France, with Paris as proud capital, is an important country in western Europe and one of the founding fathers of the European Union.

Overseas France covers diverse territory in South America, the Caribbean and many islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean.

 

France hugs two major mountain ranges, the Alps to the east and the Pyrenees in the south.

To the west the Atlantic Ocean pounds the rugged coasts of Brittany and Normandy while in the south the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea lap the mundane shores of the Cote d'Azur.

Homo Erectus appeared 1.8 million years ago. Many ice ages later modern humans showed off their art in the caves of Lascaux.
Over time Celts, Greeks, Gauls, Romans, Franks, Vikings and 18 Kings called Louis contributed to France's history.

 

The French Revolution of 1789 saw a lot of bloodshed, but also the issuing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens, a keystone for our modern concept of democracy.

In the early 19th century Napoleon Bonaparte roamed free in Europe, before he found his Waterloo.

After two devastating world wars, France is now a modern democracy and together with Germany forms one of the pillars of the EU.

 

In 2015 France was rocked by a series of  deadly terrorist attacks, killing 130 innocent people.

France is the world's most popular tourist destination.