France is a country located in Western Europe, with a population of around 67 million people. The country is known for its rich history, art, culture, and cuisine.

France is the largest country in the European Union and is famous for its landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, and the Louvre Museum. Paris, the capital of France, is known for its charming architecture, cafes, and art museums.

The French economy is the seventh largest in the world and is known for its strong industrial, agricultural, and service sectors. France is a founding member of the European Union and plays a prominent role in international affairs, including through its permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council.

French is the official language of the country, and France is known for its rich literary tradition, with famous authors including Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, and Albert Camus. The country has also made significant contributions to the world of art, with renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Auguste Rodin.

France is also famous for its cuisine, which is regarded as one of the best in the world. French cuisine is known for its rich sauces, cheese, bread, wine, and desserts.

France is a highly popular tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors each year to its cities, beaches, and countryside. The country has a well-developed transport infrastructure, including high-speed trains and a network of airports serving major cities throughout the country.

Telephone Code
33

Local Emergency Phone
Ambulance: 112, 15; Fire: 112, 18; Police: 112, 17

Vaccinations
See WHO recommendations

Climate
Generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasionally strong, cold, dry north-to-northwesterly wind know as the mistral

Currency (Code)
Euros (EUR)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, E

Major Languages
French

Major Religions
Christian (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Buddhist 0.5-0.75%, Jewish 0.5-0.75%

Potable Water
Yes

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Eiffel Tower; Louvre Museum; Notre-Dame de Paris; Palace of Versailles; Côte d'Azur; Mont Saint-Michel; Loire Valley Châteaux; Provence; Normandy; Brittany; Carcassone; Avignon; Alsace (includes Colmar and Strasbourg); Notre-Dame de Chartres; Caves of Vezere Valley; Grotte Chauvet, Ardeche River and Pont d'Arc

Major Sports
Soccer, tennis, cycling, basketball, handball, rugby

Cultural Practices
Hugging is a much less common form of greeting in France than in other countries, and may be received uncomfortably.

Tipping Guidelines
Tips are not necessary, but appreciated and you may always round up for good service. In nicer restaurants, a tip of 5% is sufficient. Tip taxi drivers 10% of a total fare. Bellhops, room service, and housekeeping appreciate a tip between 1-3 euros.

Souvenirs
Designer fashion, perfumes, wine, porcelain items, lavender goods, soap, kitchen items

Traditional Cuisine
Crêpes — thin wheat or buckwheat flour batter pancakes filled with either sweet (chocolate, preserves, cream etc.) or savory (ham, sausage, cheese, mushroom, etc.) ingredients

Geography
Area
total: 643,801 sq km
land: 640,427 sq km
water: 3,374 sq km

Climate
metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral;

French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation;

Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average;

Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November);

Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Natural resources
metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

People and Society
Population
68,521,974 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, Basque minorities

Languages
French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard); note - overseas departments: French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)

Religions
Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9%

Population growth rate
0.31% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
semi-presidential republic

Capital
name: Paris

Economy
Economic overview
high-income, advanced and diversified EU economy and euro user; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; ongoing pension reform protests; high public debts and COVID-19 spending increases; global environmental leader

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.048 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$45,000 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
wheat, sugar beets, milk, barley, maize, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, apples

Industries
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism

Exports
$920.864 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners
Germany 14%, United States 8%, Italy 7%, Spain 7%, Belgium 7%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)

Exports - commodities
aircraft, packaged medicines, cars and vehicle parts, gas turbines, wine (2019)

Imports
$957.717 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners
Germany 18%, Belgium 9%, Italy 9%, Spain 7%, China 7%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities
cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, aircraft machinery (2019)