugby team has won sixteen Six Nations Championships including eight grand slams; and have reached the semi-finals and final of the Rugby World Cup. Rugby league in France is a sport that is most popular in the south with cities such as Perpignan and Toulouse having a strong presence in the game. The Catalans Dragons currently play in Super League which is the top tier rugby league competition in Europe. Toulouse Olympique play in the Co-operative Championship which is the 2nd tier of European rugby league. The Elite One Championship is the top tier of French rugby league. 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Associate member. 2 Provisionally referred to by the Francophonie as the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"; see Macedonia naming dispute. References The country's long name in its regional languages include: Alemannic German: Franzsisch Republik; Basque: Frantziako Errepublika; Breton: Republik C'hall; Catalan: Repblica Francesa; Corsican: Republica Francese; Dutch: Franse Republiek; Arpitan: Rpublica francsa; German: Franzsische Republik; Norman: Rpublyique fraunceise; Occitan: Republica Francesa; Picard: Rpublique franchose (French) Ministre de la culture et de la communication Dlgation gnrale la langue franaise et aux langues de France. "DGLF Langues rgionales et " trans-rgionales " de France". Culture.gouv.fr. http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/dglf/lang-reg/methodes-apprentissage/1langreg.htm. Retrieved 27 January 2010.  a b Whole territory of the French Republic including all the overseas departments and territories but excluding the French territory of Terre Adlie in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959. (French) French National Geographic Institute data. French Land Register data which exclude lakes ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers. (French) INSEE Government of France. "Population totale par sexe et ge au 1er janvier 2011 France mtropolitaine". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/detail.aspregid0&refidbilan-demo&pagedonnees-detaillees/bilan-demo/popage2.htm. Retrieved 20 January 2011.  a b c (French) INSEE Government of France. "Bilan dmographique 2010". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asprefidip1332. Retrieved 20 January 2011.  a b c Metropolitan France only. a b c d "France". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspxsy2008&ey2011&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c132&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a&pr.x84&pr.y6. Retrieved 26 April 2011.  a b c d e f "The World Factbook : France". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  "Human Development Report 2010" (PDF). United Nations. 2010. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR2010ENTable1.pdf. Retrieved 5 November 2010.  Whole of the French Republic except the overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean. French overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean only. In addition to .fr several other Internet TLDs are used in French overseas dpartements and territories: .re .mq .gp .tf .nc .pf .wf .pm .gf and .yt. France also uses .eu shared with other members of the European Union. The .cat domain is used in Catalan-speaking territories. For more information see Category:Overseas departments collectivities and territories of France. Encarta. MSN. 2008. Great Powers. Retrieved 21 December 2010. French constitution article I ... La France est une Rpublique indivisible laque dmocratique et sociale. UNDP.org PDF Field listing GDP (official exchange rate) CIA World Factbook Credit Suisse 2010's Global Wealth Report "In euro and USD terms the total wealth of French households is very sizeable. Although it has just 1.1% of the worlds adults France ranks fourth among nations in aggregate household wealth behind China and just ahead of Germany. Europe as a whole accounts for 35% of the individuals in the global top 1% but France itself contributes a quarter of the European contingent." 1 "World Population Prospects The 2006 Revision" (PDF). UN. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/WPP2006Highlightsrev.pdf. Retrieved 27 April 2010.  World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems a b (French) "Tourisme international en France en 2007" (PDF). Direction du Tourisme (French government's tourism agency). Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080624195206/http://www.tourisme.gouv.fr/fr/z2/stat/tis/att00018288/TISEVE20072008-5.pdf. Retrieved 5 June 2008.  The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) military expenditure database "Federation of American Scientists : Status of World Nuclear Forces". Fas.org. 26 May 2010. http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/nukes/nuclearweapons/nukestatus.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  France-Diplomatie a b France on Europa Official Site History of France on DiscoverFrance Tarassuk Leonid; Blair Claude (1982). The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons: the most comprehensive reference work ever published on arms and armor from prehistoric times to the present with over 1250 illustrations. Simon & Schuster. p. 186. ISBN 067142257X. http://books.google.com/idUJbyPwAACAAJ&dqThe+Complete+Encyclopedia+of+Arms+and+Weapons&cd1.  a b c d Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.17 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) pp.2024 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) ''The Cambridge ancient history'' p.754. Books.google.com. 2000. ISBN 9780521086912. http://books.google.com/booksidn1TmVvMwmo4C&pgRA1-PA754. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  ''A history of ancient Greece'' Claude Orrieux p.62. Books.google.com. 1999-12-08. ISBN 9780631203094. http://books.google.com/booksidb8cA8hymTw8C&pgPA62. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.29 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Life magazine 13 July 1953 p.76. Books.google.com. 13 July 1953. http://books.google.com/idZEIEAAAAMBAJ&pgPA76&dqProvincia+Romana+Roman+Province+Provence#vonepage&qProvincia%20Romana%20Roman%20Province%20Provence&ffalse. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.44-45 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.53-55 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.53-54(ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.76-77 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.77 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.79-82 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.81 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.84 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Jean Carpentier (dir.) Franois Lebrun (dir.) Alain Tranoy lisabeth Carpentier et Jean-Marie Mayeur (prface de Jacques Le Goff) Histoire de France Points Seuil coll.  Histoire  Paris 2000 (1re d. 1987) p.84-88 (ISBN 2-02-010879-8) Faith of the Eldest Daughter Can France retain her Catholic heritage Women for Faith and Family Treaty of Verdun Howstuffworks History of France : The Capetian kings of France: AD 9871328 History World "Massacre of the Pure". Time (New York). 28 April 1961. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/09171897752-200.html.  a b c Albert Guerard France: A Modern History (University of Michigan Press: Ann Arbor 1959) pp. 100 101. France VII. Historydead link Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2009. Archived 31 October 2009. Don O'Reilly. "Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orlans". TheHistoryNet.com. Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie (1987). "The French peasantry 14501660". University of California Press. p.32. ISBN 0520055233 Peter Turchin (2003). "Historical dynamics: why states rise and fall". Princeton University Press. p.179. ISBN 0691116695 Massacre of Saint Bartholomews Day. Encyclopaedia Britannica. a b Language and Diplomacy Naked Translations Dr Linton Marisa. "The Terror in the French Revolution". Kingston University. http://www.port.ac.uk/special/france1815to2003/chapter1/interviews/filetodownload20545en.pdf.  Blanning Tim (April 1998). "Napoleon and German identity". History Today (London) 48. http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qstdocId5001329960.  "France's oldest WWI veteran dies". BBC News Online (London). 20 January 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7199127.stm.  "Vichy France and the Jews". Michael Robert Marrus Robert O. Paxton (1995). Stanford University Press. p.368. ISBN 0804724997 Kimmelman Michael (4 March 2009). "In France a War of Memories Over Memories of War". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/arts/design/05abroad.htmlr1.  From Fourth to Fifth Republic University of Sunderland Declaration by the Franco-German Defense and Security Council Elysee.fr 13 May 2004 Sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System France Eyes Massive Expansion of its Oceans Spiegel "Mont Blanc shrinks by 45 cm (17.72 in) in two years". Smh.com.au. 6 November 2009. http://www.smh.com.au/environment/mont-blanc-shrinks-by-45cm-in-two-years-20091106-i0kk.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  (French) Mditerrane : la France prend le contrle en crant une zone conomique exclusive According to a different calculation cited by the Pew Research Center the EEZ of France would be 10084201 km2 (3893532 sq mi) still behind the United States (12174629 km2/4700651 sq mi) and still ahead of Australia (8980568 km2/3467417 sq mi) and Russia (7566673 km2/2921509 sq mi). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2005). "Discovering France: Geography". http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france159/discovering-france2005/france-from-to-z1978/country2004/geography4405/geography1507.html. Retrieved 29 December 2006.  Protection of the Environment on the Official Site of the French Ambassy in Canada Nuclear Power in France World Nuclear Association Energy profile of France The encyclopedia of Earth (French) CO2 : la France mois pollueuse grce au nuclaire (French) L'nergie nuclaire en France Ambassade franaise en Chine EU promises 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 The Guardian a b (French) Les quatres enjeux de Copenhague La Croix China unveils emissions targetsahead of Copenhagen BBC China's Carbon Intensity Target World ressources Institute Per-Capita Emissions Rising in China The New York Times France Sets Carbon Tax at 17 Euros a Ton The NY Times France set to impose carbon tax BBC NEWS France Abandons Plan for Carbon Tax The NY Times "Environmental Performance Index : France". Epi.yale.edu. http://epi.yale.edu/Countries/France. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  (French) La France au 7me rang mondial pour l'environnement Le Monde "Forest area by country". Nationmaster.com. http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph/envforareoflanare-environment-forest-area-of-land&date2005&bmap1. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  Evolution of the French forest from 1984 to 1996 French National Forest Inventory (French) Economie de la France Mission permanente de la France auprs de l'office des Nations Unies Genve (French) Une situation privilgie en France et en Europe Papier bois et fort Parks Reserves and Other Protected Areas in France The portal about parks in Italy (French) Fdration des parcs naturels rgionaux de France (French) La France veut crer une Zone conomique Exclusive en Mditranne Actu-Environnement Departments of France My French Property Currency and Exchange Rate The Tahiti Traveler Walis and Futuna Pacific Islands Network New Caledonia travel Guide South Pacific Organizer The euro outside the euro area The European Commission France: Fifth Republic Flags of the World (French) Le quinquennat : le rfrendum du 24 Septembre 2000 The National Assembly and the Senate General Characteristics of the Parliamentdead link on the Official Site of the French National Assembly Election of deputies on the Official Site of the National Assembly The senatorial elections on the Official Site of the Senate (French) Le role du Snat (French) Grunberg Grard (2007). La France vers le bipartisme  : La prsidentialisation du PS et de l'UMP. ISBN 2724610105. http://www.pressesdesciencespo.fr/fr/livre/GCOI27246100617740.  (French) La lutte contre le racisme et l'antismintisme en Francedead link AmbaFrance High degree of tolerance in France AmbaFrance Membership of the Security Councils of the UN on the Official Site of the UN "Understanding the WTO Members". Wto.org. http://www.wto.org/english/thewtoe/whatise/tife/org6e.htm. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  History on the Official Site of the SPC (French) Pays membres Site officiel de la COI About the Association of Caribbean States on the Official site of the ACS (French) tats et gouvernements : le monde de la Francophonie Site officiel de l'OIF History of the Chteau de la Muette OECD headquarters Paris Official Site of the OECD Paris Headquarters on the Official Site of the UNESCO Interpol. "Official Site of the Interpol". Interpol.int. http://www.interpol.int/. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  (French) "Alliance Base" existe bien L'Express "Home page of the IBWM". Bipm.org. http://www.bipm.org/en/home/. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  (French) Le faisceau de licteur Prsidence de la Rpublique De Gaulle says 'non' to Britain again BBC (French) L'alliance franco-allemande au coeur de la puissance europenne (French) Quand Mitterand dj ngociait le retour de la France dans l'OTAN Le Figaro France ends four-decade Nato rift BBC (French) Roger Patrick (11 March 2009). "Le retour de la France dans l'OTAN suscite un malaise dans les rangs de la droite". Le Monde (Paris). http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2009/03/11/le-retour-de-la-france-dans-l-otan-suscite-un-malaise-dans-les-rangs-de-la-droite1166352823448.html.  Fifth French nuclear test sparks international outrage CNN China adds voice to Iraq war doubts CNN EU allies unite against Iraq war BBC "Foreign Policy Implications of the Iraq War". Usforeignpolicy.about.com. 11 March 2004. http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/newsiss3/tp/iraqwarrelations.htm. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  House cafeterias change names for 'french' fries and 'french' toast CNN (French) France-Diplomatie : Royaume-Uni Ministre des Affaires trangres (French) L'empire colonial franais "France involvement in peace-keeping operations". Delegfrance-onu-geneve.org. http://www.delegfrance-onu-geneve.org/spip.phparticle417. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  Embassies and consulates on the Official Site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France Aids targets slipping out of reach  OECD Development assistance and humanitarian action France Diplomatie a b France priorities France Diplomatie International Institute for Strategic Studies; Hackett James (ed.) (2010-02-03). The Military Balance 2010. London: Routledge. pp. 129134. ISBN 1857435575.  2dead link (French) "La marine chinoise accde au rang de 3me puissance mondiale". http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfmid958.  (French) Direction des ressources humaines de l'arme de Terre Ministre de la Dfense French Military Aircraft Military Aircraft (French) La fin du service militaire obligatoire La documentation franaise "Status of signature and ratification: CTBTO Preparatory Commission". CTBTO Preparatory Commission. 2010-05-26. http://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/status-of-signature-and-ratification/. Retrieved 2010-05-27.  a b The SIPRI Military Expenditure Database (French) Centre de Documentation et de Recherche sur la Paix et les Conflits Etat des forces nuclaires franaises au 15 aot 2004 The aerospace industry : XII. Foreign countries in aerospace Yale University "Aerospace industry of France". Bbfrenchtranslation.com. http://www.bbfrenchtranslation.com/aerospace-industry-of-france.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  "En 2001 la France a vendu pour 1288 milliard de dollars d'quipements militaires ce qui la met au troisime rang mondial des exportateurs derrire les Etats-Unis et la Russie." " In 2001 France sold for $1288 billion of military equipments ranking 3rd in the world for arms exportations behind the USA and Russia" France stays one of the biggest arms supplier L'express "La France est au 4me rang mondial des exportateurs d'armes derrire les Etats-Unis le Royaume-Uni et la Russie et devant Isral selon un rapport du ministre de la Dfense publi l'an dernier." "France is 4th biggest arms exportator behind the USA the UK and Russia and ahead of Israel according to a report of the Ministry of Defense published a year ago" Arms sellings explode in 2009 20 minutes "Gross domestic product 2009" (PDF). World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/GDP.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010.  "History of the Euro". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/indepth/business/2001/eurocash/history/. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  EnerPub (8 June 2007). "France: Energy profile". Spero News. http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.aspidarticle9839&tFrance%3A+Energy+profile. Retrieved 25 August 2007.  (French) "Entreprises selon le nombre de salaris et l'activit". INSEE. July 2008. http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid0&refidNATTEF09203.  (French) "Entreprises publiques selon l'activit conomique". INSEE. March 2009. http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid0&refidNATTEF9303.  a b c d e "France". The World Factbook. CIA. 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html#Econ.  "International Trade Statistics 2008". WTO. 2009. p. 12. http://www.wto.org/english/rese/statise/its2008e/its2008e.pdf.  a b "Country fact sheet: France" (PDF). World Investment Report 2009. UNCTAD. http://www.unctad.org/sections/ditedir/docs/wir09fsfren.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010.  a b "Country fact sheet: Japan" (PDF). World Investment Report 2009. UNCTAD. http://www.unctad.org/sections/ditedir/docs/wir09fsjpen.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010.  Global 500 by Country Fortune "CO2 emissions per capita in 2006". Environmental Indicators. United Nations. August 2009. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environment/airco2emissions.htm.  DGEMP / Observatoire de l'nergie (April 2007). "lectricit en France: les principaux rsultats en 2006". http://www.industrie.gouv.fr/energie/statisti/seelec.htm. Retrieved 23 May 2007. dead link France Agriculture Encyclopedia of the Nations "Key figures of the French economy". French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france159/economy6815/overview-of-the-french-economy6831/key-figures-of-the-french-economy1402.html#sommaire1. "France is the worlds fifth largest exporter of goods (mainly durables). The country ranks fourth in services and third in agriculture (especially in cereals and the agri-food sector). It is the leading producer and exporter of farm products in Europe."  a b c A panorama of the agriculture and agri-food industries Ministre de l'Alimentation de l'Agriculture et de la Pche (French) Un ministre au service de votre alimentation Ministre de l'Alimentation de l'Agriculture et de la Pche "Financial year 2007" (PDF). Distribution of direct aid to farmers. European Commission. 22 April 2009. http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/fin/directaid/2007/annex1en.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010.  (French) Les enjeux des industries agroalimentaires franaises Panorama des Industries Agroalimentaires "Rank Order GDP per capita (PPP)". The World Factbook. 2008. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html.  OECD in Figures 2005 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). "Labour productivity 2003" (Microsoft Excel). Archived from the original on 23 January 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070123075528/http://ocde.p4.siteinternet.com/publications/doifiles/012005061G006.xls. Retrieved 20 April 2006.  ; in 2004 the GDP per hour worked in France was $48 ranking France above the United States ($46.3) Germany ($42.1) the United Kingdom ($39.6) or Japan ($32.5) (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). "Differentials in GDP per capita and their decomposition 2004" (Microsoft Excel). http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/30/40/29867116.xls. Retrieved 20 April 2006. ) (French) Objectif croissance 2008 OCDE February 2008 page 67 ; graphic visible in the Summary page 8; effective annual working duration in France is 1580 hours compared to 1750 for developed countries Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2005). "OECD Employment Outlook 2005 Statistical Annex" (PDF). http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/36/30/35024561.pdf. Retrieved 29 June 2006.  La Dfense: Europe largest buisiness district Sets a New Standart for Sustainable Devloment EcoHeart INSEE (2008). "Taux d'emploi des travailleurs gs de 55 64 ans" (in French). http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid98&refidCMPECF03159. Retrieved 1 September 2008.  INSEE (2008). "Taux d'emploi des jeunes de 15 24 ans dans l'Union europenne" (in French). http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid98&refidCMPTEF03135. Retrieved 1 September 2008.  (French) Philippe Aghion; Gilbert Cette lie Cohen and Jean Pisani-Ferry (2007). "Les leviers de la croissance franaise" (PDF). Conseil d'analyse conomique. p. 55. http://www.cae.gouv.fr/rapports/dl/072.pdf. Retrieved 1 September 2008.  "Enhancing Incentives to Improve Performances in the Education System in France" (PDF). OECD. 1 August 2007. http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2007doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00002ECA/$FILE/JT03230693.PDF. "Initial education especially secondary education and the universities along with labour market policies themselves do not always succeed in improving labour market entry for a significant proportion of young people." dead link "Employment Outlook 2008 How does FRANCE compare" (PDF). OECD. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/35/40904315.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010. "Only 38% of people aged 55 to 64 are working 15.5 percentage points less than the OECD average."  "France: Jobs and older workers". Oecdobserver.org. http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1672/. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  (French) INSEE (2008). "Taux de Chmage en France Mtropolitaine". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid99&refidCMRSOS03311. Retrieved 1 September 2008.  (French) INSEE (2008). "Taux de Chmage dans l'Union Europenne". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.aspregid98&refidCMPTEF03309. Retrieved 1 September 2008.  Harmonised unemployment rate by gender total  % (SA). Eurostat. More than 1 million protest French jobs law CNN Q&A: French labour law row BBC "Le Revenu de Solidarit active". Rsa.gouv.fr. http://www.rsa.gouv.fr/-English-version-.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  "2009 Theme Index. The Global Attractions Attendance Report 2009." (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. http://www.themeit.com/etea/2009report.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010. dead link "Weekend Breaks: the Vende's Puy du Fou < Travel & Tourism Expatica France". Expatica.com. http://www.expatica.com/fr/leisure/traveltourism/weekend-breaks-the-vendes-puy-du-fou-39717.html. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  "The French Riviera Tourist Board". Frenchriviera-tourism.com. http://www.frenchriviera-tourism.com/regional-tourism-organization/the-french-riviera-tourist-board-06191.html. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  Cte d'Azur Economic Development Agency p.31 CRDP-Nice.net Cte d'Azur Economic Development Agency op.cit. p.66 (French) "Frquentation des muses et des btiments historiques". http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/deps/minichiff03/fr/musee.htm.  PDF (French) "Chiffres cls du transport 2010" (PDF). http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Chiffrestransport-pdf.pdf. Retrieved 7 October 2010.  Site officiel du Ministre de l'cologie de l'nergie du Dveloppement Durable et de la Mer Country comparison : railways The World Factbook TGV High-Speed Rail Network France Railways-technology.com TGV The French High-speed Train Service BBC Country Comparison : roadways The World Factbook (French) L'automobile magazine hors-srie 2003/2004 page 294 "Guide pratique de l' ADEME la voiture". Ademe.fr. http://www.ademe.fr/particuliers/Fiches/voiture/rub3.htm. Retrieved 22 October 2008. dead link France builds world's tallest bridge BBC Strikes block French ports BDP International (French) Marseille : un grand port maritime qui ne demande qu' se montrer La Provence Marseille A French Pearl in the Mediterranean Sea Hotel Club Travel Blog a b (French) INSEE Government of France. "volution gnrale de la situation dmographique France". http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/detail.aspregid0&refidbilan-demo&pagedonnees-detaillees/bilan-demo/popage3.htm#evol-gen-sit-demo-fe. Retrieved 20 January 2011.  (French) INSEE Government of France. "Tableau 44 Taux de fcondit gnrale par ge de la mre". http://www.insee.fr/fr/ppp/bases-de-donnees/irweb/sd2008/dd/excel/sd2008t44fe.xls. Retrieved 20 January 2011.  Inflow of third-country nationals by country of nationality 2004 Swalec Andrea (6 July 2010). "Turks and Moroccans top list of new EU citizens". Reuters. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-49921620100706.  Oppenheimer David B. (2008). "Why France needs to collect data on racial identity...in a French way". Hastings International and Comparative Law Review 31 (2): 735752. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfmabstractid1236362.  "France's crisis of national identity". The Independent (London). 25 November 2009. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/frances-crisis-of-national-identity-1826942.html.   Les personnes d'origine maghrbine y sont galement au nombre de 5 6 millions ; 35 millions ont la nationalit franaise (dont 500 000 harkis) velyne Perrin Identit Nationale Amer Ministre ditions L'Harmattan 2010 p. 112 Richburg Keith B. (24 April 2005). "Europe's Minority Politicians in Short Supply". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12396-2005Apr23.html.  Sachs Susan (12 January 2007). "In officially colorblind France blacks have a dream and now a lobby". The Christian Science Monitor (Boston MA). http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0112/p01s04-woeu.html.  "Paris Riots in Perspective". ABC News (New York). 4 November 2005. http://abcnews.go.com/International/storyid1280843.  "Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. III. French Government and the Refugees". American Philosophical Society James E. Hassell (1991). p.22. ISBN 087169817X Markham James M. (6 April 1988). "For Pieds-Noirs the Anger Endures". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.htmlres940DEFDE1539F935A35757C0A96E948260&sec&spon&pagewantedall.  Raimondo Cagiano De Azevedo (1994). "Migration and development co-operation.". p.25. (French) INSEE (25 January 2005). "Enqutes annuelles de recensement 2004 et 2005". Archived from the original on 12 December 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061212212050/http%3A//www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/ipweb/ip1098/ip1098.html#encadre1. Retrieved 14 December 2006.  "UNHCR Global Report 2005: Western Europe" (PDF). UNHCR. 2006. http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/4492677f0.pdf. Retrieved 14 December 2006.  (French) La Constitution- La Constitution du 4 Octobre 1958 Lgifrance a b ls the French obsession with "cultural exception" decliningdead link France in London "Language and Diplomacy Translation and Interpretation". Diplomacy.edu. http://www.diplomacy.edu/language/Translation/default.htm. Retrieved 10 September 2010.  "Why Is French Considered the Language of Diplomacy". Legallanguage.com. http://www.legallanguage.com/legal-articles/language-of-diplomacy/. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  "The International Education Site". Intstudy.com. http://www.intstudy.com/articles/practicalfrench.htm. Retrieved 23 January 2011.  a b (French) La France reste catholique mais moins pratiquante La Croix The last sacre was that of Charles X 29 May 1825. Catholic World News (2003). "France is no longer Catholic survey shows". http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfmrecnum48547. Retrieved 19 December 2009.  (Romanian) Frana nu mai e o ar catolic Cotidianul 11 January 2007 La Vie issue 3209 1 March 2007 (French) " Sur la religion les Franais restent dubitatifs  A la Une". la-Croix.com. 14 August 2009. http://www.la-croix.com/article/index.jspdocId2389007&rubId786. Retrieved 30 October 2010. dead link http://pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Issues/Government/restrictions-fullreport.pdf "Eurobarometer on Social Values Science and technology 2005 page 11" (PDF). European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs225reporten.pdf. Retrieved 5 May 2007.  Religious Views and Beliefs Vary Greatly by Country Financial Times/Harris Poll December 2006 France to train imams in 'French Islam' The Guardian "France International Religious Freedom Report 2005". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51552.htm. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  "Commission denqute sur les sectes". Assemblee-nationale.fr. http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/rap-enq/r2468.asp. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  "Society2 ; religion in France ; beliefs ; secularism (laicit)". Understandfrance.org. http://www.understandfrance.org/France/Society2.html. Retrieved 20 September 2009.  3dead link The ranking see spreadsheet details for a whole analysis photius.com Measuring overall health system performance for 191 countries WHO (French) Esprance de vie taux de mortalit et taux de mortalit infantile dans le monde INSEE (French) Nombre de mdecins pour 1000 habitants Statistiques mondiales (French) Dpenses de sant par habitants Statistiques mondiales a b Even the French are fighting obesity The NY Times a b c France's obesity crisis: All those croissants really do add up after all Daily Finance Lambert Victoria (8 March 2008). "The French children learning to fight obesity". London: Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/3353715/The-French-children-learning-to-fight-obesity.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  a b Why So Few French Are Fat Bloomberg Businessweek Let them eat cake The Guardian "The French diet : Eat Drink and be Thin". Streetdirectory.com. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travelguide/24041/ediet/thefrenchdieteatdrinkandbethin.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  a b France heading for US obesity levels says study Food Navigator "New French food guidelines aimes at tabkling obesity". Nutraingredients.com. http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/New-French-food-guidelines-aimed-at-tackling-obesity. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  Petah Marian (23 May 2008). "France urged to get tough on child obesity". Just-food.com. http://www.just-food.com/analysis/france-urged-to-get-tough-on-child-obesityid102509.aspx. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  "EEA.Europa.eu". Epaedia.eea.europa.eu. http://epaedia.eea.europa.eu/page.phppid502. Retrieved 22 October 2008.  "France searches its soul after euthanasia plea woman dies". CNN.com. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/21/euthanasia.debate.ap/index.html. dead link Lyce Encyclopeadia Britannica (French) 18811882 : Lois Ferry Ecole publique gratuite laque et obligatoire Assembl Nationale (French) II. L'volution du contenu de l'obligation scolaire Snat.fr Range of rank on the PISA 2006 science scale OECD Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication "Cultura statistics" Key figures The National Gallery of London official website Guide to Impressionism (French) RFI Le no-impressionnisme de Seurat Paul Klee 15/03/2005 National Gallery of Art (United States) The Fauves (dossier) (French) RFI Vlaminck version fauve 25/02/2008 Muse d'Orsay (official website) History of the museum From station to museum Muse d'Orsay official website History of the painting collection a b (French) Ministry of Tourism Sites touristiques en France page 2 "Palmars des 30 premiers sites culturels (entres comptabilises)" Ranking of 30 most visited cultural sites in France Opus Francigenum Answers.com The Gothic period France Travel (French) Histoire et Architecture Site officiel de la Cathedrale de Notre-Dame de Reims Toulouses Saint Sernin Largest Romanesque Church in Europe EuropeUpClose (French) Claude Lbedel Les Splendeurs du Baroque en France: Histoire et splendeurs du baroque en France page 9: Si en allant plus loin on prononce les mots art baroque en France on provoque alors le plus souvent une moue interrogative parfois seulement tonne parfois franchement rprobatrice: Mais voyons l'art baroque n'existe pas en France! "Fortifications of Vauban". Whc.unesco.org. 8 July 2008. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1283. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  "Official site of the UNESCO". Unesco.org. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  Paris: City Guide. Lonely Planet. 2008. p. 48. ISBN 1740598504. http://books.google.com/idOtabdzMdbboC&pgPA48&lpgPA48&dqarc+de+triomphe+neoclassicism+sainte+marie+madeleine&q.  Des gratte-ciel Paris : qu'en pensez-vous  LCI In the heart of the main European Business area NCI Business Center (French) Auteurs et rpertoires Official site of the Comdie Franaise (French)  Victor Hugo est le plus grand crivain franais  PDF (19.0 KB) (French) Le symbolisme franais (French) La premire Acadmie Goncourt Site officiel de l'Acadmie Goncourt The Little Prince Completely Novel National Literature Nobel Prize shares 19012009 by citizenship at the time of the award and by country of birth. From J. Schmidhuber (2010) Evolution of National Nobel Prize Shares in the 20th Century at arXiv:1009.2634v1 NPR (website) Debussy's 'La Mer' Marks 100th Birthday 14 October 2005 NPR (website) Debussy's Musical Game of Deception 12 July 2008 Classic fM website Biography of Claude Debussy Classic fM website Biography of Maurice Ravel NPR (website) Composer-Conductor Pierre Boulez At 85 24 May 2010 RFI Musique Biography of Noir Dsir March 2009 : Rock music doesn't come naturally to the French. A Latin country with more affinity to poetry and melody France has very rarely produced talented rock musicians. Rock music has other more Anglo-Saxon ingredients a b c France Diplomatie French music has the whole planet singing June 2009 The Telegraph Daft Punk: Behind the robot masks 17 November 2007 : "Daft Punk were in many ways responsible for turning the spotlight on a new cool underground of French music in the late 1990s including bestselling acts such as Air and have been a huge influence on the current generation of international star DJs" BBC News The return of French pop music 20 December 2001 Ministry of Culture of France About  Fte de la Musique  France Diplomatie Fte de la Musique 21 June 2007 (French) Les frres Lumire Cinema: production of feature films UNESCO Cannes a festival virgin's guide CannesGuide Cannes Film Festival www.whatsonwhen.com a b (French) 4  Cinma et diversit culturelle : le cinma indpendant face la mondialisation des industries culturelles  Erudit.org The End of Cultural Exception dead link CNRS The cultural exception is not negotiable by Catherine Trautmann Ministry of Culture (French) La Convention UNESCO pour la diversit culturelle : vers un droit international culturel contraignant  www.fnsac-cgt.com Kelly 181. DeJean chapters 24. (French) OJD "Observatoire de la Presse" Presse Quotidienne Nationale (French) OJD Presse Gratuite d'Information (French) Observatoire de la Presse Presse Quotidienne Rgionale et Dpartementale (French) OJD "Bureau Presse Payante Grand Public" Presse Quotidienne Rgionale et Dpartementale (French) Observatoire de la Presse Presse Magazine Synthse (French) Observatoire de la Presse Presse News The Telegraph Nicolas Sarkozy: French media faces 'death' without reform 2 October 2008 French government portal Lancement des tats gnraux de la presse 2 October 2008 Launching of General State of written media Angelique Chrisafis The Guardian Sarkozy pledges 600m to newspapers 23 January 2009. Radio France "L'entreprise" Repres Landmarks of Radio France company a b (French) Vie Publique Chronologie de la politique de laudiovisuel 20/08/2004 Chronology of policy for audiovisual World warming to US under Obama BBC poll suggests BBC BBC World Service poll BBC "Germany on Top U.S. Seventh in Nation Brands IndexSM". Gfk.com. http://www.gfk.com/group/pressinformation/pressreleases/003055/index.en.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  Britain falls to 25th best place to live in the world... behind Lithuania the Czech Republic and Hungary Mail Online a b Why France is best place to live in world CNN a b Frances human rights policy France Diplomatie France the country of Human Rights 1906 : Dreyfus rehabilitated Conseil Constitutionnel Constitution of 4 October 1958 (page 4) "Title I Of Sovereignty" Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France "The symbols of the Republic" The 14th of July : The Bastille day Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France "The symbols of the Republic" The French Flag Assemble Nationale "History and heritage : La Marseillaise Rouget de Lisle (17601836) and La Marseillaise Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France "The symbols of the Republic" The national anthem : The Marseillaise Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France "The symbols of the Republic" Liberty Equality Fraternity The Symbols of the Republic : Marianne on the Official Site of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France (French) French Presidency "Les symboles de la Rpublique franaise" Le coq (French) Cuisine : sommes-nous les meilleurs du monde  La Dpche French Cuisine Discover France Top 10 Most Tasty Cuisines in the World Hotel Club Travel Blog (French) Ateliers de cuisine franaise Art de vivre Paris France Culture on Travour.com (French) La Gastronomie Franaise Chinese Lovers of France About our vacations in France -Cooking Vacations to France (French) "Recettes franaises". http://www.delices-du-monde.fr/recettes-francaise.html.  Delices du Monde (French) La France du beurre et celle de l'huile d'olive maintiennent leurs positions Agence France Presse "Wines of France". Userweb.cs.utexas.edu. http://userweb.cs.utexas.edu/users/walter/wine/france.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  French Cheese GoodCooking French Cheese on Traditional French Food "Michelin 3 Star Restaurants around the world". 3starrestaurants.com. 14 December 2006. http://www.3starrestaurants.com/michelin-restaurants-star-guide.asp. Retrieved 30 October 2010.  Japan overtakes France with more Michelin-starred restaurants Gilles Campion Agence France-Presse Thu Nov 25 2010 (French) Les licences sportives en France Insee History of the World Cup Final Draw FIFA France wins right to host the 2007 rugby world cup Rugby.com The Tour De France: The Most Famous Bicycle Race In The World Weightlossdietinformation.com "Cycling: Tour de France". Faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Ce-Do/Cycling-Tour-de-France.html. Retrieved 9 August 2010.  (French) Une course lgendaire Site officiel du 24 heures du Mans Hill Christopher R. (1996). Olympic Politics. Manchester University Press ND. p. 5. ISBN 0719044510. http://books.google.com/id0o-9AAAAIAAJ&dqpierre+de+coubertin.  a b c Olympic History World Atlas of Travel Paris 1900 Summer Olympicsdead link on the Official Site of the Olympic Movementdead link Lausanne olympic capital Tourism in Lausanne Vive la France CNN Italy 1-1 France BBC 1984: Platini shines for flamboyant France on the UEFA Official Site 2000: Trezeguet strikes gold for France on the UEFA Official Site Rugby 123 Voyage External links Find more about France on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks France from the BBC France entry at The World Factbook France at UCB Libraries GovPubs France at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of France Economy National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies OECD France statistics Government (French) lyse.fr Official site of the French Presidency (French) Official Site of the Government Official site of the French public service Links to various administrations and institutions Chief of State and Cabinet Members on The World Factbook Official site of the National Assembly Official site of the Senate Culture Cocorico! French culture Contemporary French Civilization journal University of Illinois. Frenchculturenow.com: French society culture politics news Tourism FranceGuide Official website of the French Government Tourist Office France travel guide from Wikitravel Coordinates: 47N 2E / 47N 2E / 47; 2