France fr : Explore France and its wonders

France has historically been one of the world’s major agricultural centres and remains a “global agricultural powerhouse”; France is the world’s sixth-biggest exporter of agricultural products, generating a trade surplus of over €7.4 billion. The Paris Region has the highest concentration of multinational firms in mainland Europe. In 2018 France was the fifth-largest trading nation and second-largest in Europe, with the value of exports representing over a fifth of GDP. Less than 2 per cent of GDP is generated by the primary sector, namely agriculture; the agricultural sector is among the largest in value and leads the EU in overall production.

There are ten major ports, the largest of which is in Marseille, which also is the largest bordering the Mediterranean Sea. France features cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, as well as rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity (green tourism). France has major military industries and one of the largest aerospace sectors in the world. As a significant hub for international relations, France has the third-largest assembly of diplomatic missions, behind China and the United States. In 2015 it was described as “the best networked state in the world” due to its membership in more international institutions than any other country; these include the G7, World Trade Organization, the Pacific Community and the Indian Ocean Commission.

The region is characterized by its flat landscape, with a series of alluvial terraces and floodplains. The range showcases rounded summits and a westward decline, which contrasts with the sharp ridges facing east, formed out of distinctive pink granite sandstone. The region is characterized by its dense forests and relatively high annual rainfall. The region’s geological evolution has resulted in a series of terraces alongside the river, which have influenced settlement and land-use patterns.

Regions of France Map

• Together they are among the largest armed forces in the world and the largest in the EU.
• For much of the 21st century, France has been an outlier among developed countries, particularly in Europe, for its relatively high rate of natural population growth; by birth rates alone, it was responsible for almost all natural population growth in the EU in 2006.
• In 2004 the Institut Montaigne estimated that within Metropolitan France, 51 million people were white (85% of the population), 6 million were northwest African (10%), 2 million were black (3.3%), and 1 million were Asian (1.7%).
• Right-wing populist RN became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly in 2022.
• Several important cinematic movements, including the late 1950s and 1960s Nouvelle Vague, began in the country.
• In the early 20th century and in particular during the interwar period, a loose collection of foreign artists of whom many were Jewish formed the School of Paris.

The crown passed to Philip of Valois rather than Edward of Plantagenet, who became Edward III of England. Tensions between France and the Plantagenet empire would last a hundred years, until Philip II of France conquered, between 1202 and 1214, most continental possessions of the empire, leaving England and Aquitaine to the Plantagenets. From the 11th century, the House of Plantagenet, rulers of the County of Anjou, established its dominion over the surrounding provinces of Maine and Touraine, then built an “empire” from England to the Pyrenees, covering half of modern France.

Chaumont-sur-Loire International Garden Festival

In 2008 INSEE estimated that the number of foreign-born immigrants was around 5 million (8% of the population), while their French-born descendants numbered 6.5 million, or 11% of the population. France remains a major destination for immigrants, accepting about 200,000 legal immigrants annually. It is estimated that 40% of the French population is descended at least partially from the different waves of immigration since the early 20th century; between 1921 and 1935 alone, about 1.1 million net immigrants came to France. France has a significant Gitan (Romani) population, numbering between 20,000 and 400,000; many foreign Roma are expelled back to Bulgaria and Romania frequently. From 2006 to 2011, population growth averaged 0.6 percent per year; since 2011, annual growth has been between 0.4 and 0.5 percent annually, and France is projected to continue growing until 2044.

reasons to enjoy France’s regional parks

France retains strong political and economic influence in its former African colonies (Françafrique) and has supplied economic aid and troops for peacekeeping missions in Ivory Coast and Chad. It also hosts the headquarters of several international organisations, including the OECD, UNESCO, Interpol, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, and the OIF. Right-wing populist RN became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly in 2022. The prime minister, who is Sébastien Lecornu since 2025, is the head of government, 1xbet appointed by the president to lead the government.

In 2010, it banned the wearing of face-covering Islamic veils in public; human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch described the law as discriminatory towards Muslims. Since 2020, The Ecologists have performed well in mayoral elections in major cities while on a national level, the New Ecological and Social People’s Union was the second-largest voting block elected to the lower house in 2022. With numerous overseas departments and territories scattered across the planet, France possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,261,000 sq mi). Interwar was marked by intense international tensions and social reforms introduced by the Popular Front government (e.g., annual leave, eight-hour workdays, women in government). These 13 regions are located in Metropolitan France in the European continent.