- Official name
- French Republic République française · French
- Capital
- Paris
- Region
- Western Europe
- Population (2018 est.)
- ≈ 67 million
- Area
- 551,695 km²
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Neighbours
- Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland
- Internet / phone
- .fr · +33
Where it is
Notable facts
- France is the world’s most visited country, with around 100 million international tourist arrivals in a typical year.
- The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum; the Eiffel Tower was built as a temporary exhibit for the 1889 World’s Fair.
- French territory spans the globe — Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion and Mayotte are full French regions, which is why France borders Brazil and Suriname.
- The metric system, the Braille alphabet, pasteurisation and the hot-air balloon are all French inventions.
World Heritage 56 sites
National dish
Pot-au-feu Beef and marrow bones simmered with root vegetables; the broth is served first, the meat after.
France designates nothing. Pot-au-feu is the traditional answer, steak-frites the everyday one, and blanquette de veau wins polls.