Guide to France

Summary: A short introduction to France and all things French!

A short introduction to France and all things French!

A brief guide to France, its climate, location and history.

Location

France is located in Western Europe and has the largest surface area of any country in Western Europe. 

It has borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra and it has coasts on the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Climate and Environment

Along the Mediterranean in the South, France enjoys mild winters and long hot summers.  Generally the rest of the country enjoys mild summers with cold winters.  Most of Northern and Western France is made up of flat plains and gently rolling hills, with the rest of France being particularly mountainous - with the Alps in the East and the Pyrenees in the South.

Guide to France Historically & Currently

Though France was ultimately a victor in both World Wars, it suffered massive losses in terms of land mass, wealth and of course population.  Furthermore, relationships between France and Germany were destroyed.  And yet France and Germany today are united within the framework of the European Union and are the main leaders among the European nations. 

France is also at the forefront of the European Member States seeking to further the momentum of monetary union and to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defence force.

France is an interesting dichotomy, a country of contradictions, epitomised by a socialist Government committed to a controlled capitalism - whereby the Government maintain social equity through laws, taxation and controlled social spending intended to reduce income disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and welfare.

And France is ultimately a country which offers its citizens, expatriates and millions of visitors a rare quality of life.

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