Everything you need to know about France: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
France: European Powerhouse and World Tourist Haven
The early inhabitants of France were the Celts, who had migrated from the Rhine valley to this country. The French Revolution of 1789 marked a revolutionary bloodbath for the country, ending with the introduction of First Republic and the authoritarian regime under Napoleon Bonaparte. France is a major political power of Europe, which had colonized much of North America during 17 th and 18 th centuries and also a major part of Africa, which is yet to be fully decolonised. France is the world's 6 th largest economy and second in Europe. France is also the world's tourist hotspot with many scenic places to visit such as the Cannes, Lyon, Bordeaux, Brittany and of course the Eiffel Tower in Pars.
France fast-facts:
France Geography, Climate and Economy:
The Terrain of France largely consists of mountainous ranges such as Alps, Pyrenees and Vosges. The Alps has the highest mountain peak of Europe named Mount Blanc. The area of Mediterranean coast includes French Riviera, which is the most popular tourist site. The Climate of the Alps mostly remains alpine with the temperature ranging below the freezing point.The climate of France is largely temperate owing to its position between equator and the North Pole. The area in Mediterranean coast has moderate climate, as the summers are relatively hot and dry while the winters are mild. The range in temperature varies according to different regions as the French Guiana area has tropical climate while Guadeloupe and Martinique receive heavy rainfall and the area is susceptible to hurricanes once every eight years on an average.
The economy of France is booming and is one of the strongest in Europe. The Northwestern part and the mountain areas of France are the livestock regions. Some of the major crops are corn, barley, potatoes, wheat and sugar beets. Besides this, the best-known vineyards in France are in Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone and Loire valleys. No wonder France is also called the Vineyard of the world with its exotic range of Wines and Champagnes. Paris, the beautiful French capital is famous for its luxury goods.
Culture and Cuisine of France:
France is a multicultural country consisting of different ethnicities like Celts, Germans, Romans, Russians, Africans and Asians. Art is intrinsically woven into the culture of France. Some of the popular French artists are Monet and Renoir. Besides this, French literature has a long and prominent history. The majority of people in the country are Catholics followed by Islamists forming second major religion.
The French are famous for their huge cheese appetites. Some of the most popular dishes are savory crepes, escargot served in garlic butter. Some other dishes include Kiev, Marco Polo, Nicoise, Normandy and many others. French wine is the most sought after among the European nations. Moreover, the French hardly eat their food without wine. And there are a wide variety of wines available in this country.
Tourist Attractions in France:
Paris, the major cultural center and the capital city of France offers a plethora of Tourist sites to be visited. It comprises the world famous Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral and Disneyland Paris. The Tour de France is an annual cycling event that covers nearly the whole of France. Besides there are splendid Chateaus and Villas where the affluent tourist can spend their french vacations
Some other French Tourist Sites include :
• Georges Pompidou centre
• Château de Versailles
• Orsay museum
• Parc Astérix
• Arc de Triomphe
• Sainte Chapelle
• La Palmyre zoo
• Musée Grévin waxworks
• Mont Saint-Michel
Moscow, May 21 (IANS/EFE) French actor Gerard Depardieu, a Russian citizen since early this year, is soon to open a restaurant in the city where he now resides, authorities said Monday.
New Delhi, May 21 (ANI): Asserting that India is a complete film making destination Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi has offered wide opportunities to foreign film producers in the country.
Cannes (France), May 21 (IANS/EFE) Teenage girls went wild when singer and actor Justin Timberlake stepped onto the red carpet at Cannes as part of the team that made the Coen brothers' movie "Inside Llewyn Davis".
Madrid, May 20 (IANS) The departure of Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho appeared to move a step closer when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed he had asked to leave the French champions.
Paris, May 20 (ANI): To promote India as a " Filming Destination", Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi will inaugurate incredible India exhibition at the 66th Cannes film festival in France today.
Moscow, May 20 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that a conference on the Syrian settlement will take place "very soon", possibly at the beginning of June, after consulting UN Security Council permanent members.
Moscow, May 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) After consultations with UN Security Council permanent members, a conference on the Syrian settlement will take place "very soon", possibly at the beginning of June, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said here Sunday.
Moscow, May 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov has said Moscow may change its adoption agreement with France in response to the country's new gay marriage law.
Rome, May 18 (IANS) World No.3 Roger Federer moved one step closer to his first title this season when he beat Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (2) to advance to the semifinals of the Italian Open tennis.
Moscow, May 18 (IANS) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed regret over the inability of experts, investigating the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, to visit the country.
New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap will be conferred with the French honour Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for his efforts in the promotion of Indian cinema across the globe.
Rome, May 17 (IANS) Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic brushed aside their opponents to reach the quarter-finals while Rafael Nadal was made to sweat before reaching the final eight of the Rome Masters here.
London, May 17 (ANI): Retiring Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has joked that he planned to drink all the vineyards dry following his retirement.
Mumbai, May 17 (IANS) Actress Vidya Balan, who was seen walking the red carpet at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival, will set out for a holiday with husband Siddharth Roy Kapur in France after the movie extravaganza.
Los Angeles, May 17 (IANS) Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman says her husband Keith Urban hasn't helped her with any judging tips for her stint as a jury member at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival.
Singapore, May 16 (IANS) The Football Association of Singapore named Bernd Stange the new coach of the national team for two years.
Rio de Janeiro, May 16 (IANS/EFE) A two-day Brazilian oil and natural gas auction has received strong demand from companies based in Brazil, Colombia, Portugal, France, Britain and other countries, with bid prices far exceeding the regulator's expectations.
Brussels, May 16 (IANS/EFE) The Eurozone's gross domestic product contracted 0.20 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to the prior three-month period, while the European Union's GDP declined 0.10 percent during the January-March period, Eurostat said Wednesday.
New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday left on a three-nation visit to UK, France and Qatar, in a bid to sell the India-growth story and woo overseas investors.
Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) India's only motorcycle Grand Prix team resumes battle in France this weekend with high hopes of more strong results after a top-10 start for the all-new Mahindra GP machine.
Mumbai, May 15 (IANS) India's only motorcycle Grand Prix team resumes battle in France this weekend with high hopes of strong results after a top-10 start for the all-new Mahindra Grand Prix machine.
Suva, May 15 (IANS) India will take part in a five-day meet in Fiji where local and international sugar researchers will share information on "erianthus", a sugar hybrid, the government said Wednesday.
London, May 15 (ANI): Retiring Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he owed his success as a manager because of his love for biscuits.
New York, May 15 (ANI): France has rated itself as most arrogant among eight European Union nations in a new survey.
Madrid, May 14 (IANS/EFE) France invented glamour, but Coco Chanel conceived sophistication, and her legendary fashion house is celebrating its 100th birthday without suffering from the ravages of time.
New York, May 14 (ANI): An underwear company from France has raised nearly 19,000 euros from enthusiastic investors for its next titillating creation-sweet-smelling underpants for men.
Guatemala City, May 14 (IANS/EFE) Twelve penguins, newly arrived from a conservationist park in France, have become the star attractions at Guatemala City's La Aurora Zoo.
London, May 13 (ANI): The World Health Organization has said that the novel coronavirus (NCoV) may be passed between people in close contact.
Dijon-Prenois (France), May 13 (IANS) Indian racing driver Sailesh Bolisetti's second weekend of his 2013 Euro Race Car campaign ended on a disappointing note as he finished 18th and 17th in the two races here.
London, May 12 (ANI): Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is reportedly looking forward to spend time in South France with his family after retirement for which he has signed former international footballer Eric Cantona as his estate agent.
Dijon-Prenois (France), May 11 (IANS) Indian Sailesh Bolisetti, a 24-year-old from Visakhapatnam, qualified in the 19th position here for the second round of the 2013 Euro Racecar season.
Doha, May 11 (IANS/CMC) Jamaica's two-time Olympic 100-metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce sped to victory in the women's 200m at the season's first Diamond League meet in Doha.
New York, May 11 (ANI): France is the world's most popular tourist destination, according to a new survey.
Abu Dhabi, May 10 (IANS/WAM) No cases of novel coronavirus (NCoV) have been reported in the UAE, the health ministry said following reports about a man in France diagnosed with NCoV after his return from a trip to the UAE.
Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who has always depicted women as strong characters in his movies, says his life has been controlled by women.
London, May 10 (ANI): Keira Knight's husband, James Righton, bought her an olive tree as a wedding present.
Melbourne, May 10 (ANI): The top 10 worst hot spots for traffic on the planet, where an individual will need a lot of extra time to travel, has been revealed.
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Governments and businesses cannot build a sound future without co-opting the $2.7 trillion creative and culture industry that accounts for 6.1 percent of the world's output and eight million direct jobs, says a leading think tank that seeks to promote cultural diversity.
Los Angeles, May 10 (IANS) Newlywed actress Keira Knightley reportedly got an unusual wedding gift from husband James Righton - an Olive tree with their name initials carved on the bark.
Paris, May 9 (IANS) Novel coronavirus (NCoV), a newly discovered and potentially deadly virus, related to one that causes the common cold, has struck another victim, this time in France, CNN reported Thursday.
London, May 9 (ANI): The news of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's announced retirement has given rise to a fleet of tributes from footballers, with David Beckham leading the trail by declaring him as a 'father figure'.
Paris, May 8 (IANS) France has identified its first case of coronavirus infection, a virus akin to SARS, the health ministry announced Wednesday.
Washington, May 8 (IANS/EFE) Thousands of documents and photographs that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and have been stored until now in the house where he lived in Cuba will now become available to the public thanks to a US foundation that has just put them into digital format.
London, May 8 (IANS) A new exhibition of paintings from the British royal collection and historic clothing cast an unusual light on the clothing and accessories of European royalty over 250 years.
Rio de Janeiro, May 7 (IANS) Brazil's football confederation (CBF) president Jose Maria Marin has guaranteed the future of national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, even if his team fails to impress during Confederations Cup in June.
Washington, May 7 (ANI): The second flight of ESA's newest launch vehicle, Vega, has been completed from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, releasing 3 satellites into different orbits.
London, May 7 (IANS) Actress Keira Knightley wanted to keep her wedding date so secretive that she didn't even share the exact ceremony date with her in-laws.
London, May 6 (IANS) Internationally renowned filmmaker Wong Kar-wai was honoured as Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, France's highest cultural honour in celebration of his lengthy career.
Berlin, May 6 (IANS) France winger Franck Ribery Monday said he is eager to extend his Bayern Munich contract past 2015 having already spent nearly six years at the Champions League finalists.
London, May 6, (ANI): Keira Knightley kept her super private and fuss-free wedding a secret even from James Righton's parents.
London, May 6 (IANS) Actress Keira Knightley has married Klaxons star James Righton in a ceremony held in the south of France, BBC reported.
London, May 5 (ANI): Keira Knightley and her Klaxons' keyboard player fiance James Righton have tied the knot in a very low-key and fuss-free wedding in France.
The Hague, May 4 (IANS) The Air France-KLM group suffered a net loss of 630 million euros ($826 million) in the first quarter of 2013, the French-Dutch air company announced.
Moscow, May 4 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Co-host Finland?s world ice hockey championship campaign got off to a stuttering start with a 4-3 overtime win against Germany.
Brussels, May 4 (IANS/EFE) Spain will be given time till 2016 to bring its budget deficit down below 3 percent of gross domestic product, in line with European Union mandates, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said Friday.
Washington, May 3 (ANI): Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are reportedly living together once again after a temporary break up and are talking about their future.
La Paz, May 3 (IANS/EFE) Bolivia has earned more than $16 billion from the energy industry since President Evo Morales nationalized the sector in 2006, officials said.
Abu Dhabi, May 3 (IANS/WAM) Etihad Airways, the flag carrier of the UAE, and Air France have announced a number of new codeshare destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe for the summer of 2013.
New York, May 2 (ANI): Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon renewed their wedding vows for the fifth time and shut down all of Disneyland to do it.
Ankara, May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): An alliance of Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and France's Areva has won a bid to build Turkey' s second nuclear power plant, Turkish Daily News reported Thursday.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) A black and white scene from Satyajit Ray's iconic 1955 film "Pather Panchali" featured as the Google doodle Thursday as a tribute to the master craftsman on his 92nd birth anniversary.
Los Angeles, May 2 (IANS) Actor Johnny Depp has reportedly told girlfriend Amber Heard that he wants to marry her.
Washington, May 1 (IANS) The US is considering providing lethal weapons to Syrian opposition forces and a decision is expected within weeks, a media report said Wednesday.
Washington, May 1 (ANI): Babies should be given a daily dose of vitamin D of 400 IU (international units) to help them stay healthy, a new study suggests.
London, May. 1 (ANI): Twitter has warned news organisations to tighten security in the wake of several high-profile hackings.
Paris, May 1 (IANS/EFE) The Elysee Palace will put 12,000 bottles from its wine cellar up for bids this week at the Drouot auction house in Paris in order to substitute them with more modest wines, with a 1990 Pomerol Petrus valued at 2,200 euros (about $2,800) having the highest starting price.
Los Angeles, May 1 (IANS) Actor Colin Firth is in talks to join Emma Stone in Woody Allen's new film.
Los Angeles, April 30 (IANS) Actress Keira Knightley is reportedly going to wed musician fiance James Righton in South of France this weekend.
London, Apr. 30 (ANI): Syrian hackers are launching cyber attacks on a series western media in an apparent effort to cause disruption and spread support for President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Washington, April 30 (ANI): It will be possible to forecast the outbreak of dengue fever up to 16 weeks in advance, with the help of a warning system which measures the risk of dengue incidence using precipitation and air temperature.
La Paz, April 30 (IANS/EFE) Bolivia's gas sales to Brazil and Argentina surged 29.5 percent to $1.49 billion in the January-March 2013 period, compared to the same quarter last year, state-owned oil company YPFB said.
Sydney, Apr. 30 (ANI): Both the major political parties in Australia have rejected calls to carry out a referendum on gay marriage on Election Day.
London, Apr. 30 (ANI): Keira Knightley, who announced her engagement to rock star boyfriend James Righton last year in May, will reportedly be marrying him in France this weekend - in front of 100 guests.
London, April 29 (ANI): Sir Elton John has said that his nearly decade-long war of words with Madonna has come to an end.
London, Apr. 29 (ANI): Facebook has lost millions of users per month in its biggest markets, new data have suggested.
Budapest, April 28 (IANS) Judokas from France claimed two titles at the 2013 Judo European Championships here.
London, Apr.28 (ANI): Cocaine smugglers in Britain have reportedly joined hands with the terror group Al Qaeda to spread cocaine usage in UK and Western Europe worth 168 million pound.
London, Apr. 27 (ANI): A 13 billion pound project has found a solution to climate change and an age of clean, unlimited energy.
London, Apr. 27 (ANI): A 13 billion pound project has found a solution to climate change and an age of clean, unlimited energy.
Barcelona, April 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Tennis World No.5 Rafael Nadal defeated France's Benoit Paire Friday to reach the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open.
Rio de Janeiro, April 26 (IANS) Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has said he understands the reaction of fans who booed his team in the final minutes of Wednesday's 2-2 friendly draw with Chile.
Budapest, April 26 (IANS) Georgia claimed two gold medals on the opening day of the 2013 European Judo Championships here.
Beijing, Apr. 26 (Xinhua-ANI): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday the UN fact-finding team is "on stand-by and ready to deploy in 24-48 hours" to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in attacks in Syria.
Washington, April 26 (ANI): A recent study has determined the temperature near the Earth's center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than estimated in a previous experiment conducted 20 years ago.
Paris, April 25 (IANS) France's second largest carmaker Renault has said its revenue fell by 11.8 percent to 8.26 billion euros ($10.75 billion) during the first quarter amid persistent economic downturn in the European bloc.
London, Apr. 25 (ANI): A magazine publisher and a photographer have been placed under formal investigation in France for allegedly breaching the privacy of Duchess Kate.
Geneva, April 25 (IANS/EFE) The BASELWORLD 2013 watch and jewellery trade show opens this week in the Swiss city of Basel, where more than 2,000 exhibitors from 45 countries, including India, will showcase their wares.
Paris, April 24 (IANS/EFE) France Tuesday became the world's 14th country to allow same-sex marriage after legislators passed a bill authorizing such unions amid tension arising from street protests.
Sydney, Apr. 24 (ANI): France has legalized gay marriage after a national debate and protests on the streets of Paris.
Sydney, Apr 24 (ANI): Joining a slew of lawsuits against Lance Armstrong, the US Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the disgraced cyclist, saying that he had violated his contract with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and was 'unjustly enriched' while cheating to win the Tour de France titles.
Brussels, April 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Any reports of the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict must be carefully investigated to avoid the repetition of the "Iraqi scenario", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
New York, April 23(ANI): Bus drivers in France have decided to go on a strike because of their new close-fitting uniforms.
London, Apr.23 (ANI): A young, Tunisian woman has reportedly reconciled with her family following her family's objections to her act of posting her topless photos on Facebook.
Abu Dhabi, April 22 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France have held discussions over cultural relations and explored ways to strengthen them, particularly in arts and literature.
Paris, April 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) At least 45,000 people marched in the French capital Sunday in opposition to a controversial gay marriage bill sponsored by President Francois Hollande, police said.
Washington, Apr. 21 (ANI): ArcelorMittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal has said that he regrets that the steel giant had to permanently close two French blast furnaces, but added that high labour and energy costs have kept France at a competitive disadvantage.
Paris, April 19 (IANS) A French family of seven, including four children and kidnapped in Cameroon two months ago, has been released safely, the French president's office said Friday.
Washington, Apr. 19 (ANI): Pakistan teenager Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by Taliban for advocating girls' education in Pakistan, has made it to the list of 100 Most Influential People list by Time Magazine this year.
Monte Carlo, April 18 (IANS) Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded 13th, easily made his way past second seed and Olympic champion Andy Murray of Britain here at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament Thursday.
Wellington (New Zealand), Apr.18 (ANI): Former cycling champion Lance Armstrong returned four samples with traces of banned corticosteroids in the 1999 Tour de France, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said, although the governing body added it did not handle them as positive tests.
