France (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain everything about France and its physical and cultural characteristics. In addition, how is its economy, religion and the history of this country

France

France is a national state whose official name is the Republic of France. It is located in Western Europe and is a member of the European Union. It has a total area of 545,630 km² And its capital is Paris, one of the most tourist cities in the world.

It is a semipresidencialist republic and one of the main economies World Cups. France stands out for its production of wines, their landscapes, culture and history, which make this country one of the most visited in the world.

The continental part of France limits to the south with the Mediterranean Sea, Italy and Monaco; to the southwest with the Cantabrian Sea, Andorra and Spain; to the west with the Atlantic Ocean; To the north with the Canal de la Mancha, the North Sea, Belgium and the United Kingdom (with which it is attached by an underground tunnel that crosses the Channel of La Mancha) and to the east with Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.

France is divided into 13 administrative regions. The most populated is ile-de-france where its capital Paris is located. The most extensive is new Aquitaine, with 84,000 km² surface In addition, France is the country that has the most overseas territories, which represent 17.9 % of its territory and in which more than 2 million people live.

Why is it called that? It is believed that the name “France” comes from the German word “Franka ” What does fierce mean. It is also believed that it could refer to the Franks, a Germanic tribe that inhabited their lands between the third and centuries V.

Characteristics of France

Tourism is one of the main economic activities in France.

Some characteristics of this country are:

It has an area of 545,630 square kilometers.
Its population is 68,045,000 inhabitants, which represents a population density of 124.7 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Its capital is the city of Paris.
It is one of the world’s main economies.
Its official language is French.
His main religion is Catholicism.
The predominant climate is the temperate oceanic.
The plains are the most widespread relief form in the country.
Some of the greatest referents of literature, painting and Western philosophy were born in France.
Its main economic activities are agriculture, industry and tourism
Its official currency is the euro, as in the rest of the countries of the European Union.

Extension, population and capital of France

In France more than 68 million people livemost of its population is distributed in the European continent and a minority inhabits French overseas territories. The most populated cities in the country are Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

The population of France comes, for the most part, from Celtic peoples, although from the 19th century it began to receive a large number of immigrants from Africa.

Its territory is divided into 13 administrative regions:

Pays de la Loire (Loira countries). It is a region located in the east of the country, which is crossed by the Loira River and its capital is Nantes.
Bretagne (Brittany). It is a region located in the southwest of the country and its capital is Rennes.
Normandie (Normandy). It is a region located in the north of the country and its capital is Ruan.
France Hauts (Alta France). It is a region located in the northeast of the country and its capital is Lille.
Île de France (Island of France). It is the most populous French region and is located in the north of the country. Its capital is Paris.
Grand est (great east). It is a region located in the northeast of the country and its capital is Strasbourg.
Bourgogne – Franche Comte (Burgundy Franco County). It is a region located in the center-east of the country and its capital is said.
Center – Val de Loire (Center – Valle de Loira). It is a region located in the center of the country and its capital is Orleans.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Nueva Aquitaine). It is the most extensive region in France and is located in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Bordeaux.
Auvergne – Rhône – Alpes (Auvernia – Rhone – Alps). It is a region located in the southeast of the country and its capital is the city of Lyon.
Occitanie (Occitania). It is a region located in the south of the country and its capital is Toulouse.
PROVENCE – ALPES – Côte d’Sur (Provence – Alps – Costa Azul). It is a region located in the southeast of the country and its capital is Marseille.
CORSE (Corsica). It is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea and its capital is Ajaccio.

Besides, The French territory includes overseas departments that are located outside its continental territory but are under their sovereignty. The most important are Guadalupe and Martinica (located in the Caribbean Sea), French Guayana (located in South America) and Mayotte and Meeting (located in the Indian Ocean).

The capital of France is the city of Paris. It has a population of 2,100,000 inhabitants but its metropolitan area reaches 10,800,000, which represents 15.8 % of the country’s total.

Climate, relief and hydrography of France

France has mountainous chains such as Alps.

Most of the French territory has a tempered climate oceanic that is characterized by cold winters, fresh summers and abundant rains. In the southern region of the country there is a temperate climate Mediterraneanwhich is characterized by having higher temperatures and the rains concentrated in the winter months. In this region, summers are warm and dry, which generates excellent conditions for the use of beaches on the Mediterranean Sea.

The predominant relief of France is the plainsthat extend in the sector of the center and the north of the country. In the south, the mountain relief predominates, with chains such as the Pyrenees (located between Spain and France), the Alps (in which the Mont Blanc is, which with its 4,808 meters high is the highest peak in Western Europe) and the Vosgos mountain range (in the northeast of the country).

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Due to its flat relief and abundant rainfall, the rivers of France are extensive and caudalos. The most important are Loira and Sena, which is going through Paris.

France’s flora is very varied thanks to its different climates, reliefs and Soils. In the plain zone you can find plant species, such as Haya and El Castaño. In the subalpine zone you can see dwarf pines and junners. In the northern part of the country there are oak forests, poplars, willows and birch, and to the south you can find mulberry trees, vines, olive trees and laurel herbs.

As for its fauna, it is also abundant and varied: The largest mammals are the deer and the foxes, and in the area of the Pyrenees and the Alps can find brown bears, alpine and rebecos hares. In the forest area inhabit wild boars, deer, ferrets and martas.

In the south of the country you can find reptiles such as vipers and turtles and in marine areas several species of fish, such as cod, sardine and dolphin.

Culture of France

France allows religious freedom and is a secular state. Approximately half of its population professes the Catholic religion And the rest of the inhabitants profess other religions, such as the Muslim and the Jewish. Its official language is French, and is spoken by the majority of the population.

The culture of France has influences from different places and cultures of the world such as Celtic and German. In addition, during the last decades it has received great immigration from the French ex -colonies of Africa, so the percentage of black population increased considerably in recent years. African immigrants have also influenced the country’s culture, especially gastronomy, music and sport.

Art in France

Some referents of painting in the history of France are:

Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842). She was a French painter of very influential portraits in the court of Louis XVI and María Antonieta. Her ability to capture the beauty and personality of her portrayed led her to be one of the most requested artists of her time. She is considered the most influential French painter of the 18th century.
Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863). He was a French painter and one of the main representatives of Romanticism. Delacroix innovated in the use of color and its art was influence for the subsequent impressionist movement. Some of his most representative works are Freedom guiding the people, Sardanapalo’s death and Dante’s boat.
Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899). She was a French realistic painter known for her works with themes of animals and rural scenes. Your most famous picture, The ox marketearned him international recognition.
Édouard Manet (1832-1883). He was a French painter considered the father of modern French art and the precursor of impressionism (although he was never part of the movement). Some of his works are Breakfast in the grass, Music in the Tublerías and Olympia.
Edgar Degas (1834-1917). He was a French painter and sculptor and one of the referents of impressionism. Many of his works were set in the field of ballet and some of his most outstanding paintings are Ballet class, The Bellelli family and The bathtub.
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906). He was a French painter who acquired fame in a posthumous way and is considered one of the parents of modern art. He stood out in the representation of landscapes, dead nature and domestic scenes and everyday life. His most outstanding works are Card players, Lifting nature with apples and The big bathers.
Claude Monet (1840-1926). He was a French painter exponent of the impressionist movement, a current that was characterized by the use of pure colors, short brushstrokes and the use of light. Some of his most outstanding works are Printing, rising sun, The ninfeas pond and Twilight in Venice.
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). He was a French impressionist painter who was characterized by his paintings of landscapes and naked in which he transmitted happy and calm situations. His most outstanding works are The rowers lunch, Dance in the Galette Moulin and The Grenouillère.
Berthe Morisot (1841-1895). She was a French impressionist painter and a member of the Circle of Impressionist Artists of Paris. His works focus mainly on portraits, outdoor scenes and daily themes.
Henri Rousseau (1844-1910). He was a French painter exponent of Naif art (spontaneous or self -taught art). His work was characterized by the dreamlike and strong colors. His most outstanding paintings are The dream, Hungry Leon and Myself.
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). He was a post -impressionist French painter who stood out for his synthesism, characterized by the use of simple forms and flat colors. He spent much of his life in Tahiti (Polynesia) and in his art he portrayed the landscapes and inhabitants of that Pacific area. His most outstanding works are Yellow Christ, Tahiti women and Breasts with red flowers.
Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938). She was a painter and model who achieved recognition for her expressionist style and her representation of female nudes. She was also the mother of the famous painter Maurice Utrillo.
Henri Matisse (1869-1954). He was a French painter considered a reference of modern art and the painting of the twentieth century. It belonged to Fauvism, movement that was characterized by the use of color. Some of the emblematic works of this artist are Dance, Blue nude and Woman with a hat.
Marie Laurencin (1883-1956). She was a French painter of the cubist movement and a prominent figure in the artistic world of Paris during the twentieth century.
Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). He was a French painter and chess player considered one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. It was an exponent of Dadaism and the Ready-Mades (giving range of art to everyday objects) with works that focus on the innovative and fleeting. Some of his most outstanding works are Bicycle wheel, Naked down a ladder and The source.

Literature in France

Some referents of literature in the history of France are:

Pizan Christine (1364-1430). She was a medieval French writer and poet, considered one of the first women to live in her work as a writer. His work The city of ladies It is considered the first feminist novel of the West.
Molière (1622-1673). He was a French playwright and poet and one of France’s greatest literary exponents. He was the author of comedies and farce that included social and political criticism at the time. Some of his most recognized works are The greed, Don Juan and Tartufo.
Henri Beyle (Stendhal) (1783-1842). He was a French writer and one of the founders of the modern novel, among his most outstanding works are Red and black, The Parma Cartuja and Weapon.
Balzac honor (1799-1850). He was a French novelist and one of the greatest exponents of the French realistic novel. His top work was Human comedya project in which he gathered more than 80 novels and stories.
George Sand (1804-1876). Pseudonym Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin, was an outstanding French writer of the nineteenth century. He wrote novels and plays, and is known for having challenged the norms of gender and social conventions of his time.
Víctor Hugo (1802-1885). He was a French poet and novelist who stood out in a wide variety of genres and was exponent of romanticism with works of great social content. His most outstanding works are The miserable ones, Our Lady of Paris and The man who laughs.
Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867). He was a French poet and critic and one of the main representatives of symbolism (literary movement that sought with poetry decipher metaphysical enigmas and the world). His work emblem was The flowers of evil and is considered the precursor of modern poetry.
Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880). He was a French writer and one of his country’s best novelists. His most recognized work is Madame Bovary And, in addition, he wrote others like Sentimental education and Salambó.
Marcel Proust (1871-1922). He was a worldwide French novelist recognized for his autobiographical work In search of lost timenovel that is gathered in seven volumes.
Paul Valéry (1871-1945). He was a French writer and essayist and one of the most recognized French poets. His most outstanding works are The young grilled, The marine cemetery and My Faust.
Colette (1873-1954). She was a French writer famous for her novels that explore female sensuality and emancipation.
Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986). She was a French writer and philosopher known for being a defender of women’s rights. She was the precursor of the feminist movement and wrote novels, essays and newspapers, among which they stand out The second sex, The guest and Memories of a formal young woman.
Albert Camus (1913-1960). He was a French writer, journalist and philosopher. The fall, The foreigner and The plague. He was the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957 and in his work a great influence of existentialist thinking is observed.

Philosophy in France

Some referents of philosophy in the history of France are:

René Descartes (1596-1650). It was a French philosopher and mathematician and one of the exponents of the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. The father of modern philosophy and analytical geometry is considered. Among its great contributions are rationalist thoughts and methodical doubt.
Blas Pascal (1623-1662). He was a French mathematician, physical and philosopher. He made great contributions in the field of mathematics and physics (such as the laws of probability and the principle of Pascal about pressure), and in philosophy his ideas were evidenced in works such as Thoughts and Provincial letters.
Montesquieu (1689-1755). It was a French philosopher belonging to the illustrated movement of the 18th century. One of its main contributions was the notion of the division of powers within the State (developed in its work The spirit of laws) and is considered one of the precursors of modern liberalism.
Voltaire (1694-1778). He was a French philosopher and lawyer and one of the main exponents of the Enlightenment. He defended ideas and principles such as secularism, equality and human rights.
Denis Diderot (1713-1784). He was a French philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment. Among his works he stands out The Encyclopédiea compendium of known knowledge until the 18th century. He had a materialistic and deistic thought.
Auguste Comte (1798-1857). He was a French philosopher and the father of positivism (theory that understood science as the only source of knowledge) and sociology. Among his contributions was the law of the three states, in which he affirmed that science passed through two stages (theological and metaphysical) until reaching the final stadium: positivism.
Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980). He was a French philosopher and writer and one of the greatest exponents of existentialism. His ideas covered disciplines such as philosophy, literature and sociology. Some of his most outstanding works are THE BEING AND NOTHING, The flies and Criticism of dialectical reason.
Simone Weil (1909-1943). It was a French philosopher considered the founder of existentialist feminism. Love and Friendship They are some of his most prominent works.
Michel Foucault (1926-1984). It was a French philosopher and sociologist who stood out in the study of issues such as psychiatry, mental health, sexuality, power relations, among others. Some of his works are Watch and punish, History of madness in classical era and Words and things.
Jacques Derrida (1930-2004). It was a French philosopher who developed the idea of deconstruction, understood as the tool to disassemble concepts and analyze prevailing structures. Some of his most relevant works are Writing and difference, Dissemination and Of grammatology.

French traditions and customs

France is a country worldwide for its gastronomy. Among the most outstanding dishes and foods are: Raclette (type of cheese), Ratatouille (dish with vegetables), Croissant (Pastry product), Foie gras (duck or goose liver), coq au vin (rooster or chicken stew), Crêpes (disk -shaped mass), ALIGOT (garrison), Soupe à l ‘oignon (onion soup), Quiche Lorraine (salted cake), Cassaulet (stew) and Macarons (sweets). Due to its great culture and wine development, wine is one of the most popular drinks in the country.

Homeland symbols of France

The flag of France was officially adopted in 1848.

The national symbols of France are:

The flag of France. It consists of three horizontal stripes of equal size. Blue and red are at the ends, and white in the middle. It was officially adopted in 1848.
The National Anthem of France. His lyrics and music were composed in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, who was a French army officer during the French Revolution.
The France shield. It was adopted in 1898, although its last modification is from 1995. It is a golden emblem, made up of a scroll decorated with laurel, oak and olive branches. In the center the letters “RF” appear on behalf of the “French Republic”, decorated with a lion head and another of Eagle.

Economic Activities of France

France is the second world producer of wine, behind Italy.

France is one of the main economies in the world and the second in Europe behind Germany. Its main economic activities are:

Agriculture. Some of the primary products that France exports are wheat, dairy products, pork, poultry and fruits (such as apples, grapes, pears, peaches and melons). Among its primary economic activities, viticulture stands out, an activity that positions France as the second world producer of wine, behind Italy.
The industry. France is also one of the most industrialized countries in the world, many of the most recognized multinationals have their headquarters or offices in this country. Some of the items that stand out are the chemical, aeronautical, automotive, telecommunications, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry.
Tourism. France is one of the most visited countries in the world, so the hotel and tourism industry are very developed activities and are the ones that generate the most income to the country. Tourists arrive in France attracted by their culture, their history, their cities, their landscapes and their wines and gastronomy.

Some of the most visited places in France are:

The Louvre Museum, the Church of Notre Dame, the Moulin Rouge and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The Versailles Palace.
Mount Saint Michel, in Normandy.
The Alps.
Regions and cities such as Alsace, Toulouse, Lyon and Marseille.
The Loira Valley.
The Costa Azul.
Wine routes.

As part of the European Union, the official currency of France is the euro. Its main commercial partners are Germany, Italy, China and Belgium.

History of France

Juana de Arco had a leading role in the War of the Hundred Years.

The current territory of France was inhabited since the Paleolithic period. When the Greeks installed colonies such as Massalia (current Marseille) on the Mediterranean coast around 600 a. C., established commercial relations with the Celtic populations of the interior of the territory.

The Romans called these “Gauls” populations and their Galia Transalpina territory. The Roman conquest and cultural diffusion in the region began in 121 a. C. and concluded in 51 a. C. In the year 27 a. C., Emperor Augusto divided the territory into four provinces.

At the beginning of the 5th century d. C., some Germanic peoples invaded the territories of the Roman Empire of the West, including Gaul. After the fall of the Empire in 476 d. C., One of the Germanic peoples founded the Franco kingdom that expanded throughout much of the current France and, under the leadership of Charlemagne, formed the Carolingian empire. After Carlomagno’s death, the empire disintegrated and began the feudal era.

During the Middle Ages, three dynasties tried to govern the French territory: the Carolingians (768-987), the capetos (987-1328) and the Valois (1328-1589). The English control of parts of France led to the War of the Hundred Years (1337-1453), which concluded with the almost total withdrawal of the English. This confrontation highlighted Juana de Arco, who became a French national symbol.

Between 1562 and 1598, the wars of religion between Hugues (Protestants) and Catholics took place. And in 1589, with Enrique IV, the reign of Bourbon’s house began (1589-1792).

In 1789 the French revolution broke out, which led to the abolition of the monarchy in 1792. During the revolutionary wars Napoleon Bonaparte stood out, who in 1804 was crowned emperor. In 1815 Napoleon was defeated in Waterloo and the monarchy was restored, first under the Bourbons (1815-1830) and then under the Orleans (1830-1848).

The 19th-century revolts led to the formation of the Second Republic (1848-1852). Then the second empire (1852-1870) was established and, after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, the third republic (1871-1940). Under this government there was an important fact: the insurrection known as the commune of Paris (1871).

France participated in World War I (1914-1918) and then in World War II (1939-1945). During the latter, the territory was divided into an area occupied by the Nazis and another collaborationist called Vichy regime.

During the Fourth Republic (1946-1958), the Government lost control of Indochina and, in the fifth Republic, President Charles de Gaulle accepted the independence of Algeria (1962). De Gaulle was followed by several democratically elected presidents.

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References

Enriquez Pozo, A. (2023) What are the thirteen regions of France? https://www.inesem.es/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023) France. Country record. Diplomatic Information Office of Spain. https://www.exteriors.gob.es/
Palumbo, A. (2022) Christine from Pizan, a fifteenth century feminist. https://historia.nationalgeographic.com.es/
Terrasa, D. (2018) Köppen Climate Classification. https://geography.laguia2000.com/