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France (in French , France , AFI : [fʁɑs]), officially the French Republic (French: République française ), is a sovereign member of the European Union , with its capital in Paris , which extends over a total area of 675,417 km ² and has a population of 66 million. 4
Established in the welfare state and democratic rule of law , the way government is organized as semi-presidential republic with the official name of the French Republic ( République française ) and the motto ” Liberté, égalité, fraternité “(” Freedom, Equality, Fraternity “).
The territory of France, and part metropolitan , also called the French mainland , 5 is located in Western Europe , where it borders the south to the Mediterranean Sea , the enclave of Monaco (4.4 km) and Italy (488 km); the southwest by Spain (623 km), Andorra (56.6 km) and the Bay of Biscay , on the west by the Atlantic Ocean on the north, with the Channel , the North Sea and Belgium (620 km) and the east by Luxembourg (73 km), Germany (451 km) and Switzerland (573 km). European island territory includes the island of Corsica in the western Mediterranean, and various islands in the coastal Atlantic Ocean . In America , a territory of France, French Guiana , bordering Brazil (673 km) 6 and Suriname (510 km), and islands and islands of Martinique , Guadeloupe , St. Barthelemy , St. Martin and St. Pierre and Miquelon . In the Indian Ocean islands have Mayotte and Reunion , as well as the islands of French Polynesia , Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean . They are uninhabited territories of France the atoll of Clipperton Island in the eastern Pacific, and so-called Southern and Antarctic Territories .
France is the fifth world economy (Ahead of the United Kingdom, Brazil and Italy) with a high cultural diffusion in the international context. Member of the G8 , the Euro Area and the Schengen Area , home to many major multinational leaders in various segments of the industry and the primary sector , plus it is the first destination resort world with 80 million visitors foreigners a year. 7 France, home of the first Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen , a founding member of the Organization of the United Nations and one of the five permanent members of the Security Council . 8 France houses the headquarters of Council of Europe and the European Parliament , both in Strasbourg , and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and UNESCO , in Paris . It is also one of the eight nuclear powers recognized 9 and a member of NATO .
Power Antigua colonial , culture and civilization is disseminated by countries around the world gathered in the organization of the Francophonie . The French language is one of the most spread languages ​​traditionally used as the language of diplomacy , which along with 77 other regional languages, forms the linguistic heritage of France, member of the Latin Union .

There are important remains of the Lower Paleolithic in the Somme River and the Pyrenees traditional ( Neanderthal ) and in La Chapelle-aux-Saints , Le Moustier and La Ferrasie . The Upper Paleolithic there are abundant remains of the Cro-Magnon , Grimaldi and Chancelade, dated at 25,000 years old, which are located in the valley of the Dordogne . 10 Among the most famous paintings in the world are those of Lascaux and Font de Gaume, in the French Pyrenees.
In the Mesolithic some agricultural activities were replaced in importance to the caves , and the Neolithic (from the third millennium BC. ) megalithic culture emerged (which used menhirs , dolmens and burial ). From about 1500 BC. C. start the Bronze Age , developing trade routes. Found tooling industry Acheulian of homo erectus of 900 or 1,000 years ago in the cave you Vallonnet, in southern France. The Iron Age cultures and Celtic are located within the first millennium. C.
Pre-Roman Gaul and Empire

The Gaul and its administrative divisions (58 a. C.).
Main article: Gaul
The borders of modern France ( 1810 ) are approximately equal to those of ancient Gaul, which was inhabited by groups Celts known as Gauls , who were the inhabitants of the region and most of central Europe since prehistoric times. 11 Gaul was conquered by Rome and its leader Julius Caesar (who defeated Gallic chief Vercingetorix 12 ) in the first century. C. , and the Gauls adopted the Roman language (the Latin , which evolved the French by the presence of Celtic dialects such as Breton ). The Christianity took root in the second and third centuries, and was firmly established in the V and VI, at the time of Stridon Jerome (St. Jerome) wrote that Gaul was the only region “free from heresy.”
The Franks

The territorial expansion of the Franks between 481 and 814 .
Main article: France in the Middle Ages
In 451 , Attila , the leader of the Huns invaded Gaul with the help of the people Franks and Visigoths, 13 and managed to settle in the main part of Gaul . In the fourth century , the eastern border of Gaul along the Rhine was crossed by Germanic peoples , principally the Franks , from which derived the old name of “Francie”. The “modern France” owes its name to the feudal domain of the Kings Capetian France, near Paris. The Franks were the first tribe among the Germanic conquerors of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire , to convert to Christianity following the baptism of King Clovis in 498, thus France obtained the title “Eldest daughter of the church” and the country would adopt this as justification to call “the Christian kingdom of France.”

Baptism of Clovis by Saint Remigius .
Over the territories that made up the France of the Middle Ages the following dynasties ruled:
The Merovingian descendants of Merovius and Clovis .
The Carolingians , descendants of Charles Martel .
The Capetians and their secondary branches Valois and Bourbon , descendants of Hugh Capet.
The Merovingian dynasty ruled what is now France and part of Germany between the V and VIII. The first king was Clovis I who conquered large parts of Gaul between 486 14 and 507, and converted to Christianity orthodox (as opposed to the heresy Arian ), being baptized in Reims to 496 15 by enlisting the support of elites Gallo- Roman and establishing an important historical link between the French crown and the Catholic Church. 14
The existence as a separate entity began with the Treaty of Verdun (843), with the division of the Carolingian Empire of Charlemagne in Eastern France , France Central and Western France. Western France comprised roughly the area occupied by modern France, which was the precursor.
The Carolingians ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet was crowned King of France. Their descendants, the Capetian Dynasty , the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon , progressively unified the country with a series of wars and dynastic inheritance. The monarchy reached its apogee during the seventeenth century and the reign of Louis XIV . At this time France possessed the largest population in Europe and its politics, economy and culture influenced the whole continent. France also obtained many overseas possessions in America , Africa and Asia .
Old Regime, Revolution and First Empire

Louis XIV , the Sun King .

Napoleon Bonaparte, the founder of the First French Empire.

Liberty Leading the People , Eugène Delacroix painting inspired by the Revolution of 1830 .

Otto von Bismarck (with helmet) and Napoleon III, after the capitulation of the latter in the battle of Sedan in 1870.
Main articles: Old Regime in France , French Revolution and First French Empire
The storming of the Bastille marks the beginning of the French Revolution , a social and political process that was developed between 1789 and 1799, the main consequence was the abolition of absolute monarchy and the proclamation of the Republic, eliminating the economic and social Old Regime in France .
After a series of short-lived governmental schemes, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the republic in 1799 , becoming First Consul and Emperor of what is now known as the First French Empire (1804-1814). Besides his military prowess, Napoleon also called for the establishment of the Napoleonic Code , a civil code that would remain in effect until the second half of the twentieth century and serve as a model for other countries, like Spain. It is also known for his talent to become a surround of brilliant experts with a high sense of state, who were able to create the legal and administrative framework of contemporary France. Others, however, consider it a tyrannical dictator whose wars have killed millions, and one of the most megalomaniacal and harmful of all time. 16
After taking the victory the armies of the Revolution in a war of defense of national territory threatened by the armies of European monarchies, their host, the Grande Armée , conquered most of continental Europe . In the invaded territories, Napoleon appointed the members of the family Napoleon and some of his closest generals as rulers of the territories. Today, the Swedish royal family descended from the Bonapartist general Bernadotte .
Nineteenth century
After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo and as a result of the Congress of Vienna , the French monarchy was restored, but with new constitutional limitations. While the political organization of France ranged republic, empire and monarchy for 75 years after the First Republic fell after the coup d’etat of Napoleon Bonaparte, the truth is that the revolution marked the definitive end of absolutism and gave birth to a new regime where the bourgeoisie , and sometimes the masses, became the dominant political force in the country. In 1830, a civil uprising established the constitutional July Monarchy, which lasted until 1848. The French Second Republic ended in short-lived 1852 when Napoleon III proclaimed the Second French Empire .
During this new rule is a considerable development of means of transport as well as an economic bonanza. Increases the banking network and signed free-trade treaty with England in 1860 that promotes international trade. But foreign policy was a series of major failures such as Second French Intervention in Mexico and especially the resounding defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 in which Napoleon III was completely defeated and his regime was replaced by the Third Republic French .
Twentieth Century

Saint-Lô destroyed during the Battle of Normandy in 1944.
France had colonial possessions in various parts of the world, from the early seventeenth century until the 1960′s . In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, its global colonial empire was the second largest in the world after the British Empire . At its peak, between 1919 and 1939, the second French colonial empire extended over 12,347,000 square kilometers (4,767,000 miles square) of land. Including metropolitan France , the total area of land under French sovereignty reached 12,898,000 square kilometers (4,980,000 miles square) in the 20′s and 30′s, which is 8.6% of land area in the world.
Although ultimately ended up as winner of the First World War , France was a huge human and material losses that weakened it for decades to come. The 30′s were marked by a variety of social reforms introduced by the government of the Popular Front . France and Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on 3 September 1939 17 under a treaty signed with Poland, whose territory had been invaded by the Wehrmacht , the German army. At the beginning of World War II , France held a series of unsuccessful rescue campaigns in Norway , Belgium and the Netherlands between 1939 and 1940. After the blitzkrieg of Nazi Germany between May and June 1940 and its ally, Fascist Italy, the political leadership of France signed the armistice of June 22, 1940 . The Germans established an authoritarian regime under the tutelage of Marshal Philippe Pétain known as Vichy France , which adopted a policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany. 18 The regime’s opponents formed the state of Free French outside France, sustained the resistance French and were adding more and more colonial territories to their cause. Continental France was liberated with the joint efforts of the allies , Free French and the French Resistance in 1945.
The Fourth French Republic established after World War II fought to maintain its economic and political status as a world power. He tried to regain control over its colonial empire , affected by war. The half-hearted attempt in 1946 to regain control in French Indochina resulted in the First Indochina War , which ended in French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954 . Only a few months later, France faced a new conflict, even harsher than the previous one in its oldest and most important colony, Algeria .
The debate to keep control of Algeria, then home to a million European settlers, weakened the country and led almost to civil war. In 1958 , the weak and unstable Fourth Republic led to the French Fifth Republic , which is supported by a strong executive. Charles de Gaulle held the country together while taking the road to the end of the war. The Algerian War and the civil war that broke out in Algeria from the supporters to leave the colony and the settlers who clung to maintain a French presence, was completed in 1962 , with the Evian declaration which included the holding of a referendum on self determination . General de Gaulle also faced another tough test in May 1968 , which emerged triumphant in the early elections called in June of that year.
In 1981, François Mitterrand was elected president of France and ruled from 1981 to 1995. Then Jacques Chirac would be elected president of France, ruling between 1995 and 2007. In that year he was elected president Nicolas Sarkozy. France supported the U.S. in the first Gulf War ( 1990 ), 19 and in the overthrow of the Taliban . In recent decades, reconciliation and cooperation between France and Germany have proved central line to the political and economic integration of European Union development, 8 including the introduction of the euro in January of 1999 . France has been at the forefront of the Member States and European Union seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to create a European Union policy, with a unified defense and apparatus and more capable in security.
XXI Century
Dominique de Villepin , at the head of French diplomacy, led the bloc of countries that opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003 , 20 threatening to use its veto in the Security Council , leading to a cooling step of the relations with the administration of George W. Bush . The conservative right-wing candidate, Nicolas Sarkozy , won the elections of May 6 of 2007 to the presidency of the French Republic , succeeding Jacques Chirac . 21

Government

The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy .

French Senate .
Main article: Politics of France
The current French Constitution (Constitution of the Fifth Republic) was adopted by referendum on September 28, 1958. Since its introduction, successive Presidents of the Republic have significantly strengthened its authority over the executive branch , initially embodied in the Prime Minister and the Government, and have become true representatives of the Executive in relation to the parliament . Under the Constitution, the president is directly elected for a period of 5 years (originally 7 years). Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning and balance of public authorities. The president appoints the prime minister , who presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces and concludes treaties. The Cabinet or Council of Ministers is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. This government organization known as semi-presidential republic .
The National Assembly is the main legislative body. Its 577 deputies are directly elected for a term of 5 years and all seats are voted in every election. The other chamber is the Senate , whose 321 senators are elected by an electoral college (it is an indirect suffrage) and remain 9 years in office. One third of the Senate is renewed every 3 years. The Senate’s legislative powers are limited, and the National Assembly is who has the final word in the event of a dispute between the two chambers. The government has a strong influence on the parliamentary agenda. There is also a Constitutional Council (9 members), which ensures the control of the constitutionality of laws and resolve election disputes. They are all French citizens over 18 years.
Foreign affairs

National Assembly of France .

The Clock Hall where he presented the Schuman Declaration .
Main article: Institutional and policy in the European Union
European Union
The Schuman Declaration is the title which is known informally to the speech by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on 9 May of 1950 in which, officially recognized as the European Union (EU) – was the first step in the formation of this organization by proposing that coal and steel from Germany and France (and other countries to adhere) to submit to a joint administration.
The Treaty of Paris , signed on April 18 of 1951 between Belgium , France, West Germany , Italy , Luxembourg and the Netherlands established the European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC ), which later became part, first, the European Communities and then the European Union . 22 The French have the second largest representation in the European Parliament , by virtue of its population, in addition, the French Jean-Claude Trichet is the President of the European Central Bank and Jacques Barrot was one of the vice presidents of the European Commission for the period 2004 – 2009 .
Strasbourg is the seat of the European Parliament , plenary sessions are held there for a week every month. So the city is considered the second capital of the EU after Brussels , where the deputies at other times. The city also hosts the Central Command Eurocorps and Information Center Europol .
On July 14 of 2007 troops of the 27 European Union countries marched together for the first time in the Champs Elysees in Paris for the French national holiday in a ceremony led by Sarkozy. 23 The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2008 was framed within the system of rotating management of that institution. 24 was scheduled at the end of the administration came into force on the Lisbon Treaty , allowing appoint the first permanent EU President , but this was not possible since the document was not ratified by all states.
See also: Timeline of European Union
Armed Forces

Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on his arrival at the base of Toulon a few months before being put into service on May 18th of 2001 . He participated in the NATO intervention in Afghanistan in November 2001 . 25
Main article: Military of France
Main article: French Army
Main article: Armée de l’air
Main article: National Marine France
Main article: National Gendarmerie (France)
Main article: National Police of France
The French armed forces are members of NATO , EUFOR and the Eurocorps . The French army , with a force of staff from 779,450 in 2006 (259,050 regular strength, 26 419 000 Reserve regular 27 and 101.400 of gendarmerie 28 ), is the largest military force in Europe and the 14th largest in the world for the number troops. However they have the 2nd highest military spending in the world and the 3rd largest nuclear force in the world, only behind the United States and Russia. 29
Dynamic industry, especially aircraft, fighter aircraft produced as the Rafale , with nuclear capability. The DGSE is the intelligence of the country. The French Navy has one aircraft carrier , the nuclear drive Charles de Gaulle but hope to have available in the 2012 one with the name PA2 (Carrier 2) to displace 75,000 tons. 30 31 Set aside 2.6% of annual GDP national defense, according to NATO and with Germany as a whole spent more than 40% of total defense spending of the European Union . 32 About 10% of the French defense budget goes to the Force de frappe , which was responsible of nuclear weapons on submarines loaded. 33
In March 2008 the French government announced plans to achieve reductions in its arsenal to fewer than 300 warheads, “half maximum” of which remained during the Cold War. 34
Human rights
Regarding human rights , about membership in the seven agencies of the International Bill of Human Rights, including the Human Rights Committee (HRC), France has signed or ratified:
Status of major international human rights . 35
France International treaties
CESCR 36 CCPR 37 CERD 38 CED 39 CEDAW 40 CAT 41 CRC 42 MWC 43 CRPD 44
CESCR CESCR-OP CCPR CCPR-OP1 CCPR-OP2-DP CEDAW CEDAW-OP CAT CAT-OP CRC CRC-OP-AC CRC-OP-SC CRPD CRPD-OP
Membership
Signed and ratified, signed but not ratified or signed or ratified, without information, has agreed to sign and ratify the organ in question, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications by the competent bodies.
Subdivisions
R.
Main article: Subdivisions of France
France is administratively divided into regions, departments, districts, cantons and municipalities (communes). Also has communities, territories and dependencies. Is the largest department of French Guiana with 91,000 km ². 45
The 27 regions and 101 departments are for the metropolitan or overseas.
Metropolitan territorial division:
22 regions (in fr. régions ): France is divided into 27 regions, of which 22 are in the metropolis. Although the main division, France is a unitary and autonomous regions have no legislative or executive, but receive a portion of the state resulting from national taxes that may provide and distribute as needed.
96 departments (in fr. départements ) are governed by a General Council elected for six years by direct suffrage. They were created in 1790 in order that any person could go in a day of riding than their representatives. Each has a prefect.
329 districts (in fr. arrondissements ): Each department is divided into several districts, each having its sub-prefect. Its function is to assist the prefect of the department.
3,879 cantons : It is a smaller division, especially for electoral purposes.
36,571 communes : Equivalent to the municipality. In the city of Paris are called arrondissements .
Intercommunity of France (in fr. intercommunautés ): equivalent to a Commonwealth, grouped within the same department in several communes.
The 5 overseas regions consist of five overseas departments : Guadeloupe , French Guiana , Martinique , Mayotte and Reunion .
The collectives are overseas or sui generis. The 5 overseas communities are St. Pierre and Miquelon , French Polynesia , Wallis and Futuna , St. Barthelemy and St. Martin . And a community sui generis : New Caledonia .
An overseas territory consisting of the so-called Southern and Antarctic Territories . Six units are currently dispersed and French islands uninhabited: Clipperton , in the northeastern Pacific Ocean (administered from French Polynesia), and Europe , Glorious , Saint Christopher , Tromelin , and Bassas da India , in the southwest Indian Ocean (managed from Department of the Meeting).
See also: Regions of France
Geography

Physical geography
Main article: Geography of France

France metropolitan cities (urban areas) of more than 100 000 inhabitants.

Vosges Mountains .
The French territory covers an area of 675,417 km ², representing 0.50% of the world’s land (Because 40 ° in the world). The metropolitan France , ie Europe, has 551,695 km ² (data from the French National Geographic Institute), while the French overseas has another 123,722 km ² (excluding the Terre Adélie by the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 which suspended the recognition of all sovereignty in that region). Its largest islands are New Caledonia , Corsica , Guadeloupe and Martinique .
The political demarcation of European mainland France relies on its “natural frontiers” being these (counter clockwise): the North Sea , the Channel , the Atlantic Ocean ( Gulf of Biscay ), the Pyrenees (border with Spain and Andorra ), the Mediterranean Sea ( Gulf of Lions , Mediterranean Sea ), the Alps , the mountains Jura , the Rhine River . the Rhine border is only a part of its course, the point from which and to the North Sea, there are no landforms that bound “naturally” the border with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. The largest French island in Europe is Corsica , located in the Mediterranean Sea. In metropolitan France’s borders extend over 2,889 km coastline and 3,427 km by others. In Africa , Asia , Oceania , North America and the Caribbean, the island is French territory. French Guiana is the only mainland outside Europe, bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean (378 km) west by Suriname (510 km) east by Brazil (673 km). The St. Martin has a southern border with the Netherlands Antilles (10.2 miles).
France has some of the Pyrenees and the Alps, both to the south. Others are the Jura mountain ranges (on the border with Switzerland), the Ardennes , the Massif Central and the Vosges Mountains . The Mont Blanc in the Alps, 4,808 meters high is the highest peak in Western Europe. The lowest point of the country is on the Rhone River delta: -2 m. The territory also has coastal plains to the north and west.
Biodiversity and land use

The Caribbean island of St. Martin , seen from the satellite .
Most metropolitan France corresponds to the biome of temperate hardwood forest , although there are also the temperate forest of conifers in the Alps and the Mediterranean forest in the southeast. The number of deer and deer in the wild is increasing thanks to policies designed to this end also guarantees the protection of domestic non-native species, with the creation of parks and nature reserves as well as the reintroduction of species that were exterminated in the country ( brown bear , lynx and European bison , etc.).
In metropolitan France there are 136 tree species, 46 an exceptional case of a European country. The species plant grown for human consumption and agro-industrial production over large surface areas of the French, stressing the vine and wheat among others. Practiced an intensive breeding and exploitation of cattle , pigs , sheep , goats and horses . Also many smaller species such as rabbits and poultry.
Agricultural production accounts for 56% (of which farmland is a 33%, 3% permanent crops, permanent pasture and 20%), the forest 28%, and “other” 16%. 47 The forests are spread over the surface of metropolitan France to cover more than 140,000 km. Specially protected areas make up 8% of the country. The basement provides plenty of construction materials ( gravel , sand , lime ) and raw materials ( kaolin , talc , sulfur , potash ), but is poor in energy and mineral products. The French Guiana in turn, is part of the Massif Guayano-Venezuelan, taking 90% of its territory covered by rainforest .
Hydrology and costs
Inland waters cover 0.26% of the continental France. The most important rivers of France are in the Atlantic: Loire , Garonne , Dordogne (in the Atlantic Ocean) and Sena (in the English Channel ). In the Mediterranean area the Rhone (in the Gulf of Lions), with its tributary the Saone . It also has a good part of the basins of the rivers Rhine, Meuse , Moselle and Scheldt (flowing into the North Sea). The longest inland river is the Loire, with over 1,000 km. The largest lake is Geneva (582 km ²).
France has 5,500 km of coastline and ranks fourth in fish production in the EU. In total the French coasts are bathed by the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Maritime Zone of France is 12 miles from the coast, and the Exclusive Economic Zone extends 200 miles from the coast (11 million km ²). 48
See also: French Islands and natural environment of the European Union
Economy

The solar oven Odeillo in Font-Romeu Odeillo Via .

The business district of La Défense in Paris, seen from the Eiffel Tower.
Main article: Economy of France
France is considered a country with first world for its standard of living ( HDI ). It is the fifth world economy in nominal terms and at European level is placed behind Germany, with a dollar GDP than the UK. In 2006 French economic growth reached 2% being the lowest in the euro area and unemployment rates among the highest. 8
The French economy has a large base of private companies, but government intervention in large firms is higher than in other economies of size. Key sectors with large investments in infrastructure such as electrical, telecommunications or aviation industry, have historically been aimed directly or indirectly by the state, although since the early 1990s the state share has been declining.
Its assets are varied and transportation , telecommunications, food industries, products, pharmaceuticals , aerospace , defense, technology and the banking, insurance , the tourism , and traditional products of luxury (leather goods, ready-to-wear , fragrances , alcohols , etc.).. GDP by sector: agriculture (2.7%), industry (24.4%), services (72.9%). In addition, solar energy is beginning to have increasing importance in France. 49 has an important aerospace industry led by the European consortium Airbus in addition to a space station called the Kourou spaceport . In telecommunications highlights France Telecom as the main operator in the country.
No oil production, France has relied on the development of nuclear energy , which now represents approximately 78% of the production of electricity in the country. The radioactive waste is stored at reprocessing plants. In 2006 the net electricity production amounted to 548.8 TWh, of which: 50
428.7 TWh (78.1%) were produced by the generation of nuclear reactors .
60.9 TWh (11.1%) were produced by the generation of hydroelectric power .
52.4 TWh (9.5%) were produced by the generation of central temoeléctricas .
6.9 TWh (1.3%) were produced by the generation of other types such as self-generators .
Labor market
THE per capita GDP French is slightly lower than other comparable large European economies like Germany or Britain, although GDP per hour worked is one of the highest in the OECD . 51 GDP per capita is determined by (I) productivity per hour worked, which in France is the highest of the G8 countries, 51 (II) the number of hours worked, which is one of the lowest in the developed economies, 52 (III) the rate of activity . France has one of the lowest activity rates for the segment of the population between 15 and 64 of the OECD: In 2004 only 68.8% of this age population was employed, compared with rates of 80% in Japan, 78 , 9% in the UK or from 71.0% in Germany, the age brackets of 15-24 and 55-64 are precisely those with significantly lower rates in relation to the European Union to 25. 53 54
The fact that the activity rate is low is explained by the existence of a minimum wage higher (which remains outside the labor market less productive workers, including young people, while guaranteeing decent working conditions), a university education in many cases line with a little work [ citation needed ] and in the case of older workers, incentives for early retirement. 55
Regarding the level of French life, a significant fact is that the gap between rich and poor has widened in France during the period 2004 to 2007. A study by the INSEE ( Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques ), “the general population has become poorer in comparison with very high income earners, who have seen much stronger average increases.” 56
Trade

Main export partners of France (2007).
Major European and world wars between 1870 and 1945 faced France and Germany , however, both countries have built since the 1950′s a network of relationships: research institutes and universities common, intense youth exchange, more than 2,000 twin cities and countless personal contacts. This laid the foundation of the political integration of Europe , are each other’s largest trading partner and together form the economic engine of the European Union (EU).
In 2005 with 10.2%, again the main destination for German exports and the origin of 8.7% of imports. 57 In 2006 over 14% of French exports were destined for Germany and about 17% of total French imports came from Germany. 58 Other important partners in 2006 were: Belgium , Italy , United Kingdom and Spain .
Agriculture

Vineyard in the Champagne region.
It is the leading agricultural producer in the European Union, about a third of all agricultural land. Northern France is characterized by farming wheat great. Dairy products, beef and pork and production of apple is found mostly in the western region. The production of beef is located mainly in the central area, while the production of fruits , vegetables , and wine extends from the center to the south. It is a major agricultural producer and is currently expanding its forestry and farm industries. The implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, GATT reforms have caused the agricultural sector of the economy.
Is a leading global agricultural production and the sixth largest. It is also the second largest exporter after the United States . However, the destination of 70% of its exports are other members of the European Union and many poor African countries (including its former colonies) facing a serious shortage of food. U.S. agricultural exports to France, are approximately $ 600 million each year and consist mainly of soybeans , feed and fodder products and seafood . The United States exported mainly cheese , processed products and wine. Totals more than $ 950 million a year.
Transportation

TGV , the TGV.

Airbus A380 , the biggest airliner in the world.
The network of railways is about 31,840 kilometers and is the largest in Western Europe. It is run by the SNCF (National Society of the French Railways) which has high-speed trains like the Thalys , the Eurostar and TGV reaching 320 kilometers per hour. The Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel , joins the United Kingdom . There are also rail links with neighboring countries in Europe, except Andorra . There are also meters in several cities including Paris , Laon , Lille , Lyon , Marseille , Rennes and Toulouse .
There are approximately 1,000,960 kilometers of highway useful in the country. 59 The Paris region is enveloped with the densest network of roads and highways, which link with almost all parts of the country and Belgium , Spain , Monaco , Switzerland , Germany and Italy . There is no charge for taxes on the roads, however, the use of the motorway has tolls except around large cities. French brands dominate the car market in the country, such as Renault (27% of cars sold in France in 2003 ), Peugeot (20.1%) and Citroën (13.5%). 60 Over 74 % of new cars sold in 2007 had diesel engines. 61
There are approximately 478 airports, including landing fields. The Airport Paris-Charles de Gaulle , located on the outskirts of Paris, is the largest airport and the country’s busiest, handling most of the civilian and commercial traffic, and connecting Paris with virtually every city in the world. Air France is the national airline, although numerous private airline companies provide domestic and international travel.
There are ten major ports, the largest is that of Marseilles . 14,932 miles of waterways traverse France including the Canal du Midi linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic ocean by the river Garonne .
See also: SNCF and TGV
Tourism

Main article: Demographics of France
It has 65,447,374 inhabitants (January 2010), of which 62,793,432 live in metropolitan France , with a density of 115 inhabitants / km ² and 2,653,942 inhabitants in the France overseas, including the community of about 2,000 scientists and leading researchers in Antarctica .
About 75% of French people living in urban areas. Paris and its metropolitan area for the region known as ” Ile de France “focuses 11,769,433 inhabitants, 99 making it one of the largest in the world, and the most populous of the European Union. Other metropolitan areas over one million people are Lyon and Marseille over one million and half people each.
Cities of more than
200 000 inhabitants Major
metropolitan areas
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The life expectancy at birth is 84.5 years for women and 77.8 years for men (2009). 100 males generally tend to get full-time jobs and part-time women. In France, statutory holiday pay totaling five weeks in each calendar year. It is considered one of the countries with the highest quality of life as the population enjoys a high degree of services other than health which is one of the best in the world.
The population consists of descendants of various ethnic groups, mainly from Celtic (but Ligurian and Iberian ), mainly Gauls merged with the previous population, which gave name to the region of Gaul , now France (which included Belgium , Luxembourg and Switzerland ). Chronologically were adding other ethnic groups in the historical formation of modern France are also significant populations of origin Greek , Roman , Basque , Germanic (mainly French but also Burgundian ), Viking (in Normandy ) and less buckwheat .
Since the nineteenth century , France is a country of immigration . 101 One in four residents is foreign born (in 1999, 23% of the population). 102 Among the foreigners become more integrated, predominantly Belgian , Swiss , German , Italian , Spanish (the Spanish immigration began in the nineteenth century), Portuguese , Polish , Armenian , Greek , North African , Sub-Saharan , Chinese (1,000,000 in 2007), 103 Indochinese ( Vietnamese , 250,000 in 2008), 104 Turks (500,000 in 2.01 thousand one hundred and five ) and Roma (500,000 in 2005, 106 ). The largest number of immigrants in recent years comes from the Maghreb . 107 In total there are about four and a half million immigrants, of which about a million and a half was born in a foreign land but becoming a naturalized French citizen, while others three million are still foreigners. According to the Government in France is estimated that between 200,000 and 400,000 illegal immigrants , although the NGO ‘s talk about half a million. 108
Population studies show French composition majority of citizens of European origin, 91.6% of whom are French 85.0% and 6.6% other countries. 5.7% of the population comes from African, Asian 3.0% and 0.6% of Americans. 109 According to a study published in La France africaine (2000), 13% of the French population is of Africa ( Maghreb and black Africa ). 110 This composition is the result of the evolution of migration and the significant presence of people born in France of foreign parents but usually immigrants through the years were obtained French citizenship. The Jewish population was estimated at 550,000 people in the early 2000s, although there are no statistics because French law prohibits collecting census data on ethnic groups or religions.
Demographic trends

Evolution of the population between 1960 and 2003, thousands of people.
The privileged position in Western Europe, in central regions of the world’s most populous historically has favored high rates of population and demographic expansion, the third most populous country on earth until the eighteenth century . This expansion slowed sharply just before the industrial revolution which continued well into the twentieth century , in parallel with the population growth of neighboring regions, especially to Central Europe in the area of influence of Germany and the British Isles.
Moreover, and especially during the centuries XVI in the early twentieth , part of the French people settled in other parts of the world, away from the colonial expansion, forming the basis of population characteristics and ethnic composition of other countries, mainly in Quebec of Canada , Haiti and other former colonies in Africa, Asia and Oceania. In America, in the territories of French sovereignty Saint Pierre and Miquelon , the French Guiana , Martinique and Guadeloupe , to the population base from the metropolis, was added that of African origin with the mestizo has become the group ethnic majority. In Oceania French emigration has been less and based in New Caledonia and French Polynesia , while in North Africa , part of the one installed in the Maghreb formed after his return in mid- twentieth century the community known as the “pieds-noirs”.
There is also a significant population of French origin in other countries not directly related to their colonies, mainly from Latin America such as Argentina , Uruguay and Chile . After the Second World War and the period known as demographic Baby Boom , the slow stagnation of growth rates was less marked in France than in other neighboring countries, maintaining a level of fertility in Europe highlighted by the social policies for their encouragement.
See also: Demographics of the European Union and Migration in the European Union
Culture

Main article: Culture of France
Science, technology and education

The University of La Sorbonne is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world.
Main article: Education in France
In France are born great inventors like the Montgolfier Brothers (inventors of the hot air balloon), Joseph-Nicephore Niepce (chemical, lithographer and amateur scientist who invented, along with his brother, a motor boat and, with Daguerre, photography) Clément Ader (inventor of the airplane, a microphone and the first improvements of the phone), the Lumière brothers (inventors of the film projector), René Théophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (inventor of the stethoscope), Louis Pasteur (a technique known as pasteurization) among others, whose contributions to science have been decisive in the history of mankind. In France, education is free at all levels, both for French students and foreigners. In 2007 expenditure on education reached 28% of the budget. 111
Literature

Victor Hugo is the most prominent writers of the romantic in French .
Main article: Literature of France
France is the country with more Nobel Prizes for Literature (fourteen). Both the French, as francógrafos from other countries (like the Belgian Maurice Maeterlinck or the Senegalese Leopold Sedar Senghor ) make up what is known as French literature , which has influenced the work of important foreign authors, and literature of many countries. Such is the case of the Cuban Alejo Carpentier or called Latin American boom . You can also mention the great writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery , author of The Little Prince .
Fine arts
The first manifestations of art from prehistoric Franco-Cantabrian style. The time Carolingian marks the birth of a school of illuminators that will continue throughout the Middle Ages, culminating in the book’s illustrations of The very rich hours of the Duke of Berry . The painters of the seventeenth century French classics are Poussin and Lorrain . In the eighteenth century dominated the rococo , with Watteau , Boucher and Fragonard . As the century begins the classicism of a Jacques-Louis David . The romance is dominated by the figures of Gericault and Delacroix . The realistic landscape Barbizon School artists can be followed by a testimonial realism about the social reality of his time, as Millet and Courbet . In the late nineteenth century Paris, which became the center of the painting, see the birth of the Impressionist , preceded by the work of Édouard Manet . To these are Toulouse-Lautrec , Gauguin and Cézanne . Already in the twentieth century, arise Fauves around Matisse and Cubism at the hands of Georges Braque and the Spanish Picasso working in Paris. Other artistic movements are happening in Paris between the wars, decaying world as a center of painting after World War II.
In France, the sculpture has evolved since ancient times by various styles, excelling in all of them: prehistoric, Roman, Christian, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, Neoclassical ( Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi : Statue of Liberty ), romantic ( Auguste Rodin : The Thinker ), and contemporary.
See also: French Painting and Cinema of France
Architecture

Eiffel Tower , an icon of French architecture and symbol of the country internationally.
In regard to the architecture , the Celts left their mark on the building of large monoliths or megaliths, and the Greek presence from the sixth century. C. is remembered today in the classical heritage of Massalia (Marseille). The Roman style has examples in the Maison Carree , a Roman temple built between 138-161 a. C., or the Pont du Gard built between 40 and 60 d. C., in Nimes and universal heritage site in 1985. In France, invented the style Gothic , as reflected in cathedrals of Reims , Chartres , Amiens , Notre Dame and Strasbourg. The revival emerged in Italy, is masterly architectural style represented in the Castle of Blois or Fontainebleau Palace and others. Art Baroque (also of Italian origin) and Rococo (French invention) are extraordinary works in France. Such is the case of the Palace of the Louvre and the Pantheon in Paris among many others. Modernism in architecture and modern art covering the entire nineteenth century and half of the twentieth, and he Gustave Eiffel revolutionized the theory and practice of architecture of his time in the construction of gigantic bridges and the use of materials like steel. His most famous work is called the Eiffel Tower . Another great universal architecture Le Corbusier , an innovative and functional place for their contributions especially in urban residential buildings and housing developments.
Music

The Marseillaise

National anthem of France adopted in 1795 , changed and adopted later in 1848 (File OGG)
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In French music from before 1000 highlights the Gregorian chant used in the liturgies. In France created the polyphony . In the so-called Ars Antiqua , is attributed to Charlemagne the Scholae Cantorum (783). The Oaths of Strasbourg is the most important French lyrical work of the Middle Ages, a period in which they develop the epic poems as the Song of Roland . France was the birthplace of the troubadours in the twelfth century, and the Ars Nova two centuries later. During the Romantic Paris became the musical center of the world and now France has a special place in music making with new generations of composers. Among the exponents of French popular music of the second half of the twentieth century, are the likes of Edith Piaf , Dalida , Charles Aznavour , Gilbert Bécaud , Georges Brassens , Serge Gainsbourg and Barbara .
Sport

Jeu de Paume was the most popular sport during the ancien regime in France .
The greater participation of France in the Olympics was in 1900 in Paris, which has hosted the event twice. Besides the gala delegation has never fallen from the top 10 to be a power at the Olympic level and sport.
The individual sports are well established in France. For example the Tour de France , held annually in July since 1903, is racing cycling ‘s most prestigious professional calendar. The tournament Roland Garros in Paris is one of the most cosmopolitan tournaments Grand Slam. 112 Regarding the martial arts , France also stands out from one of the best in Europe. For the most dominating up today is the karate , the judo and savate (French boxing), the latter one of the most widespread in the world, especially in tournaments Knock Out . In Judo stands as one of the most important in world history, French David Douillet with diverse interests and awards throughout his career in the sport.
As for team sports , the football team of France is one of the most important national teams worldwide. He won the 1998 World Championships and in 2006 won second place thanks to the golden generation led by Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane . This same set was the Euro 2000 and the Confederations Cup 2001 and 2003. For its part, the selection of rugby in France is one of the best in the world. Is the current runner-up in the World Cup and with more titles, along with England. The Handball is one of the most followed sports, taking the French handball selection as a major player internationally. Among his achievements are mind the title in the European Cup 2010, World Championships 2009 and 2011, and the gold medal of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, becoming the first team handball in getting these three titles, the most in the world in this sport, consecutively. Also the selection of basketball in France is also one of the best national teams most important worldwide. He earned the fifth spot in the Basketball World Championship 2006 .
Language
The official language is French , which according to some linguists of the nineteenth century would come from the Francien , language variant spoken in the Ile de France that in the early Middle Ages , and over the centuries, it has imposed on other languages ​​and language variants spoken in any part of the territory, the other argument is that it is a standard set from the different languages ​​of oïl . 113
Often, this imposition of French has been the result of political decisions made ​​throughout history, with the aim of creating a standardized state linguistically. In fact, Article 2 of the French Constitution of 1958 reads that ” La langue de la République est le français “. 114
This article has served to not allow the official use in the areas of cults use of languages ​​spoken in France, until in 1999 the report Cerquiglini established 75 regional and minority languages ​​spoken in metropolitan France and overseas. Since 2006, 13 of them are taught as an optional second foreign language in public schools, such as Breton , the Catalan , the Corsican , the Occitan , the Basque , the Alsatian , the Tahitian and 4 languages ​​Melanesian . Immigration from outside the country, and exclusively French-speaking regions, causes the percentage of speakers of these languages ​​is increasingly under.
It is one of the states that have not signed the European Charter of minority languages. Still today, some private institutions have sought to promote the use of these languages ​​creating media , cultural associations, primary and secondary schools to teach these languages ​​and take industrial action in favor of a policy language alternative.
See also: Francophonie
Religion

Notre Dame of Paris , twelfth century cathedral of the Catholic Church.
The French Republic is officially a secular state, 111 secular and religious freedom has a constitutional right. Some organizations such as Scientology , the Unification Church or Family or Family International (formerly Children of God ) have the status of nonprofit organizations since they are not recognized as religions, and are considered “sects” in many parliamentary studies . 115
According to a survey in January of 2007 made ​​by the World Catholic News, its population are represented major religious faiths, but Catholicism is in recess: 116 117 Catholics, 51% (versus 80% for 15 years before), atheists, 31% (versus 23% in the same survey 15 years earlier), Muslim 6%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1.5%, Buddhist 1%, Orthodox 0.5%, other 1%. In another survey conducted by IFOP and published in the Catholic magazine La Vie, 118 Catholics account for 64%, the proportion of atheists equal to 27%, 3% identified as Muslim , 2.1% identified as Protestant and 0.6% identified as Jewish .
According to the latest Eurobarometer year 2005 , 119 34% of French citizens responded that “they believe there is a god,” while 27% answered that “they believe there is some sort of spirit or force” and 33% that “they do not believe there’s any kind of spirit, god, or force.” Another study gives 32% of people who declared atheist , and another 32% declaring “skeptical about the existence of God, but not an atheist.” 120
The Jewish community in France has approximately 600,000 according to the World Jewish Congress and is the largest group of this religion in Europe . Estimates of the number of Muslims vary widely. According to the census of 1999 there were only 3.7 million people (6.3% of the total population). In 2003 , the Ministry of Internal Affairs estimated the total number between 5 and 6 million 121 122 (8 million according to the National Front 123 ).
See also: Catholic Church in France
Gastronomy

Presentation of a pot au feu .
Main article: Cuisine of France
Characterized by its variety, the fruit of regional diversity, both culturally and raw materials as well as for their refinement, French cuisine is considered a world leader. His influence is felt primarily in the cuisines of the western world who have joined their French skills base. The international renown of the main chefs such as Taillevent , La Varenne , Carême , Escoffier , Ducasse and Bocuse contributed to the spread of haute cuisine by French restaurateurs from the late thirteenth century . The art of the table or craft table, develops a series of recommendations on how to present the table, serving dishes and taste them. The famous Michelin Red Guide ( Michelin Guide Rouge ) provides a ranking of the world’s best restaurants by a ranking by number of stars, the most of them reserved for the few considered the highest quality.
With the support of the authorities and the approval of President Nicolas Sarkozy , a group of chefs and gourmets advocate that French cuisine is included by UNESCO in the list of World Heritage . 124
Traditionally, each region has its own kitchen, characterized by products
In the Northwest: the butter , the cream , the apple , fish, shellfish , and cider .
In the Southwest: the duck, birds (the foie gras ), the mushrooms , the Cognac and red wine.
In the Southeast: olive oil, the olives , the herbs of Provence , the tomato , Mediterranean vegetables, fish and rose wines.
In the north: the potato , the pork , the beans and beer .
In the East: pork, foie gras, meats and sausages , potatoes, cabbage , beer and white wine.
Center: pork and beef, cold cuts and sausages, potatoes, mushrooms and red wine.
If anything highlights the French cuisine , apart from their breads, cheeses and pastries, is for its wines and liquors of all kinds, from claret to sparkling wines from the region of Champagne . They are also typical French national production and absinthe , the armagnac , the Calvados , the Chartreuse , the Cointreau , the Cognac and Pastis .

What is the safest/most popular/lowest cost airlines that goes from USA to Italy Or France ? How many hours is the plane ride approx and which country is closer? Are they nonstop flights? Please tell an experience, is the long haul exhausting?

Oh and approx. how much is a one way ticket to Italy or France? How are hotel prices? Is europe more expensive to live in then America? Thank you

You don’t say where you will start your travel, when you want to go, or for how long, and those factors matter a lot. Be as flexible as possible when searching for fares, and use the "Search +/- Days" feature on the websites that have it (ex. www.delta.com).

All of the major airlines on the trans-Atlantic route are about the same in terms of safety, and all have a great safety record. Your main choices will be due to cost and schedule.

There is no secret, magic website with the "lowest" airfares. You have to do the research and check both travel sites (like Airgorilla, Expedia, Priceline, & Travelocity) and the airline websites. Contrary to popular myth, the travel sites do NOT always have the best airfares.

Regarding the most popular destination airports in France and Italy, Paris (Charles de Gaulle) and Rome have the most flight options and usually the best trans-Atlantic fares. Other nearby destinations are Milan (in Italy) and Brussels (in Belguim, but not far from France).

Flights from the USA to Paris are shorter than flights to Rome. For eample, Atlanta to Paris takes about 8 hours, 30 minutes and Atlanta to Rome takes about 9 hours, 50 minutes.

Living in western Europe is more expensive than living in the USA, and living somewhere like Paris or Rome is MUCH more expensive than the USA.

Good luck!

How much would it cost to fly to France (any location that would be the cheapest) via private jet?
also, how much would it cost to fly out of MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to France via commercial flight?
What would the cheapest options be?

I can’t say how much a private jet would be, though I would expect it to be very expensive-probably more than a first class ticket, even. Better off to just fly a commercial flight on Economy class.

The best price I found was just under $1000 (USD), but there appear to be no direct flights from Ottawa. You only have to make one stop, no matter which airline is most cases.