France Facts

France is one of the most developed countries in the world, possessing the fifth largest economy. It is a member state of the European Union, and also one of the founding member of the United Nations. France is one of the largest countries in Europe in terms of area (the others being Russia and Ukraine). France is known for several things ranging from French food (eclair, chocolate mousse, crêpe, snails, croissants), French wine (champagne, Merlot), fashion and luxury (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior), and beautiful French language, culture and of course, the Eiffel tower! France is also the birthplace or the hometown of several great artists, painters and other great men like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Napoleon, Rousseau, Voltaire, Marie Curie, Charles de Gaulle, etc. Let us know some more interesting facts about France.

Interesting France Facts
The following are some of the significant and interesting facts about the beautiful country of France.

• The earliest inhabitants of the land of what is now France, were the Neanderthals.
• Julius Caesar took over France around 55 BC, and it remained under the Roman empire until 5th century.
• One of the interesting France food facts is that there are dozens of different types and sizes of bread, and nearly hundreds of types of cheese made in the country.
• France's National Anthem (La Marseillaise) was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, and sung by the men of Marseilles as they marched to Paris during the revolution.
• The French 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen' of 1789 is the first universal declaration of human rights in the world.
• The Bastille Day (14th July 1789), when the French overthrew the monarchy, is celebrated as the Independence day of France.
• France was the world's first producer of different types of wine and liquors.
• The Louvre Museum (house of the famous 'Mona Lisa' painting by Leonardo da Vinci) is one of the largest museums in the world, with around 35,000 pieces of art housed in it.
• The Eiffel Tower, one of the most renowned structures in the world, is a little more than 300 mt high (approx. 1060 ft), weighs 7000 tons and has 1665 steps to reach the top.
• Every year in July, France hosts the Tour de France (bicycle race) that starts in Strasbourg and ends in Paris covering around 2,261 miles (3500 km).
• Every year France hosts the French Open grand Slam or the Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros (tennis tournament) in late May and June which is the only international tennis tournament to be held on a clay court.
• France has hosted the Summer Olympic Games (5 times), the Winter Olympic Games (3 times), and the FIFA World Cup (2 times).
• Frenchmen and women have won the maximum number of Nobel Prizes for Literature (13), which is more than any other country in the world.

France Facts for Kids
Here are some fast general facts about France for kids.

• Capital ~ Paris
• Government type ~ Republic
• Official Language ~ French
• Currency ~ Euro (EUR)
• Population ~ 60 million (approximately)
• Independence day ~ 14th July
• The highest mountain ~ Mont Blanc (ht= 4807 meters or 15,771 feet)
• France has 4 sea fronts (the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean), with 5500 km (3,418 miles) of coastline
• Largest Beach ~ at La Baule (12 km or 7.5 miles)
• Climate ~ Temperate
• France has had only 4 presidents since 1974: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
• France is the world's leading producer of luxury goods and fashion, like haute couture, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.

These were some brief facts about France. From the above information you must have observed that France facts are as interesting as the country itself. Au revoir!