FranceFrance is the largest country of Western Europe in area. Paris, the capital of France and largest city in the country, ranks as one of the world's great cities. For hundreds of years, Paris has been a world capital of art and learning. Its university is over 800 years old, and is one of the largest in the world. Paris attracts artists and writers of all nationalities. Many great artists have produced their finest masterpieces there...more Information on France. Also read: Our Special Feature Background of France Full country name: Republic of France History of FranceArcheological remains indicate that humans have lived in what is now France for at least 100,000 years. From about 50,000 to 8000 BC, Paleolithic cultures lived in the area, leaving extraordinary paintings on cave walls...More on France History. Overview of France EconomyGDP: US$227.7 billion Also Read: Our Special feature on Economy of France Political System of France- Government Of France Climate, Vegetation and FaunaFrance's generally mild climate, ample rainfall, mixture of elevations, and long growing season, offer habitat for many species of plants and animals. Centuries of human settlement have profoundly altered the land and greatly reduced the number and variety of indigenous species. Conservation efforts in recent decades have helped protect valuable undeveloped areas that remain.The natural vegetation of France is closely related to climatic conditions. In the mountains, the highest elevations near the snow line consist of expanses of bare rock with only a few mosses and lichens growing in sheltered areas. Education: There are also private schools and colleges in France, most...more on education in France Language: French is the official language of France and is spoken by the large...more on languages spoken in France Lifestyle in France: French have taken pride in the sophistication of their culture, the beauty of their spoken language...read more on the lifestyle of French People Environment: The French Alps include Mont Blanc, which at 4800m (15,750ft) is Europe's highest peak...More Facts for the TravelerVisas: Nationals of the EU, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel do not need visas to visit France as tourists for up to three months. Except for the citizens of a handful of other European countries, everyone else must have a visa. To apply, you'll need a passport (valid for a period of three months beyond your departure date from France), a ticket in and out of France, proof of money and possibly of accommodations, two passport-sized photos and the visa fee in cash. Tourist visas cannot be extended except in emergencies (eg medical problems). You might try calling the Préfecture de Police (tel 01 53 71 51 68; www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr) for guidance. If you don't need a visa to visit France, you'll almost certainly qualify for another automatic three-month stay if you take the train to Geneva or Brussels and then re-enter France.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time) Dialling Code: 33 Electricity: 230V ,50Hz Weights & measures: Metric Also Read:Money and Cost Required | List of Holidays in France When to Go to FranceSpring offers the best weather to visitors, with beach tourism picking up in May. Temperatures aren't too bad in autumn, although the short days mean limited sunlight and the cold starts to make itself felt towards the end of the season, even along the Côte d'Azur. Winter means playing in the snow in France's Alps and Pyrenees, though the Christmas school holidays send hordes of tadpoles in uniform scurrying for the slopes. Mid-July through to the end of August is when most city dwellers take their annual five weeks' vacation to the coasts and mountains, and the half-desolate cities tend to shut down a bit accordingly. The same happens during February and March. Also Read: Getting Around France | France: Getting There and Away | Transportation System in France What to See in FranceMajor Tourist Attractions in France Other Tourist Attractions in France
Events in FranceThe French are a festive bunch, with many cities hosting music, dance, theatre, cinema or art events each year. Rural villages hold fairs and fetes, which celebrate everything from local saints to agricultural progress. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in Provence is the venue for a colourful gypsy festival in late May honouring Sarah, patron saint of the gypsies. Enthusiastic singing and dancing characterise this extravaganza. Prominent national days off are May Day (1 May), when people trade gifts of muguet (lily of the valley) for good luck; and Bastille Day (14 July), which is celebrated by throwing firecrackers at friends. Regional events include the primping and preening prêt à porter fashion show in Paris (early February); the glittering and often-canned Cannes Film Festival (mid-May); the International Music Festival in Strasbourg (first three weeks of June); the mainstream and fringe theatre of the Festival d'Avignon (mid-July to mid-August) and the Jazz Festival in Nancy (mid-Oct). Also Read: Activities in France
Cluj-Napoca : Romania
Cluj-Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvar; German: Klausenburg; Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. Regarded as the historic capital of Transylvania, the city is located in northwestern Romania, and is approximately 480 km (200 miles) northwest of Bucharest in the Somesul Mic [...]
Cultural Activity in Europe
Europe has a long tradition of excellence in literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and dance. In the late 20th century Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, and Moscow were particularly famous as cultural centers, but many other cities also supported important museums, musical and theatrical groups, and other cultural institutions. Most European countries had [...]
Religion of Europe
In the early 2000s the great majority of Europeans were Christians. The largest single religious group, Roman Catholics, lived mainly in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, southern Germany, and Poland. Another large group was composed of followers of Protestant faiths, concentrated in countries of northern and central Europe such as England, Scotland, [...]
Languages of Europe
Europeans speak a wide variety of languages. The principal linguistic groups are the Slavic, which includes Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Czech, Slovak, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovenian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian; the Germanic, which includes English, German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic; and the Romance, which includes Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian. These languages have [...]
Demography of Europe
The distribution of the European population has not been stable over long periods, but has shifted, both through differential birth and death rates and by migration. At the beginning of the Christian era, the most densely populated part of Europe bordered the Mediterranean Sea. At the beginning of the 21st century Europe had [...]
Ethnologyof Europe
Europe includes a large number of ethnic groupsâ€ persons associated by a common culture, especially language. European nations are generally composed of one dominant group, such as the Germans of Germany and the French of France. Several countries, particularly in south central Europe, have large minorities, and most countries contain smaller groups, such as the [...]
People of Europe
Indo-European languages (see The Indo-European Family of Languages, table) predominate in Europe; others spoken include Basque, Maltese, and the languages classified as Finno-Ugric, Samoyedic, Bulgaric, and Turkic. Roman Catholicism is the chief religion of S and W Europe and the southern part of central Europe; Protestantism is dominant in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, [...]
Biodiversity of Europe
Having lived side-by-side with agricultural and industrial civilisations for millennia, Europe’s animals and plants have been profoundly affected by the presence and activities of man. With the exception of Scandinavia and northern Russia, few areas of untouched wilderness are today to be found in Europe, except for different natural parks.
The main natural vegetation [...]
Physical features of Europe
In terms of shape, Europe is a collection of connected peninsulas. The two largest of these are “mainland” Europe and Scandinavia to the north, divided from each other by the Baltic Sea. Three smaller peninsulasâ€ Iberia, Italy and the Balkansâ€ emerge from the southern margin of the mainland into the Mediterranean Sea, which separates [...]
Regions of Europe
Europe can be divided into five geographic regions: Scandinavia (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark); the British Isles (United Kingdom and Ireland); W Europe (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Monaco); S Europe (Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City); Central Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, [...]
Travel Mantra: Europe Destination Guide
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First Time in Europe: Travel Planner
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