2. The name “France” comes from
“Frank”, a Germanic tribe that
invaded the Western Roman
Empire in the 6th century and
found the first independent
kingdom covering most of today’s
France.
The French state is one of the oldest
in Europe.It was found in 843.
5. LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE
• French people cheek kiss
to greet each others
between family and
friends, even between
men. The number of
kisses varies according to
the region, from 1 to 4
(e.g. Paris and most of
the North), and
occasionally up to 5 in
Corsica.
CHEEK KISSING
6. • A 2007 study
revealed that the
French were the
biggest consumers
of medicines in
Europe, both in
quantity and total
money spent per
person.
• French people are also the
second biggest consumers of
alcohol per capita in the
Western world – after
Luxembourg…
7. LAND
• France is the third largest European country in terms of land
area, after Russia and Ukraine.
• Nearly 20% of the territory of France lies outside Europe. These
regions are known as “DOM-TOM”, where over 2.5 million
French citizens live.
• The largest canyon in Europe is the Verdon Gorge, near
Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. It is the world’s second
largest gorge, at about 25 kilometers in length and up to 700
meters deep.
• The Canal du Midi is Europe’s oldest functional canal. It is 240
km long, has 63 locks, 126 bridges, 55 aqueducts, 7 canal-
bridges, 6 barrages and 1 tunnel.
8. LANGUAGE
• French used to be the language of the
nobility and diplomacy all across Europe and
in the Ottoman Empire, it was the world’s first
real international language until English
replaced it in the mid-20th century.
• French was the official language of England
for over 300 years (from 1066 until the early
15th century). It is still the official language of
30 countries worldwide.
• Metropolitan France counts several native
regional languages : Alsatian and Lorraine
German, Occitan, Oïl, Basque, Breton,
Catalan, Corsican and Franco-Provençal.
• The French language is spoken by 270
million people worldwide (almost as much as
the population of the USA), of which 120
million are native or fluent.
9. Culture & Sciences
• There are over 40,000 châteaux
(castles, manors, palaces…)in
France. Bordeaux alone has over
9,000 of them.
• Famous French inventions include
the adding machine, the hot air
balloon, the airship, the parachute,
the submarine, the ambulance
service, photography, animation
and cinema.
• France is the country that has won
the most Nobel prizes for literature
(13 as of 2005, with the last prize
going back to 1985).
• The first flight of the Concorde took
place in 1969, from the French city
of Toulouse, one of the centers of
the aerospace industry in Europe.
• There are 28 categories of sites in
France listed on the UNESCO
World Heritage List, including 3
Roman sites (Arles, Orange and
Le Gard), 4 cathedrals (Amiens,
Bourges, Chartres, Reims), 4
abbeys (Fontenay, Reims, Saint-
Savin sur Gartempe and Vezelay),
8 historic city/town centres (Paris,
Strasbourg, Lyon, Avignon, Le
Havre, Mont-Saint-Michel, Provins
and Carcassone) as well as
numerous belfries, castles and
palaces.
• The Statue of Liberty, one of the
most widely recognized structures
of US, was made in France. It was
then gifted to the US in 1886 to
celebrate its centennial.
10. The Millau Viaduct
• The Millau Viaduct, completed in 2005 in the south of France, is
the tallest bridge in the world.
11. FOOD& DRINKS
In France:
• There are 2 new cooking books published every day.
• Are made over 300 kinds of cheese .
• Crêpes is originated from Brittany (western France) and
is one of the most popular food in Europe.
• Wine has been made since Roman times.In 2004, the
country produced 56.6 millions hectoliters of wine.
• France produces some of the world’s most famous
liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Triple Sec,
Mandarine Napoleon, Cognac, Armagnac, Crème de
Cassis, Pastis, Chartreuse, etc.
12. Structure of meals
Le petit déjeuner
(breakfast)
Is often a quick meal
consisting of tartines (slices)
of French bread with jelly or
jam, croissants or
pain au chocolat also
named chocolatine in the south
of France (a pastry filled with
chocolate) along with coffee
or tea.
Le déjeuner
(lunch)
was once a two hour mid-day
meal.Sunday lunches are often longer
and are taken with the family. Many
restaurants close on Saturday and
Monday during lunch.
Le dîner
(dinner)
often consists of three courses - hors
d'œuvre / entrée , plat principal and a
cheese course or dessert. The meal
is often accompanied by bread,
wine and mineral water.
17. PARIS
PARIS
• Paris is the capital and largest city
in France, situated on the
river Seine.
• An important settlement for more
than two millennia, Paris is today
one of the world's leading business
and cultural centres, and its
influences
in politics, education,entertainment
, media, fashion, science, and
the arts,all contribute to its status
as one of the world's major global
cities.
• The city and its region contain
3,800 historical monuments and
four UNESCO World Heritage
Sites.
18. Arc de Triomphe
It is one of the most famous monuments
in Paris. It stands in the centre of the
Place Charles de Gaulle ,at the western
end of the Champs-Élysées.There is a
smaller arch, the
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which
stands west of the Louvre.
19. Musée du Louvre
It is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art
museum in the world and a historic monument. A central
landmark of Paris, it is located on the right bank of the Seine.
20. La Tour Eiffel
also known as
La dame de fer (the iron lady)
The Eiffel Tower is
apuddle iron lattice
tower located on
the Champ de
Mars in Paris. Built in
1889, it has become
both a
global icon of France
and one of the most
recognizable
structures in the
world. The tower is
the tallest building in
Paris and the most-
visited paid
monument in the
world.
Named for its designer,
engineer Gustave Eiffel,
the tower was built as
the entrance arch to the
1889 World's Fair. The
tower stands 324 metres
tall. The tower has three
levels for visitors. Tickets
can be purchased to
ascend, by stairs or lift,
to the first and second
levels. The walk to the
first level is over 300
steps, as is the walk
from the first to the
second level. The third
and highest level is
accessible only by
elevator. Both the first
and second levels
feature restaurants.
21. Notre Dame de Paris
French for Our Lady of Paris
It is a Gothic, Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in
the fourth arrondissement of Paris. Notre Dame de Paris is widely
considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in
France and in Europe, and the naturalism of its sculptures and stained
glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.
31. Some other facts about France:
• France is also home to the only Disneyland in Europe, located near Paris.
• The Tour de France, the most famous bicycle race in the world is an annual
bicycle race of France, in which cyclists cover over 2100 miles in 23 days.
• France is the world’s leader in luxury goods, including haute couture,
perfumes and cosmetics.
• It also has the third highest GDP in the world, after Norway and
Luxembourg, with an average of US$ 38.16 per hour.
• The largest and most advanced passenger cruise ship, the Queen Mary 2, was
built in France in 2004.
