France

France

AREA	543,965 sq km (210,025 sq miles).
POPULATION	58,375,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	107.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Paris.
CAPITAL POPULATION	2,152,423 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY	France, the largest country in Europe, is bounded to the north by the English Channel (La Manche), the northeast by Belgium and Luxembourg, the east by Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the south by the Mediterranean (with Monaco as a coastal enclave between Nice and the Italian frontier), the southwest by Spain and Andorra, and the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The island of Corsica, southeast of Nice, is made up of two départements. The country offers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to the attractive river valleys of the Loire, Rhône and Dordogne and the flatter countryside in Normandy and on the Atlantic coast. The country has some 2900km (1800 miles) of coastline.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1792. Head of State: President Jacques Chirac since 1995. Head of Government: Prime Minister Lionel Jospin since 1997.
LANGUAGE	French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany. Many people, particularly those connected with tourism in the major areas, will speak at least some English.
RELIGION	Approximately 81% Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority. Almost every religion has at least some adherents.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz. 2-pin plugs are widely used; adaptors recommended.
COMMUNICATIONS	Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 33. Outgoing international code: 00. Card-only telephones are common, with pre-paid cards bought from post offices and tabacs. International calls are cheaper between 2230-0800 Monday to Friday, and from 1400 Saturday to 0800 Monday. Calls can be received from all phone boxes showing the sign of a blue bell. Fax: Services are widely available; many hotels have facilities. Post: Stamps can be purchased at post offices and tabacs. Post normally takes a couple of days to reach its destination within Europe. Post office opening hours: 0800-1900 Monday to Friday; 0800-1200 Saturday. Press: There are many daily newspapers, the most prominent being Le Monde, Libération, France-Soir and Le Figaro. Outside the Ile-de-France, however, these newspapers are not as popular as the provincial press. International newspapers and magazines are widely available, particularly in the larger cities. Paris cannot be approached without expectations and preconceptions. For some, it represents a city of romance, with Doisneau’s lovers clinched in an eternal embrace at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. For others, the French capital is an unhealthy concentration of proud Parisians or a sparkling mix of writers and artists. While the first visit to the French capital may surprise, it is unlikely to disappoint. On all sorts of levels – historical, architectural and cultural – this is a fascinating city. The Seine River splits the city into the Rive Droite (Right Bank) north of the Seine and the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) south of the river. Paris is just ten kilometres (six miles) by 11km (seven miles), easily explored on foot or via the efficient transport system. Orientation is facilitated by the 20 arrondissements (designated here as 1st to 20th, in French as 1er to 20e), which spiral outwards in a snail-shell from the central Notre-Dame to Porte de Montreuil on the eastern edge of the city. The life of the modern city began about 250BC when a Celtic tribe called the Parisii established a fishing settlement, Lutetia, on the Ile-de-la-Cité. The Romans were drawn to this strategic site, a natural crossroads between Germany and Spain, and took control in 52BC. The first King of France, Hugues Capet, ruled from Paris in 987. In spite of English rule (between 1420-36), a series of French kings brought about the centralisation of France, with Paris at its cultural, political and economic heart. The climax of this process was verbalised in Louis XIV’s famed claim, ‘L’Etat c’est moi’. The history of Paris can be uncovered throughout its distinctive districts. Hilly Montmartre, with its village atmosphere, was where the Paris Commune began; the Marais evokes medieval Paris, its winding streets a sharp contrast to the wide, orderly Haussmann boulevards, envisaged by Napoleon III to keep the mobs at bay. These grand nineteenth-century avenues still dominate the modern city, interspersed with modern flourishes. The grands projets of Président Mittérand added the Grande Arche de la Défense, the ultra-modern Parc de la Villette, the impressive Institut du Monde Arabe, and plonked a glass pyramid in the Grand Carrée of the Louvre. The varied populations within Paris define the city’s atmosphere just as much as its landmarks. The French establishment reside comfortably in the smart sixteenth arrondissement, while African and North African immigrants live less lavishly in areas such as Belleville and the Goutte d’Or. The Jewish quarters include the shabby Sentier and trendy Marais district, the latter is now also Paris’ gay centre. Parisians, as a whole, are proud of their city. Yet at the drop of a hat they nip to the provinces (usually Normandy) for a weekend. In August, there is a mass exodus to the south. They go in search of greenery – although central Paris has its own lovely parks (les jardins de Luxembourg et Tuileries) – and to escape from their fast-paced ‘boulot, métro, dodo’ (work, métro, sleep) existence. Fortunately, visitors may take the city at a more leisurely pace.

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