France, in Western Europe, encompasses medieval cities, alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. Paris, its capital, is famed for its fashion houses, classical art museums including the Louvre and monuments like the Eiffel Tower. The country is also renowned for its wines and sophisticated cuisine. Lascaux’s ancient cave drawings, Lyon’s Roman theater and the vast Palace of Versailles attest to its rich history.
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Ethnic Groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
Belief Systems: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Demographics:
Population: 64.1 million people (World Rank: 21st) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 302 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 101st) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.512 %/yr (World Rank: 162nd) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 81.8 years (World Rank: 13th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 40 years (World Rank: 22nd) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of France
Worldatlas.com
Country Profile for France
United Nations
France - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Tourism:
Travel Info for France
Travelnotes.org
Government Related:
French Embassy
in Washington D.C.
French Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger.
