Physical
geography
France is the largest country
in Western Europe (640,679 km²). It is hexagon-shaped. There are seas on
three sides: the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, the
Mediterranean. Plains and rolling hills are the most common landforms in
France. The country is part of a tempered zone with three different climatic
regions: oceanic, continental and Mediterranean.
Iconic
place
Versailles was the residence
of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. The King and his court resided there
permanently from 1682 until 1789.
Iconic
object
The beret is a soft, round,
flat-crowned hat, usually of wool. Its production began in the 19th century.
Something
the country has done for the world
Charles Marie de La Condamine discovered
natural rubber and latex in 1736. Natural rubber is used extensively in many
applications and products, either alone or in combination with other materials.
In most of its useful forms it has a large stretch ratio, high resistance, and
it is extremely waterproof.
Famous
historical figure
Charles de Gaulle, on June the
18th 1940,
broadcast on the BBC in London his famous call to the French, telling them to
resist the occupation of France.
Important
living person
Brigitte Bardot became famous
for her voluptuous figure and successful acting career. She was born in 1934.
History
before 2000
Celtic Gaul was conquered by
Julius Caesar in the first century BC. France gets its name from the Franks, a
Germanic people who settled there from the fifth century. The first king of
France was Clovis (500 BC). From the early 17th century to the first half of
the 20th century, it had a vast
colonial empire. France suffered much during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. From the 1950s,
it became one of the major actors in the construction of the European Union. In
1958, a new republic was set up: the Vth Republic.
History
after 2000
In 2000, France won the Europe
football Cup. France adopted the European currency, the Euro, in 2002. On the 7th
of January 2015, there was a terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, the satirical newspaper.
Human
geography
The population of France is 66,917,994.
It is the 21st most populated country in the world and the third
most populated in Europe. Most French people are of Celtic (Gaulish) origin,
with a mixture of Latin (Romans) and Germanic (Franks) groups. France remains a
major destination for immigrants, accepting about 200,000 legal immigrants
annually. In its assessment of world health care systems in 2000, the World
Health Organization found that France provided the "close to best overall
health care" in the world.
Languages
and cultures
French is the language spoken
overwhelmingly in France, and is officially "the language of the
Republic" since the Constitution Act of 1992. However, 75 other languages,
other than French, are spoken in France, including regional languages,
languages of immigrants and dialects spoken in the overseas colonies. France
has a rich architectural heritage, witness to a long history and mix of
different cultural origins. It has also a rich artistic and literary heritage.
Political
system, economy
The capital of France is
Paris. In 1951, France (with 5 other countries) created the European Coal and
Steel Community. Then those 6 countries created the European Economic Community
in 1957 (precursor of the European Union). France is a republic with a liberal
democracy. Since 1990, the two main political parties in France are the
Socialist Party and the Republican Party. Since 2012, the president is François
Hollande. France is going through a difficult economic situation.
Youth
Contrary to common belief, French
youth is not indifferent and lazy. Young people are faced with serious problems
such as unemployment and they try to find ways to improve their situation and
their future by engaging in politics. At the same time, young people are looking
for ways to escape temporary problems of society and so there is a problem of alcohol,
abuse, etc.
Article by Rebecca FORREST-EVANS
No comments:
Post a Comment