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Table of Contents
France, known officially as the French Republic, is a unitary sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
See the fact file below for more information about France or download the comprehensive worksheet pack which contains over 11 worksheets and can be used in the classroom or homeschooling environment.
Facts & Information
Capital: Paris
Population: Nearly 67 million people
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Area: 640,679 sq. km
Government: Unitary senatorial semi-presidential republic
Language: French
The Country of France
- France is located on the western edge of Europe, bordered by the North Sea in the north, the English Channel in the northwest, and the Bay of Biscay (North Atlantic Ocean) in the west.
- France is recognized as one of the oldest nations on Earth and the most ethnically diverse country in Europe.
- It has a total land area of 211,208 square miles (547,030 square kilometers) and a coastline of 2,130 miles (3,427 kilometers) with the largest land area of any Western European nation.
- France also borders eight countries, namely Spain, Andorra, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
- Due to its shape, France is often referred to as l’Hexagone (“The Hexagon”).
- The capital of France is Paris, the language of France is French, and the currency is the Euro (EUR).
- France’s population is more than 68 million.
- France is a representative democracy, a Unitary senatorial semi-presidential republic.
- France is divided into 18 administrative regions, 13 regions in France, and five overseas.
- France has many overseas regions, including,
- French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America,
- Saint Martin in the northeast Caribbean Sea
- French Polynesia in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 6,000 kilometers east of Australia and 7,500 kilometers west of Chile.
- Adelie Land in eastern Antarctica.
- France is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and is a member of the EU, NATO, the WTO, and many other organizations.
History Of France:
- The oldest evidence of human life in France, found mostly in caves, dates back to 1.8 million years ago.
- Present-day Marseille (at the time called Massalia) was founded in 600 BCE and is France’s oldest city.
- Around this time, the idea of “Gaul” emerged, which was the name for a region of Western Europe filled with Celtic tribes during the Iron Age.
- During the French Renaissance, from 1400-1650, the French language became the official language of France, and there was a large cultural movement.
- Also, during this time, Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain claimed native land in the Americas for France, which marked the beginning of the expansion of the French colonial empire.
- The French Wars of Religion were a result of the rise of Protestantism in Europe, which was a huge change from the Holy Roman Empire, which had dominated in prior years.
- Louis XIV, aka Louis the Great or the “Sun King”, reigned as King of France from 1643 to 1715, when he died.
- Once he died, a line of successors led France until the French Revolution in 1789, starting with the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which became France’s National Day.
- Napoleon Bonaparte took control of the French Republic from 1799 to 1815. His armies conquered much of continental Europe, which led to the expansion of French ideals and reforms around the world.
- France was part of the Triple Entente with Russia and Great Britain during World War 1 (1914 β 1918) and lost 1.4 million French soldiers.
- In 1940, France was occupied by Nazi Germany.
- France fought alongside the Allied forces during World War II (1939 β 1945) and participated in the French Resistance.
- French sovereignty was restored with the Provisional Government of the French Republic, established by Charles de Gaulle, pictured to the right.
- In recent years, France has been the target of some terrorist attacks, including the 1995 Paris Metro bombings and the Charlie Hebdo attack, among others.
Geography, Climate, Flora & Fauna
- France has different climate zones, Mediterranean, oceanic and continental.
- In the South, the climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers and dry, mild winters.
- In the mountains, temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius, accompanied by snow.
- France’s flora and fauna are as varied as its range of climate and topography.
- As plant life is dependent on climate, France’s flora ranges from wildflowers and grasses in the alpine regions to fir, spruce, and pine trees in the coniferous forests and oak, beech, and chestnut trees in the lower deciduous forests.
- The fauna of France is similar to most of western Europe.
- Among the larger mammals are wild boar, roe deer, and red deer.
- In the high Alps, one will find the rare chamoix (a species of goat-antelope) and the reintroduced ibex (a species of wild goat).
- The topography in France provides a major source of water and hydropower, and France is the third largest European producer of hydroelectricity.
- The Alps encompass seven European countries, France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.
- The French Alps are famous for their alpine skiing, mountaineering, paragliding, and mountain biking.
Economy & Tourism
- The economy of France is a highly developed and market-oriented one, with France being part of the European single market.
- France’s large, mixed economy includes infrastructure sectors, railway, nuclear power, and much private enterprise.
- Electricite de France produces 22% of the European Union’s electricity, primarily from nuclear power.
- Wine, dairy, poultry, and wheat are agricultural exports of France.
- France has been a major contributor to the fields of science and technology.
- Louis Pasteur (a microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination and pasteurization)
- Rene Descartes (a mathematician and scientist who invented analytic geometry),
- Blaise Pascal (who started pioneering work on calculating machines/ calculators)
- Marie Curie (whose discovery of radium and polonium contributed to finding treatments for cancer)
- France is also recognized for its rich and traditional culture. It has thousands of protected cathedrals, historical castles, statues, and gardens.
- France is considered one of the world’s fashion capitals. It is home to many well known designers including Pierre Cardin, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, HermΓ¨s, and CΓ©line.
- French cuisine is renowned for being one of the finest in the world. Renowned French delights include quiche, champagne, and macarons.
- Popular sports in France include football, rugby, and tennis.
- The traditional symbol of the French people is the Gallic rooster which widely shapes the representation of the French.
- France is the world’s most popular tourist destination receiving over 90 million tourists each year.
- The top five French sites visited are,
- The Eiffel Tower, a wrought iron lattice tower in Paris
- The ChΓ’teau de Versailles, a former royal residence located in Versailles, outside Paris
- The Pont de Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century CE
- The Arc de Triomphe, a monument in Paris built to honor all those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
- The Museum of Natural History
France Worksheets
This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use France Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about France, known officially as the French Republic, which is a unitary sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
Download includes the following worksheets:
- France Facts.
- France Acrostic.
- Lost in Translation.
- France Crossword.
- Matching Activity.
- Napoleon Biography.
- France Wordsearch.
- The Philosophical French.
- True or False?
- French Food.
- Sketching the Eiffel Tower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does France have a national flower?
The national flower of France is the fleur-de-lis (translates as “lily flower”).
It is inextricably linked with the history of France.
What color is France’s flag?
The national flag of France is a tricolor flag featuring three vertical bands colored blue, white, and red.
What interesting food do the French eat?
The French eat more than 25,000 tons of snails (escargot) each year. The production of snails for consumption is called snail farming or heliciculture. They are also lovers of cheese, and France produces over 1,500 different types of cheese.
In which other countries is French spoken?
French is spoken in 29 countries around the world, and there are over 220 million French speakers worldwide. The countries include Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, and Seychelles.
Is there a Disneyland in France?
Yes, there is a Disneyland in France. It is called Disneyland Paris, is 32 km east of Paris, and opened in 1992. It has, amongst other things, theme parks, resort hotels, an entertainment complex, and a golf course.
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Link will appear as France Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 14, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.