France Facts: Interesting Facts About France

The French have been known to be vibrant and true connoisseurs of arts.It is the first tourist destination of the world. Here are some other facts about France.

France is officially known as the France Republic. It's chief territory is located in Western Europe. It has other islands and territories in separate continents. The area in the Western Europe is termed as the metropolitan France, commonly referred to as the 'Hexagon', due to it's hexagonal shape. Metropolitan France comprises of territories from the Mediterranean Sea to the North Sea, via the English Channel. Metropolitan France also extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Sea. The French Republic comprises of about 220,000 square miles.

The Republic of France is surrounded by Germany, Luxemborg, Belgium, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra. France shares it's borders with Surinam, Brazil and the Netherlands Antilles due to the overseas departments.

The capital of France is Paris. Other famous cities in France are Lyon, Tousole, Nice, Rennes, Lille, Marseille and Bordeaux. The name for the world famous wine, 'Bordeaux' has been taken after this city. Bordeaux has many wine regions.

France was the first country to adapt the International System of Units. The english taught in French schools is the British English. France is one of the few countries where cars are driven at the right.

France is the sixth largest economy in the world and is a developed country.It is the sixth largest importer and the fifth largest exporter manufactured goods. France is also the second largest receiver of foreign direct investments as compared to the other countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). France is the leader of the G7 countries in terms of productivity.

France is also a member of the WTO, United Nations, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Indian Ocean Commission. France is a partial member of the NATO and an associate member of the Association of Carribean States (ACS). The headquarters of UNESCO, OCED, Interpol and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures are housed in France.

France uses the civil legal system. The basic Rule is Law were laid in Napoleanic code. The Law in France can be mainly divided in two areas, public law and private law. Private law mainly deals with criminal and civil law, whereas public law deals with constitutional and administrative law. French laws do not recognise blasphemy laws.

The military of France is divided into four departments, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Military Police. France has at least 359,000 military personnel. France spends almost 2.5 percent of it's GDP on defence. Most of French military instruments are made in France, notably the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, the Exocet missile and the Rafale fighter.

Gothic Art as well as Baroque architecture is said to have been born in France. The earlier name for Gothic art was French Art. France is therefore home to many world famous and prestigious Gothic art in basilicas and cathedrals.

The language of French had not gained uniformity until after the Middles Ages. It was divided into several dialects. Almost every writer had their own grammar. French poetry and literature is said to have reached it's peak in the eighteenth and twentieth century. 'Cinderalla', 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Bluebeard' came to birth in France during this time. The stories were written by the acclaimed writer Charles Pennaut. Other important contributions by France to the world of literature and heritage are 'The Three Musketeers', 'The Count of Monte Cristo','The Hunchback of Notre dame' and 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea'. 'The Phantom of the Opera', written by the French Gaston Leroux during the twentieth century may be one of the most famous pieces of French literature in modern times.Today, the Prix Goncourt is the most important award in French literature.