France Culture, Facts & Travel

However, most modern European appliances are fitted with the hybrid CEE 7/7 plug which fits both CEE 7/5 (Belgium & France) and CEE 7/4 (most of Europe, including Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden) outlets. Current issues that face the country include the further integration of France into the EU and the adoption of common standards for the economy, defence and other fields. The current constitution of the so called Fifth Republic was written after the collapse of the post war Fourth Republic, mostly according to the wishes of Charles de Gaulle. Today, France is a republic with a President elected for a five-year term (quinquennat).

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It is now the common currency of sixteen European countries, which together make up the ‘Eurozone’. During the post-war period France went through painful decolonialisation processes in Indochina (see Indochina Wars) and Algeria and released almost all of its other possessions into independence. After the end of the Second World War, France went through a period of reconstruction and a new prosperity was achieved with the development of industry, and has since grown into Europe’s second largest economy after Germany.

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Vanoise National Park is the oldest and one of the largest parks, named after the Vanoise massif. The French national parks don’t have entry fees, but many sights require hiking to reach them. The beginning of the race is known as the Grand Départ, a carnivalesque affair which regions across France and indeed around western Europe vie to host. Cycling is another popular sport in France, with many professional races taking place across the country throughout the year. However, you will see theatres and opera houses throughout the country. Its varied collection is the second largest after the Louvre and boasts everything from antiquities to modern art.

A developed country, France has a high nominal per capita income globally, and its economy ranks among the largest in the world by both nominal GDP and PPP-adjusted GDP. Whether you’re exploring new games or revisiting old favorites, there’s always something exciting to discover. With excitement, variety, and real money gaming, 32Red Casino has built its reputation as a standout choice for online players. The 32Red team is committed to supporting players at every step, providing guidance and access to resources from leading responsible gaming organizations, including GamCare and the National Gambling Helpline. With robust safeguards for your account, independently tested games, and a strong focus on responsible gambling, we ensure your experience remains safe, fair, and fun.

The Paris Region is enveloped with a dense network of roads and highways, which connect it with virtually all parts of the country. Intra-urban connections are also well developed, with most major cities having underground or tramway services complementing bus services. Rail connections exist to all other neighbouring countries in Europe except Andorra. It is one of 32 countries with nuclear power plants, ranking second in the world by the number of operational nuclear reactors at 56. In 2021, France was the biggest energy exporter in Europe, mostly to the UK and Italy, and the largest net exporter of electricity in the world. With more than 10 million tourists per year, the French Riviera is the second leading tourist destination in the country, after the Paris Region.

Important writers of the 20th century include Marcel Proust, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Jean Cocteau, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Works banned for obscenity in the US, the UK and other Anglophone nations were published in France decades before they were available in the respective authors’ home countries. At the start of the 19th century, symbolist poetry was an important movement, with poets such as Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé. Charles Perrault was a prolific writer of children’s fairy tales including Puss in Boots, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Bluebeard. Denis Diderot is best known as the main editor of the Encyclopédie, whose aim was to sum up all the knowledge of his century and to fight ignorance and obscurantism.

good reasons to travel to France in winter

The Paris Region has the highest concentration of multinational firms in mainland Europe. In 2019, it ranked first in Europe and 13th in the world in foreign direct investment, with European countries and the United States being leading sources. In 2018 France was the fifth-largest trading nation and second-largest in Europe, with the value of exports representing over a fifth of GDP. Less than 2 per cent of GDP is generated by the primary sector, namely agriculture; the agricultural sector is among the largest in value and leads the EU in overall production.

Metropolitan France covers 551,500 square kilometres (212,935 sq mi), the largest among European Union members. Metropolitan France includes various coastal islands, of which the largest is Corsica. The government had a policy of assimilation of immigrants, where they were expected to adhere to French values and norms. France has fully reintegrated into NATO and since participated in most NATO-sponsored wars.

Today, as in that era, central authority is vested in the state, even though a measure of autonomy has been granted to the country’s régions in recent decades. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. The national rugby union team has competed at every Rugby World Cup; it takes part in the annual Six Nations Championship.

The other main legacies of Roman civilisation are the Catholic Church, the codified law system and the French language. Like some of its neighbours (notably Italy, Spain and Germany), France has an extensive calendar of local holidays and saint days, but unlike those countries, these generally aren’t observed by businesses and government. In the locals’ absence, hordes of foreign tourists throng the country’s major attractions and cities, and Paris especially can see room rates skyrocket. Summer is warm and sunny throughout most of France, and there are often many events going on to tempt the traveller, whether they be local festivals, outdoor concert seasons or the annual 14 July national holiday.

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• What type of government does France have?
• France is certainly the country for cheese (fromage), with nearly 400 different kinds.
• Here is a small list of regional dishes which you can find easily in France.

Revolutionary government seizes control of Paris – the Paris Commune. Napoleon is defeated at Battle of Waterloo by an allied coalition – ending 23 years of war across Europe – and the Bourbon monarchy is re-established. A pragmatic ruler, he issues the Edict of Nantes, which gives rights and freedoms to Huguenots, in order to end the religious warfare. Up to four million people die from violence, famine or diseases.

There are also châteaux in Île-de-France, including the famous Château de Versailles, the former royal court of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and Vaux-le-Vicomte, which it was based on. The region is also home to the splendid and World Heritage-listed Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay. The western region of Brittany boasts many megalithic monuments such as those near Carnac. It is impossible to cover all of France’s sights and attractions, but we present a summary below; there is more details in city and region guides. France is full of gorgeous villages in the countryside; there are splendid châteaux, especially in the Loire Valley, and you can also find areas of lavender fields or vineyards as far as the eye can see.

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Quite often a considerable detour via the Paris region can be faster than the direct train would be. Like many things in France, the TGV network is focused on Paris to an almost ridiculous degree, and you may be out of luck when searching for a fast connection between secondary cities. Blablacar has a quasi-monopoly in France, but it is still a convenient, economical and efficient way to see the country. Most cars in France are equipped with standard transmissions (voiture à boîte manuelle/mécanique), a fact that derives equally from the preferences of the driving public and the peculiarities of French licensing laws. It is a common experience at smaller French airports to not get the type of car you booked online but an alternative model.

Historically, French people were mainly of Celtic-Gallic origin, with a significant admixture of Italic (Romans) and Germanic (Franks) groups reflecting centuries of respective migration and settlement. Between 2006 and 2016, France saw the second-highest overall increase in population in the EU and was one of four EU countries where natural births accounted for the most population growth. 12,261 kilometres (7,619 mi) of waterways traverse France including the Canal du Midi, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean through the Garonne river. There are ten major ports, the largest of which is in Marseille, which also is the largest bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Air France is the national carrier airline, although numerous private airline companies provide domestic and international travel services. Diesel and petrol-driven cars and lorries cause a large part of the country’s air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The term can now also be used to describe most country-based self-catering accommodation in France. Gîtes or gîtes ruraux are holiday cottages, and generally rented out as a complete accommodation unit including a kitchen, mostly on a weekly basis. By law, breakfast must be included in the advertised price for a chambre d’hôte.

Two airports, Basel-Mulhouse and Geneva, are shared by France and Switzerland and can allow entry into either country. Many low-cost airlines including Ryanair, Wizz Air, Easyjet, Eurowings, Vueling, Transavia, Norwegian and Volotea fly to a lot of French airports. AF, Corsair, Emirates, Qatar Airways have agreements with SNCF, the national rail company, which operates TGVs services, serving CDG airport (some trains even carry flight numbers). CDG is the main intercontinental hub for national airline Air France. The main international airport, Roissy – Charles de Gaulle (CDG IATA), is likely to be your port of entry if you fly into France from outside Europe. The validated visa will serve as a residence permit and, likewise, allow travel throughout the other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in a 6 month period.

General de Gaulle, undersecretary of war, establishes government-in-exile in London and later in Algiers. The war leads to a broader power struggle involving factions from across Western Europe, fuelled by emerging nationalism on both sides. His descendants gradually unify the chicken road country through wars and dynastic inheritance. A key player on the global stage and a country at the political heart of Europe, France paid a high price in both economic and human terms during the two world wars.