France | History, Maps, Flag, Population, Cities, Capital, & Facts (2024)

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Also known as: French Republic, République Française

Written by

Gordon Wright William H. Bonsall Professor Emeritus of History, Stanford University, California. Author of France in Modern Times and others.

Gordon Wright,

Patrice Louis-René Higonnet Goelet Professor of French History, Harvard University. Author of Class, Ideology, and the Rights of Nobles During the French Revolution.

Patrice Louis-René HigonnetAll

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Last Updated: Article History

France, country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps and the Pyrenees, France has long provided a geographic, economic, and linguistic bridge joining northern and southern Europe. It is Europe’s most important agricultural producer and one of the world’s leading industrial powers.

France | History, Maps, Flag, Population, Cities, Capital, & Facts (4)

Country Facts

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Country Facts

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Officially:
French Republic
French:
France or République Française
Head Of Government:
Prime minister: Gabriel Attal
Capital:
Paris
Population:
(2024 est.) 66,147,000
Currency Exchange Rate:
1 USD equals 0.937 euro
Head Of State:
President: Emmanuel Macron

France is among the globe’s oldest nations, the product of an alliance of duchies and principalities under a single ruler in the Middle Ages. Today, as in that era, central authority is vested in the state, even though a measure of autonomy has been granted to the country’s régions in recent decades. The French people look to the state as the primary guardian of liberty, and the state in turn provides a generous program of amenities for its citizens, from free education to health care and pension plans. Even so, this centralist tendency is often at odds with another long-standing theme of the French nation: the insistence on the supremacy of the individual. On this matter historian Jules Michelet remarked, “England is an empire, Germany is a nation, a race, France is a person.” Statesman Charles de Gaulle, too, famously complained, “Only peril can bring the French together. One can’t impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 kinds of cheese.”

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This tendency toward individualism joins with a pluralist outlook and a great interest in the larger world. Even though its imperialist stage was driven by the impulse to civilize that world according to French standards (la mission civilisatrice), the French still note approvingly the words of writer Gustave Flaubert:

I am no more modern than I am ancient, no more French than Chinese; and the idea of la patrie, the fatherland—that is, the obligation to live on a bit of earth coloured red or blue on a map, and to detest the other bits coloured green or black—has always seemed to me narrow, restricted, and ferociously stupid.

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At once universal and particular, French culture has spread far and greatly influenced the development of art and science, particularly anthropology, philosophy, and sociology.

France has also been influential in government and civil affairs, giving the world important democratic ideals in the age of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution and inspiring the growth of reformist and even revolutionary movements for generations. The present Fifth Republic has, however, enjoyed notable stability since its promulgation on September 28, 1958, marked by a tremendous growth in private initiative and the rise of centrist politics. Although France has engaged in long-running disputes with other European powers (and, from time to time, with the United States, its longtime ally), it emerged as a leading member in the European Union (EU) and its predecessors. From 1966 to 1995 France did not participate in the integrated military structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), retaining full control over its own air, ground, and naval forces; beginning in 1995, however, France was represented on the NATO Military Committee, and in 2009 French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that the country would rejoin the organization’s military command. As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—together with the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and China—France has the right to veto decisions put to the council.

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The capital and by far the most important city of France is Paris, one of the world’s preeminent cultural and commercial centres. A majestic city known as the ville lumière, or “city of light,” Paris has often been remade, most famously in the mid-19th century under the command of Georges-Eugène, Baron Haussman, who was committed to Napoleon III’s vision of a modern city free of the choleric swamps and congested alleys of old, with broad avenues and a regular plan. Paris is now a sprawling metropolis, one of Europe’s largest conurbations, but its historic heart can still be traversed in an evening’s walk. Confident that their city stood at the very centre of the world, Parisians were once given to referring to their country as having two parts, Paris and le désert, the wasteland beyond it. Metropolitan Paris has now extended far beyond its ancient suburbs into the countryside, however, and nearly every French town and village now numbers a retiree or two driven from the city by the high cost of living, so that, in a sense, Paris has come to embrace the desert and the desert Paris.

Among France’s other major cities are Lyon, located along an ancient Rhône valley trade route linking the North Sea and the Mediterranean; Marseille, a multiethnic port on the Mediterranean founded as an entrepôt for Greek and Carthaginian traders in the 6th century bce; Nantes, an industrial centre and deepwater harbour along the Atlantic coast; and Bordeaux, located in southwestern France along the Garonne River.

France | History, Maps, Flag, Population, Cities, Capital, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of the population of France? ›

From 1960 to 2023 the population of France increased from 46.62 million to 68.17 million people. This is a growth of 46.2 percent in 63 years. The highest increase in France was recorded in 1963 with 1.41 percent. The smallest increase in 2016 with 0.26 percent.

What is the population of France fact? ›

Population of France (2024 and historical)
YearPopulationUrban Pop %
202364,756,58483.9 %
202264,626,62883.5 %
202064,480,05382.5 %
201563,809,76980.5 %
9 more rows

What are 10 facts about France for kids? ›

Let's begin!
  • #1 The Eiffel Tower was built for a world's fair. ...
  • #2 French food is amazing! ...
  • #3 France is the home to some of the most famous artists. ...
  • #4 French is a global language. ...
  • #5 French people have fun celebrations and festivals. ...
  • #6 The Provence region of France also has a unique Christmas tradition.
Sep 18, 2023

What city in France has the most history? ›

A wealth of historic sites in Paris

The birthplace of Gothic architecture and the European capital of fashion, Paris has also seen revolutions and been the epicentre for huge cultural shifts like the Enlightenment. A delve into its past is always well-rewarded.

What flag is France? ›

The "tricolore" (three-colour) flag is an emblem of the Fifth Republic. It had its origins in the union, at the time of the French Revolution, of the colours of the King (white) and the City of Paris (blue and red). Today, the "tricolour" flies over all public buildings.

What is the largest city in France? ›

In 2021, around 2.13 million people lived in Paris, making it the largest city in France.

What are the old names for France? ›

Gallia and Gaul

Before being named France, the land was called Gaul (Latin: Gallia; French: Gaule). This name continued to be used even after the beginning of the reign of the Franks' Kings Clovis I, Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and Charlemagne.

Why was France's population so big? ›

Because population doubled in the medieval warm age and reached 20 million people. Paris was a center for education and a very big city. Feudalism favoured cheap labour and big ambitions of many lords. So France was overpopulated when hit by the little ice age and the plague.

What is the biggest religion in France? ›

About three-fifths of the French people belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Only a minority, however, regularly participate in religious worship; practice is greatest among the middle classes.

What language does France speak? ›

While French remains the sole national language of France, there are dozens of regional languages that are officially recognized by the government. These include Alsatian, Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Francoprovençal, Occitan, and the langues d'oïl, a dialect continuum composed of several northern dialects.

What are 5 historical facts about France? ›

The main events that comprise the history of France are the following:
  • The Rule of Clovis (400-511) ...
  • Roman Emperor (800) ...
  • Pact of Verdun (843) ...
  • The Rule of Louis XI (1461-1483) ...
  • Monopolization of Power in France (1661) ...
  • The Revolution in France (1789) ...
  • The Rights of Citizen (1789) ...
  • The Vichy Establishment (1940-1944)

What is the full name of France? ›

France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world.

What is the history of France? ›

Lesson Summary. France was originally known as the Roman province of Gaul. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was conquered by a Germanic tribe known as the Franks. Clovis I was the Frankish leader who became the first king of France in the late 5th century.

What are 5 interesting facts about French culture? ›

Fun Facts About France and Its Culture
  • 1- The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. ...
  • 2- France is the country with the largest area in the entire European Union. ...
  • 3- It is called the hexagon (L'Hexagone). ...
  • 4- It is the country that hosts the most Nobel Prize winners in the world for literature.

What is the history behind French? ›

It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul.

Why was France important in history? ›

France has also been influential in government and civil affairs, giving the world important democratic ideals in the age of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution and inspiring the growth of reformist and even revolutionary movements for generations.

What is the biggest historical event in France? ›

🤔 What was the most important historical moments in France?
  • Signing of the Treaty of Verdun 843.
  • The Reign of Louis XI 1461-1483.
  • Centralization of Power in France by Louis XIV 1661.
  • The French Revolution 1789.
  • The Vichy Regime 1940-1944.
  • Declaration of the Fifth Republic 1959.
  • Riots of May '68 1968.
Mar 9, 2024

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