France France , officially the French Republic is

France France , officially the French Republic is a unitary sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean; France covers 640,679 square kilometres (247,368 sq mi) and has a population of 66.6 million. It is a semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the nation's largest city and the main cultural and commercial center. The Constitution of France establishes the country as secular and democratic, with its sovereignty derived from the people.

Map of France

Major cities

How can I get to France By plain By car By train By sea

Interesting places

Tuorism France attracted 84.7 million foreign tourists in 2013, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world. It is third in income from tourism due to briefer visits. 20% more tourists spent less than half as much as they did in the United States. France has 37 sites inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List and features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost, but also Toulouse, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lyon, and others), beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). Small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage (such as Collonges-la-Rouge or Locronan) are promoted through the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (litt. "The Most Beautiful Villages of France"). The "Remarkable Gardens" label is a list of the over two hundred gardens classified by the French Ministry of Culture. This label is intended to protect and promote remarkable gardens and parks.

Religious pilgrimage France attracts many religious pilgrims on their way to St. James, or to Lourdes, a town in the Hautes-Pyrénées that hosts a few million visitors a year. The Taizé Community has become one of the world's most important sites of Christian pilgrimage. Over 100,000 young people from around the world make pilgrimages to Taizé each year for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and communal work.

The most popular tourist sites include (visitors per year) Louvre Museum (8.5 million), Eiffel Tower (6.2 million), Palace of Versailles (6 million), Centre Pompidou (3.6 million), Musée d'Orsay (2.9 million), Musée du quai Branly (1.3 million), Arc de Triomphe (1.2 million), Mont Saint-Michel (1 million), Notre-Dame de la Garde, Marseille (800,000), Château de Chambord (711,000), Sainte-Chapelle (683,000), Metz Cathedral (652,000), Bastille (Grenoble) (600 000) Centre Pompidou-Metz (550,000), Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (549,000), Puy de Dôme (500,000), Musée Picasso (441,000), Carcassonne (362,000).

French cuisine