- .
The Romans called her Lutetia.
Major Cities:
Bordeaux,
Cannes,
Lille,
Lyon,
Marseille,
Montpellier,
Nantes,
Nice,
Strasbourg,
Toulouse
Other Cities in France
List of links to official French city sites.
Government:
Type: Republic.
Constitution:
The Constitution of 4 October 1958.
Geography:
Location: Central Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain.
Area: 551,500 km² (220,668 sq. mi.); largest
west European country.
Terrain: Mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; mountainous, especially the Pyrenees in the south, and the Alps in the southeast.
Climate: Generally cool to cold winters and mild summers, but mild winters and
hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.
People:
Nationality: French.
Population: 67 million (2020)
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities.
Religion: Roman Catholic, 90%.
Language: French.
Literacy: 99%.
Economy:
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic,
potash, feldspar, gypsum, timber, and fish.
Agriculture products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes, beef, dairy products, and fish.
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, and tourism.
Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and beverages.
Exports partners: Germany 14.8%,
Spain 7.7%,
Italy 7.5%,
USA 7.2%,
Belgium 7%,
UK 6.7% (2017)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals.
Imports partners: Germany 18.5%, Belgium 10.2%,
Netherlands 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, Spain 7.1%, UK 5.3%, USA 5.2%,
China 5.1% (2017)
Currency: Euro (EUR)