About France

France is located in Western Europe and extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France is one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world.

France is broken into 22 tourist regions

1. Brittany
2. Normandy
3. Nord Pas-de-Calais
4. Picardie
5. Ile de France & Paris
6. Champagne-Ardenne
7. Lorraine
8. Alsace
9. Pays de Loire
10. Centre Val de Loire
11. Burgundy
12. Franche Comte
13. Poitou Charentes
14. Limousin
15. Auvergne
16. Rhone Alpes
17. Aquitaine
18. Midi Pyrenees
19. Languedoc Roussilon
20. Provence Alpes du Sud
21. Cote d'Azur
22. Corsica

The name France originates from the Franks, a Germanic tribe that occupied the region after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The name comes from the Latin Francia, which literally means "land of the Franks or Frankland".

Environment

France is the home of the highest point in Europe, Mont-Blanc 4,810 m (15,780 ft) which is situated in the Alps on the border between France and Italy. The lowest point in Europe also resides in France, Delta du Rhone -5 m ( -15 ft ) which is where the Rhône river flows into the Mediterranean sea at the Camargue. France is not a large country, slightly bigger than California, but its landscapes are diverse and vary from region to region.

The landscapes of France include coastal plains in the north and west, the steep mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south central and the Pyrenees in the south west.

France also has an extensive river system including the Loire, the Garonne, the Seine and the Rhône, which divides the Massif Central from the Alps and flows into the Mediterranean sea at the Camargue

Culture

Architecture
France offers those interested in architecture a broad range of styles. Paris alone offers visitors the wonderful Notre Dame, famous Eiffel Tower along side contemporary architecture such as the Pompidou Centre. Or venture out from Paris to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, and to the fabulously preserved Gothic, Chartres cathedral.

Art
The Louvre in Paris along with the Musée d'Orsay and the Pompidou Centre offer tourists the opportunity to see some of the most famous artworks in the world including the famous Mona Lisa which is housed at the Louvre. France itself has produced many wonderful artists including Eugène Delacroix, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pisarro, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, and Auguste Rodin, and the list could go on.

Food
The French are famous for their love of fine food especially their cheese, truffles, foie gras, coffee and pastry. France has had several external influences on its cuisine including North African and Asian which brings spice and colour to many dishes.

The day typically begins with a café au lait, a croissant, baguette or thick toast- smeared with butter and jam. For many French lunch is still considered the main meal of the day. Each region has its own specialities based on the fresh local produce available.

Wine
Each French region offers a unique landscape, climate and culture, that combine to produce some of the most famous wines in the world. The French are famous for bringing Champagne to the world along with numerous other varieties of splendid wine.

There are 12 wine regions in France including Alsace - Strasbourg Area, Armagnac (Midi-Pyrenees - Toulouse Area), Burgundy/Bourgogne, Beaujolais (Burgundy/Bourgogne), Bordeaux (Aquitaine - Bordeaux Area), Champagne (Champagne-Ardenne), Calvados (Normandy), Cognac (Poitou-Charentes), Languedoc (Languedoc-Roussillon), Loire Valley, Rhone Valley (Rhone-Alps - Lyon and Grenoble Areas), Provence (Provence - Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence Areas) and Corsica.

History

France has been inhabited or approximately 90,000 years. The Celtic Gauls arrived between 1500 and 500 BC, they then lost to Julius Caesar in 52 BC, by the 2nd century AD the region had been partly Christianised. The 5th century saw the Franks and other Germanic groups over run the country. The Middle Ages were marked by a succession of power struggles between various Frankish dynasties. Louis XIV, known as the Sun King took the French throne in 1643 at the young age of five and ruled until 1715.

On 14 July 1789, a Parisian mob attacked the Invalides, seized weapons and stormed the Bastille prison. They established the First Republic in 1792, and created a dictatorial control over the country during the Reign of Terror (1793-94). Eventually the Revolution turned on its own, and many of its leaders, including Robespierre and Danton faced the Guillotine.

Napoleon Bonaparte assumed power in 1799, sparking a series of wars in which France came to control most of Europe. Finally following a disastrous campaign against Russia in 1812 Bonaparte lost control and he was banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba from which he escaped and was reinstated as Emperor which only lasted 100 days before he was defeated by the English at Waterloo.

France was seriously affected by both the first and second world wars with large parts of the country devastated.

Climate

France lies within the northern temperate zone. The north and northwest have a temperate climate, but due to a combination of maritime influences, latitude and altitude the rest of France has a varied climate.

France can be divided into four climatic zones.

1. The Oceanic and Humid climate - this zone has cool summers and is situated to the west of a line from Bayonne to Lille.
2. The Semi-Continental climate - is typified with harsh winters and hot summers. This zone lies in Alsace, Lorraine, along the Rhône corridor and in the mountainous massifs (Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central).
3. The Intermediate climate - has cold winters and hot summers and is located in the north, as wella s in Paris and the central regions.
4. The Mediterranean climate has mild winters and very hot summers. This zone lies in the south of France.

Getting there

By Air
Paris has national and international airlines link to basically every part of the world. Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse also offer direct international air links.

By Bus/Coach
Paris is the country's main bus depot, offering services to and from every part of Europe.

By Ferry
There are numerous ferry routes operating between France and its neighbours including England - Brittany and Normandy, the fastest ferries and hovercrafts run between Calais and Dover, and Boulogne and Folkestone. Portsmouth offers a car ferry to Cherbourg, Caen and St Malo. Other regular routes include Plymouth to Roscoff, Poole to Cherbourg, Weymouth to St Malo, and Newhaven to Dieppe. Ferries also cross between France and Ireland Cherbourg to Cork, the Channel Islands, Sardinia, Italy Corsica to Genoa and North Africa Marseille to Algiers, Marseille to Tunis and Sète to Tangier.

By Train
Paris is the country's main rail depot, and offers services to and from every part of Europe. The Ultra modern Eurostar rail service operates between England and France using the Channel Tunnel.

Visas
Nationals of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel do not need visas to visit France as tourists for a period of up to three months. Except for the citizens of a small number of other European countries, everyone else must have a visa.

More Information

French Tourist Office - http://www.franceguide.com/prehome.asp