Geography and Information About France (2024)

France, officially called the Republic of France, is a country located in Western Europe. The country also has several overseas territories and islands around the world, but the mainland of France is called Metropolitan France. It stretches north to south from the North Sea and the English Channel to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Rhine River to the Atlantic Ocean. France is known for being a world power and has been an economic and cultural center of Europe for hundreds of years.

History of France

France has a long history and, according to theU.S. Department of State, it was one of the earliest countries to develop an organized nation-state. As a result of the mid-1600s, France was one of the most powerful countries in Europe. By the 18th century, though, France began having financial problems due to the lavish spending of King Louis XIV and his successors. These and social problems eventually led to theFrench Revolutionthat lasted from 1789–1794. Following the revolution, France shifted its government between "absolute rule orconstitutional monarchyfour times" during the Empire ofNapoleon, the reigns of King Louis XVII and then Louis-Philippe and finally the Second Empire of Napoleon III.

In 1870 France was involved in the Franco-Prussian War, which established the country's Third Republic that lasted until 1940. France was hit hard duringWorld War Iand in 1920 it established theMaginot Lineof border defenses to protect itself from the rising power of Germany. Despite thesedefenses,however,​France was occupied by Germany early duringWorld War II. In 1940 it was divided into two sections—one that was directly controlled by Germany and another that was controlled by France (known as the Vichy Government). By 1942 though, all of France was occupied by theAxis Powers. In 1944, the Allied Powers liberated France.

Following WWII, a new constitution established France's Fourth Republic and a parliament was set up. On May 13,1958,​this government collapsed due to France's involvement in a war with Algeria.As a result,​General Charles de Gaulle became the head of government to prevent civil war and the Fifth Republic was established. In 1965, France held an election and de Gaulle was elected as president, but in 1969 he resigned after several governmental proposals were rejected.

Since de Gaulle's resignation, France has had seven different leaders and its recent presidents have developed strong ties to theEuropean Union. The country was also one of the EU's six founding nations. In 2005, France underwent three weeks of civil unrest as its minority groups began a series of violent protests. In 2017,Emmanuel Macronwas elected president.

Government of France

Today, France is considered a republic with executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. Its executive branch is made up of a chief of state (the president) and a head of government (the prime minister). France's legislative branch consists of abicameral Parliamentmade up of the Senate and the National Assembly. The judicial branch of France's government is its Supreme Court of Appeals, the Constitutional Council, and the Council of State. France is divided into 27 regions for local administration.

Economics and Land Use in France

According to theCIA World Factbook, France has a large economy that is currently transitioning from one with government ownership to a more privatized one. The main industries in France are machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, and food processing. Tourism also represents a large part of its economy, as the country gets about 75 million foreign visitors each year. Agriculture is also practiced in some areas of France, and the main products of that industry are wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes, beef, dairy products, and fish.

Geography and Climate of France

Metropolitan France is the part of France that is located in Western Europe to the southeast of the United Kingdom along the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay, and the English Channel. The country also has several overseas territories: French Guiana in South Americ, the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, Mayotte in the Southern Indian Ocean, and Reunion in Southern Africa.

Metropolitan France has a varied topography that consists of flat plains and/or low rolling hills in the north and west, while the rest of the country is mountainous with the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east. The highest point in France is Mont Blanc at 15,771 feet (4,807 m).

The climate of Metropolitan France varies by location, but most of the country has cool winters and mild summers, while the Mediterranean region has mild winters and hot summers. Paris, the capital and largest city of France, has an average January low temperature of 36 degrees (2.5 C) and an average July high of 77 degrees (25 C).

Sources

• Central Intelligence Agency. "CIA - The World Factbook - France."
• Infoplease.com. "France: History, Geography, Government, and Culture."
• United States Department of State. "France."