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France

✨ The land of castles and cheeses

France is a country in Western Europe whose metropolitan territory borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra. It also has overseas territories in several parts of the world and in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Metropolitan France covers about 551,700 km². Paris, located in the north-central part of the country, is the capital and largest city. France includes several major mountain areas, such as the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and the Jura.

Mont Blanc, in the Alps near the Italian border, is the highest point, reaching about 4,806 metres. The country also has long coastlines along the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea. Among its major rivers, the Loire is the longest, flowing for about 1,006 km within France. French landscapes vary greatly, from Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts to broad plains, forests, plateaus and mountains. The climate is mainly temperate, although it differs considerably from one region to another.

Western France is strongly influenced by the Atlantic, bringing generally moderate temperatures and regular rainfall. Along the Mediterranean coast, summers are usually hotter and drier. In mountainous areas, temperatures decrease with altitude and snowfall becomes more common. Several major rivers, including the Seine, Garonne and Rhône, cross the country and have helped shape valleys and plains where many towns and human activities developed.

France has 18 administrative regions, including 13 in metropolitan France and 5 overseas. Its overseas territories contain very different environments, ranging from tropical forests to coral reefs and volcanic islands. This geographical diversity supports many ecosystems and a wide variety of agricultural activities. France is a member of the European Union and occupies an important geographical position between the Atlantic world and the Mediterranean basin.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that France is the most visited country in the world? One of its greatest treasures is the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is so immense that you would have to walk for kilometers inside to see everything. They say that if you spent only 30 seconds in front of each work of art, it would take you 100 days without stopping to complete the visit! That's where the famous portrait of the Mona Lisa is located, smiling at visitors for centuries.

In France, cheese is a very serious matter! There are more than 1,200 different varieties of cheese. That means if you decided to taste a new one every day, it would take you more than three years before coming back to the first! Each region of France has its favorite cheese, from mountain tomme to soft Norman camembert. Some smell very strong, but they are delicious with a good piece of crunchy baguette.

France has one of the fastest trains in the world: the TGV (High-Speed Train)! It connects cities at a speed of 320 km/h, allowing you to cross the country in just a few hours. In 2007, a special TGV even broke an incredible world record by reaching 574.8 km/h on the rails. That's almost as fast as a plane at takeoff! Thanks to it, you can have breakfast in Paris and be at the seaside for lunch.