France - International rankings

1 See Languages section for regional languages 2 Whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and territories, but excluding the French territory of Terre Adélie in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 3 Metropolitan (i.e. European) France only 4 French National Geographic Institute data 5 French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than ...

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• France - Geography
• France - History
• France - Government and politics
• France - Military
• France - Administrative divisions
• France - Economy
• France - Demographics
• France - Population
• France - Languages
• France - Cities
• France - Culture
• France - Marianne
• France - Religion
• France - Terminology
• France - Origin of the country's name
• France - Meanings of the name France
• France - Miscellaneous topics
• France - International rankings
• France - Notes and references

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Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions. Four basic European ethnic stocks - Celtic (Gallic and Breton), Aquitanian (Basque related), Latin, and Germanic (Franks, Visigoths, Burgundians, Vikings) - have blended over the centuries to make up its present population. Besides these "historic" populations, new populations have migrated to France since the 19th century: Belgians, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Poles, Armenians, Jews from Eastern Europe and the Maghreb, Arabs and Berbers from the ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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The French armed forces are divided into four branches: Army (Armée de Terre) Navy (Marine Nationale) Air Force (Armée de l'Air) Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale), a military police force which serves for the most part as a rural and general purpose police force. Military age is 17. Since the Algerian War of Independence, conscription has been steadily reduced and was abolished by the government of Jacques Chirac in 1996. Among the larger European economies, France and the United King ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France's economy combines extensive private enterprise (nearly 2.5 million companies registered) with substantial (though declining) government intervention (see dirigisme). The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Télécom, Air France, as well as the insurance, bank ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France - Marianne. Main articles: Marianne, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]] M ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France - Marianne. Main article: Marianne Marianne is a symbol of the French Republic. She is an allegorical figure of liberty and the Republic and first appeared at the time of the French Revolution. The earliest representations of Marianne are of a woman wearing a Phrygian cap. The origins of the name Marianne are unknown, but Marie-Anne was a very common first name in the 18th century. Anti-revolutionaries of the time derisively called her La République. It is believed that r ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

Read more here: » France: Encyclopedia II - France - Culture

France's economy combines extensive private enterprise (nearly 2.5 million companies registered) with substantial (though declining) government intervention (see dirigisme). The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holding ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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Main articles: Government of France and Politics of France The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the President of the French Republic is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year (originally 7-year) term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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While the main territory of France (metropolitan France; French: la Métropole, or France métropolitaine) is located in Western Europe, France is also constituted from a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica (sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System). These territories ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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Image:A17.jpg Main articles: Government of France, and Politics of France, and [[]], and [[]]See also:

France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France - Origin of the country's name. The name France comes from Medieval Latin Francia, which literally means "land of the Franks, Frankland". Originally it applied to the whole Frankish Empire, extending from southern France to eastern Germany. At the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the Frankish Empire was divided in three parts, and eventually only two: Francia Occidentalis (i.e. "Western Frankland") and Francia Orientalis (i.e. "Eastern Frankland"). The rulers of Francia Orientalis, who ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Parliament. Under the constitution, the President of the French Republic is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year (originally 7-year) term. Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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The borders of modern France are roughly the same as those of ancient Gaul, which was inhabited by Celtic Gauls. Gaul was conquered by the Romans in the first century BCE, and the Gauls eventually adopted Roman speech and culture. Christianity also took root in the second and third centuries CE. In the fourth century CE, Gaul's eastern frontier along the Rhine was overrun by Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient name of "Francie" was derived. The modern name "France" derives from the name of the feudal ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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While the main territory of France (metropolitan France; French: la Métropole, or France métropolitaine) is located in Western Europe, France is also constituted from a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica (sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System). These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas dé ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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The French armed forces are divided into four branches: Army (Armée de Terre) Navy (Marine Nationale) Air Force (Armée de l'Air) Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale), a military police force which serves for the most part as a rural and general purpose police force. Military age is 17. Since the Algerian War of Independence, conscription has been steadily reduced and was abolished by the governmen ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France has 26 administrative régions: 21 metropolitan régions, the territorial collectivity of Corse (Corsica) (commonly referred to as a région), and four overseas régions. The régions are subdivided into 100 départements. The departments are numbered (mainly alphabetically) and this number is used in postal codes and vehicle number plates. The departments are subdivided into 342 arrondissements and 4,035 cantons which serve only administrative and electoral purposes, and 36,682 comm ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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France - Marianne. Marianne is a symbol of the French Republic. She is an allegorical figure of liberty and the Republic and first appeared at the time of the French Revolution. The earliest representations of Marianne are of a woman wearing a Phrygian cap. The origins of the name Marianne are unknown, but Marie-Anne was a very common first name in the 18th century. Anti-revolutionaries of the time derisively called her La République. It is believed that revolutionaries from the South of France adopted th ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

Read more here: » France: Encyclopedia II - France - Culture

France's economy combines extensive private enterprise (nearly 2.5 million companies registered) with substantial (though declining) government intervention (see dirigisme). The government retains considerable influence over key segments of infrastructure sectors, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms. It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off holdings in France Télécom, Air France, as well as the insurance ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

Read more here: » France: Encyclopedia II - France - Economy

While the main territory of France (metropolitan France; French: la Métropole, or France métropolitaine) is located in Western Europe, France is also constituted from a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica (sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System). These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas département to "overseas country". Metropolitan France possesse ...

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France, France - Geography, France - History, France - Government and politics, France - Military, France - Administrative divisions, France - Economy, France - Demographics, France - Population, France - Languages, France - Cities, France - Culture, France - Marianne, France - Religion, France - Terminology, France - Origin of the country's name, France - Meanings of the name France, France - Miscellaneous topics, France - International rankings, France - Notes and references

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