The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide of France:
France – country in Western Europe with several overseas regions and territories. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. From its shape, it is often referred to in French as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon").
France is a:
Country
Developed country
Sovereign state
Member State of the European Union
Location:
Northern Hemisphere, on the Prime Meridian
Eurasia
Europe
mostly in Western Europe
Time in France
Time zones:
Metropolitan France – Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
Extreme points of France (major towns)North: Dunkirk at the North Sea
South: Perpignan, at the Spanish border
East: Haguenau, at the German border
West: Brest, south of Land's End (England)
High: Mont Blanc 4,810 m (15,781 ft) – highest point of Western Europe
Low: Les Moëres −2.5 m (−8 ft)
Land boundaries: 4072 km (2529 mi)
Metropolitan France: 2,889 km (1794 mi)
French Guiana: 1,183 km
Coastline: 4,668 km
Metropolitan France: 3,427 km
Incorporated overseas territories: 1,241 km
Population of France: 65,400,000 people (2010 estimate) - 20th most populous country
Area of France: 674,843 km2 (260,558 sq mi) - 40th largest country
Atlas of France
Communes (municipalities) of France
Climate of France
Ecology of France
Renewable energy in France
Geology of France
National parks of France
Wildlife of France
Flora of France
Flora of the Alps
Fauna of France
Birds of France
Mammals of France
Non-marine molluscs of France
Glaciers of France
Islands of France
Lakes of France
Mountains of France
French Alps
Volcanoes in France
Rivers of France
Valleys of France
World Heritage Sites in France (See also Transboundary sites)
"Region" is also the name of France's main type of political division
Metropolitan France (in Western Europe)
Overseas departments and territories of France
Regions of France
Departments of France
Municipalities of France ("Communes")
Regions of France (Administrative)
Since January 1, 2016, continental France is divided into 13 administrative Regions instead of the former 22 regions. The 5 overseas regions are untouched:
Departments of France
French departments are roughly analogous to English counties.
Municipalities of France
Cities of France
Capital of France: Paris - also the largest city in France, with over 2,000,000 inhabitants
Strasbourg - official seat of the European Parliament
Lyon - silk capital of the world and the location of the headquarters of Interpol and Euronews
Marseille - France's largest commercial port
Metropolitan France is bordered by:
Belgium
Luxembourg
Germany
Switzerland
Italy
Monaco
Andorra
Spain
France is also linked to:
United Kingdom (by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel)
France's overseas departments share borders with:
Brazil (borders French Guiana)
Suriname (borders French Guiana)
Sint Maarten (borders Saint-Martin)
Government and politics of France
Form of government: unitary semi-presidential republic
Capital of France: Paris
Constitutional Council of France
Elections in France
French presidential elections: 1848 - 1958 - 1965 - 1969 - 1974 - 1981 - 1988 - 1995 - 2002 - 2007
French parliamentary elections: 1795 - 1798 - 1815 - 1816 - 1820 - 1824 - 1827 - 1830 - 1831 - 1834 - 1837 - 1839 - 1842 - 1846 - 1848 - 1849 - 1852 - 1857 - 1863 - 1869 - 1871 (Feb) - 1871 (Jul) - 1876 - 1877 - 1881 - 1885 - 1889 - 1893 - 1898 - 1902 - 1906 - 1910 - 1914 - 1919 - 1924 - 1928 - 1932 - 1936 - 1945 - 1946 (Jun) - 1946 (Nov) - 1951 - 1956 - 1958 - 1962 - 1967 - 1968 - 1973 - 1978 - 1981 - 1986 - 1988 - 1993 - 1997 - 2002 - 2007
French referendums: 1793 - 1795 - 1800 - 1802 - 1804 - 1815 - 1851 - 1852 - 1870 - 1945 - 1946 (May) - 1946 (Oct) - 1958 - 1961 - 1962 (Jun) - 1962 (Oct) - 1969 - 1972 - 1988 - 1992 - 2000 - 2005
Feminism in France
Foreign relations of France
Liberalism and radicalism in France
Political parties in France
Political scandals of France
Taxation in France
François Hollande, current President of France
Head of state: President of the French Republic
Le Gouvernement (Cabinet of ministers)
Head of government: Prime Minister of France
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of the Interior
Minister of Overseas France
Minister of the Environment
Minister of Transportation
Minister of Public Works
Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry
Minister of Defence
Minister of Justice
Minister of National Education
Minister of Higher Education and Research
Minister of Culture
Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Tourism
Minister of the Sea
Minister of Health
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Minister of Budget, Public Accounting and Civil Servants
Minister of Immigration, Integration, National identity and Co-development
Minister of Social Affairs
Minister of Housing
Parliament of France (Parlement) (see also: Congress of France)
French National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)
French Senate (Sénat)
French Economic and Social Council (consultative assembly)
Constitutional Council of France
France is a nuclear power
The French Republic is a member of:
Law of France
Adoption in France
Cannabis in France
Capital punishment in France
Census in France
Constitution of France
Crime in France
Polygamy in France
Law enforcement in France
National law enforcement agencies
National Police ("Police Nationale")
National Gendarmerie ("Gendarmerie Nationale")
Mobile Gendarmerie ("Gendarmerie Mobile")
Local law enforcement agencies
Police municipale (Municipal police) - may be maintained by local governments (communes), but have very limited law enforcement powers outside of traffic issues and local ordinance enforcement
Garde champetre or Police Rurale (Rural police) - may be formed by Rural communes, and are responsible for limited local patrol and protecting the environment
Équipes régionales d’intervention et de sécurité (SWAT teams) - are operated by The Department of Corrections (the prison system or Administration pénitentiaire)
In Wallis and Futuna, there is a territorial guard as well as royal police.
Human rights in France
Abortion in France
Censorship in France
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Gambling in France
LGBT rights in France
Prostitution in France
Smoking in France
Napoleonic code
Military of France
Command
Commander-in-chief:
Ministry of Defence of France
French Armed Forces
French Army (Armée de Terre)
French Foreign Legion
Ranks in the French Army
French Navy (Marine Nationale)
Ranks in the French Navy
French Air Force (Armée de l'Air)
National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale)
Military history of France
Territorial formation of France
Historical French provinces
Cultural history of France
Art history of France
Literary history of France
Colonial history of France
Demographics of France
Economic history of France
Historical positions and figures
Prime Ministers of France
Constable of France
Military history of France
Military history of France during World War II
Culture of France
Architecture of France
Basilicas in France
Castles in France
Cathedrals in France
Lighthouses in France
Palaces in France
Art in France
Museums in France
Literature of France
French novelists
Music of France
French rock
Theatre in France
French playwrights
Cuisine of France
Languages of France
Media in France
Cinema of France
Television in France
Mythology in France
National symbols of France
Coat of arms of France
Flag of France
National anthem of France
People of France
Ethnic minorities in France
Armenians in France
Chinese diaspora in France
Koreans in France
Turks in France
Public holidays in France
Racism in France
Scouting and Guiding in France
World Heritage Sites in France (See also Transboundary sites)
Religion and belief systems in France
Belief systems
Humanism in France
Irreligion and atheism in France
Religion in France
Freedom of religion in France
Religions in France
Buddhism in France
Christianity in France
Orthodoxy in France
Orthodox Church of France
Protestantism in France
Roman Catholicism in France
Hinduism in France
Islam in France
Judaism in France
Scientology in France
Sikhism in France
Sport in France Sport articles specific to France:
Fédération Française de Basket-Ball
Football in France
France at the Olympics: the modern Olympics were invented in France, in 1894
Grand Prix de France
French Open (tennis)
Open de France
Pétanque
Parkour ('urban running')
Rugby in France:
Rugby union in France
Rugby League in France
Tour de France
Alps Tour
Ligue Elite
France national handball team
Economy and infrastructure of France
Economy of France France is the most visited country in the world, receiving over 79 million foreign tourists annually (including business visitors, but excluding people staying less than 24 hours in France).
Economic rank
Nominal GDP: 6th (sixth)
GDP (PPP): 8th (eighth)
Agriculture in France
Banking in France
Communications in France
Newspapers in France
Radio in France
Telecommunications in France
Internet in France
Television in France
Companies of France
Currency of France: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
ISO 4217: EUR
Economic history of France
Energy in France
Nuclear power in France
Renewable energy in France
Health care in France
Emergency medical services in France
Poverty in France
Tourism in France
Eiffel Tower
Transport in France
Airports in France
Highway system of France
Rail transport in France
Trams in France
Water supply and sanitation in France
Education in France The three stages of the education process in France:
Primary education (enseignement primaire)
Secondary education (enseignement secondaire)
Collèges [kɔˈlɛʒ] - cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15
Lycées ([liˈse]) - provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between the ages of 15 and 18, during which pupils are prepared for the baccalauréat (commonly referred to as le bac).
Higher education (enseignement supérieur)
Colleges and universities in France
Public universities of France
Grandes écoles
Hospitals in France
Obesity in France
