France, Republic in Western Europe, bounded on the north by the English Channel, the Strait of Dover, and the North Sea (which separate it from Great Britain); on the northeast by Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany; on the east by Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; on the southeast by Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by Spain and Andorra; and on the west by the Bay of Biscay (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean). The capital and largest city is Paris.

The name France originates from the Franks, a Germanic tribe that occupied the region after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. More precisely, the region around Paris, called Île-de-France, was the original French royal demesne.

The French Republic is a democracy which is organised as a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is a developed country with the Sixth-Largest Economy in the World. Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of La Francophonie, G8, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council wielding veto power, and it is also one of eight acknowledged nuclear powers. With almost 75 million foreign tourists each year, France is the most popular International Tourist Destination in the World above Spain (52 million) and USA (41 million).

Important Destinations In France

Nice

Known as the capital of the Riviera, the fashionable yet relaxed city of Nice (population 342,000) makes a great base from which to explore the entire Cote d'Azur. The city, which did not become part of France until 1860, has plenty of relatively cheap accomodation and is only a short train or bus ride away from the rest of the Riviera. Nice's pebbly beach maybe nothing to write home about, but the city is blessed with a fine collection of museums.

Cannes

The harbour, bay, Le Suquet hill, beachside promenade and the bronzed sun worshipperson the beach provide more than enough natural beauty to make Cannes (pop 67,300) worth at least a day trip. It's also fun watching the rich drop their money with such fashionable nonchalance.

Canners is renowned for its festivals and cultural activities, the most famous being the Interntional Film Festival, which runs for two weeks in mid-May. People come to Cannes all year long, but the main season runs from May to October.

Monaco

The principality of Monaco (population 30,000), a sovereign state whose territory covers only 1.95 sq km, has been ruled by the Grimldi family for most of the period since 1297. Prince Rainier III (born in 1923), whose sweeping constitutional powers make him far more than a figurehead, has reigned since 1949. The citizens of Monaco, of whom there are only 5000 out of total population of 30,000, pay no taxes. The official language is French, although efforts are being made to revive the country's traditional dialect. There are no border formalities and Monaco makes perfect day trip from Nice.

Paris

Paris has almost exhausted the superlatives that can reasonably be appplied to a city. Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower - at sunrise, at sunset at night - have been described ad nauseam, as have the River Seine and the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences between the Left and Right Banks. But what writers have been unable to capture is the grandness and even the magic of strolling along the city's broad avenues, which lead from impressive public buildings and exeptioanal museumsto parks, gardens and esplanades. Paris is enchanting at any time in every season.

Only Venice rivals Paris as the city of romance in the collective imagination of the world. This is the city in which love seems to rule every other arondissement (the euphonic word for a district). This is where the Seine flows past several bridges, none really beautiful, all of them romanticised in myth and modern legend. But there are other Parises too. There is the counter-cultural Paris for this is where the students revolted in the 1960's, holding out against the government in a doomed rebellion. There is the Paris of perfumes and haute coutoure, Paris of markets and open-air cafes, gastronomic Paris where your wine complements your meal and clears your palate for the next course.

Important Attractions In Paris