A glance at France (फ्रांसपरएकनजर) (Un coup d’œil sur la France) (अंकूदोइसूरलाफ्रांस)
France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories inAtlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
France spans 6,43,801 square kilometres (2,48,573 square miles) and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2019. The population of metropolitan France is 61.1 million. 75% of French population lives in urban areas.
It is a unitary semi-presidential republic with the capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major cities at France are Lyon, Grenoble, Dijon, Perpignan, Orléans, Cognac, Nîmes, Châteuroux and Aix-en-provence. There are more women than men. In terms of the Human Develpoment Index, France has the second place in the world for many years.
The most popular sports are Football, Rugby, Cycling and Tennis. The most important national dailies are le Monde, le Figaro and Libération. The most important weeklies are Le Nouvel Observateur, L’Express, Le Point, Paris-Match, etc. France has more than 350 types of Cheese. Some of them are Camembert, Cantal, Roquefort and Brie.
France is situated in western Europe. The water bodies surrounding France are; to its west, the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean), to the north the English Channel and the North Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The area of is 674,843 sq. km. of which 551,695 sq. km. are in Metropolitan France.
The neighbouring countries of Metropolitan France are Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Andorra, Monaco and Switzerland. Due to an effort of Jules Ferry (1881-82) the primary education became compulsory and now government schools give free and secular education. France is traditionally a Catholic country.
In 1789, the State ceased to be Catholic and remained just State and the Church. Population-wise, Islam is the second religion in France. Important TV channels of France are France 2, France 3, Arte, TF 1, M6 and Canal Plus.
There are two words for ‘river’ in French. Rivers flowing into the sea/ocean are called ‘fleuve’ and those flowing into another river are called ‘rivière’. There are hundreds of rivers and tributaries in France but the main rivers are the Loire, the Seine, the Garonne, the Rhône, the Rhine and the Dordogne. The Loire, which is 1010 km long is the longest river in France.
It has several beautiful castles built along its banks. The Seine which is about 770 km long flows through Paris. They are followed by the Garonne (650 km) and the Rhone (522 km).
The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. The tower was built in 1889 for the “Exposition Universelle” – the Universal Exhibition – to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
The construction of the tower began on 28th January 1887. The tower was completed in 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days which was truly a techinical and architectural achievement. The height of the tower is 324 meter. Today, the Eiffel tower welcomes around 7 million visitors a year making it the most visited monument in the world with a paid entry.
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a street in Paris. It has been called one of ‘the most beautiful avenue in the world’. With its cinemas, cafés, special shops and horse-chestnut trees. The Champs-Élysées is arguably one of the world’s most famous street, and is one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world.
Several French monuments are also on the street, including the Arc de Triomph
