France quick facts
- France shares borders with eight countries, including tiny Andorra and Monaco.
- Mont Blanc, at 4,807 m, is the highest mountain in the Alps.
- The Loire, at 1,020 km, is the longest river in France.
- The French Revolution began on 14 July 1789 with the storming of the Bastille.
- France is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
What is France?
France is a country in north-western Europe. Its official name is the French Republic, or République Française in French.
Its capital is Paris, and about 66.6 million people live in the country. French is the official language, and the money is the euro.
France is one of the most important countries in the world. It has helped shape art, science, food, fashion and ideas about how countries should be run, and French is spoken in many other countries too.
| France at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Paris |
| People | about 66.6 million (2026 estimate) |
| Area | 543,941 km² (210,017 square miles) |
| Official language | French |
| Money | the euro (€) |
| Highest mountain | Mont Blanc, 4,807 m |
| Longest river | the Loire, 1,020 km |
| National day | 14 July, Bastille Day |
Where is France?
France lies near the western end of the great landmass of Europe and Asia. It sits between two seas: the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.
The main part of France is roughly six-sided. Because of that, French people often call their country l’Hexagone, the hexagon.
To the north, across a narrow stretch of sea called the Strait of Dover, France faces south-eastern England. The English Channel, which the French call La Manche, separates the two countries.
The island of Corsica, in the Mediterranean, is part of France too. France also has overseas regions and territories in other parts of the world, such as islands in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
France’s neighbours
France shares borders with eight countries. Belgium and Luxembourg lie to the north-east. Germany, Switzerland and Italy lie to the east. Spain and the tiny country of Andorra lie to the south.
The eighth neighbour is Monaco, a very small country on the Mediterranean coast. It is completely surrounded by France on land.
France’s Neighbours
- Belgium and Luxembourg — Border France to the north-east
- Germany, Switzerland and Italy — Border France to the east
- Spain and Andorra — Border France to the south
- Monaco — Is completely surrounded by France on land
- England — Faces France across the Strait of Dover
How big is France?
France covers 543,941 km², or 210,017 square miles. The main part of France is the largest country in western Europe.
About 80% of French people live in towns and cities. The biggest by far is Paris. Other large cities include Marseille, a port on the Mediterranean that was founded as a trading post more than 2,500 years ago; Lyon; Toulouse; Nantes, on the Atlantic coast; and Bordeaux, beside the Garonne River.
Mountains and rivers
Much of France is made up of fairly low plains, plateaus and old, worn-down mountains. In the south and south-east are two great ranges of younger, higher mountains: the Alps and the Pyrenees.
The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc, at 4,807 metres (15,771 feet). It sits on the border between France and Italy, and its summit is in France. Its name means “white mountain”, because glaciers cover about 100 km² of it. Climbers from all over the world come to try to reach its summit.
The longest river in France is the Loire. It flows for 1,020 km (634 miles), from the hills of central France to the Atlantic Ocean. Its valley is dotted with châteaux, grand castles and country houses built for kings and nobles. Many of them are now open for visitors to explore.
Other important rivers include the Seine, which flows through Paris, and the Rhône, which flows south to the Mediterranean.
A very old country
France is one of the oldest nations in the world. It grew out of a group of smaller lands, called duchies and principalities, that were joined together under one ruler in the Middle Ages.
For hundreds of years, France was ruled by kings. Then, in 1789, came the French Revolution.
It began on 14 July 1789, when a crowd in Paris stormed the Bastille, an old fortress used as a prison. They wanted the weapons stored inside. The Bastille had become a symbol of the king’s harsh rule, and its fall marked the start of the revolution.
The revolution spread important ideas about democracy and people’s rights around the world. Today, 14 July is France’s national holiday, Bastille Day, marked with parades and fireworks. Jets fly over Paris trailing smoke in the red, white and blue of the French flag.
The French flag
The French flag has three wide stripes of blue, white and red, running from top to bottom. It is often called the tricolore, which means three-coloured.
The flag became a symbol of the French Revolution, and it has flown over France for most of the time since. On Bastille Day, the three colours are everywhere, from flags on buildings to the smoke trails of jets flying over Paris.
How France is run
France is a republic, which means it has no king or queen. It is led by a president, who is elected by the people, and a prime minister, who runs the government day to day.
Laws are made by a parliament with two parts, or houses: the National Assembly, with 577 members, and the Senate, with 348.
The way France is run today, called the Fifth Republic, began on 28 September 1958. France is a leading member of the European Union, and one of only five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
The French state provides a lot for its people, including free education, health care and pensions for older people.
France by Numbers
- 4,807 m — The height of Mont Blanc
- 1,020 km — The length of the Loire
- 543,941 km² — The area of France
- 577 — Members of the National Assembly
- 348 — Members of the Senate
Paris, the city of light
Paris is the capital and by far the most important city in France. It is one of the world’s great centres of culture and business, and it is often called la ville lumière, the city of light.
Its most famous landmark is the Eiffel Tower. Another is the Arc de Triomphe, a huge arch at the top of the Champs-Élysées avenue.
Paris is also home to the Louvre, one of the world’s biggest art museums, where you can see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
French Places
- Marseille — A Mediterranean port founded as a trading post more than 2,500 years ago
- Bordeaux — A city beside the Garonne River
- Nantes — A city on the Atlantic coast
- The Louvre — The Paris museum where the Mona Lisa hangs
- Châteaux — Grand castles and country houses along the Loire valley
Food and farming
France is Europe’s most important farming country. Its farms grow wheat, fruit and vegetables, and raise cows, sheep and goats.
Mealtimes matter in France, and families often sit together for a long lunch or dinner. Most towns have markets selling fresh bread, cheese, fruit and vegetables. French food is famous all over the world, from crusty baguettes and buttery croissants to rich sauces and delicate pastries.
And then there is cheese. The French leader Charles de Gaulle once joked that it was impossible to unite a country with 265 kinds of cheese. Today, there are even more.
Weather
Because France is so big, its weather changes a lot from place to place.
In the north and west, near the Atlantic, the weather is often mild and wet, with cool summers and not-too-cold winters. In the south, beside the Mediterranean, summers are hot and dry, and winters are mild. High in the Alps and the Pyrenees, winters are cold and snowy, which is why so many people go there to ski.
Famous French people
France has produced many famous people. Joan of Arc was a young woman who led French armies in the 1400s and is now one of France’s national heroines.
Napoleon Bonaparte rose from army officer to emperor of France in the early 1800s. René Descartes and Voltaire were writers and thinkers whose ideas are still studied all over the world. And Charles de Gaulle led the Free French during the Second World War and later became president.
Life in France
People in France live long lives. On average, men live to about 80 and women to about 86.
France has no official religion. People are free to follow any faith, or none.
The French love sport, especially football, cycling and rugby. Every summer, the world’s most famous bicycle race, the Tour de France, winds its way around the country.
Three things people get wrong
France was not founded in 1789. It is one of the world’s oldest nations, formed in the Middle Ages. 1789 was the start of the French Revolution.
France is not only in Europe. It also has overseas regions and territories in places such as the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
The Seine is not France’s longest river. It runs through Paris, but the longest river in France is the Loire, which does not pass through the capital.
Did you know? Because the main part of France is roughly six-sided, French people often call their country l’Hexagone, the hexagon.
France: Fact or Myth?
- France was founded in 1789.
- The summit of Mont Blanc is in France.
- The Seine is France's longest river.
- France is Europe's most important farming country.
- France has an official religion.
- France is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
- Corsica is part of Italy.
- Paris is often called the city of light.
Try it
Draw a rough hexagon on paper and label the countries and seas on each side of France: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Mediterranean, Spain, Andorra and the Atlantic.
Knowledge check
What is the capital of France?
Show answer
Paris.
What happened on 14 July 1789?
Show answer
A crowd stormed the Bastille in Paris, which marked the start of the French Revolution.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of France?
The capital of France is Paris, by far the country’s largest and most important city. It is often called the city of light.
How many people live in France?
About 66.6 million people live in France, according to a 2026 estimate. Around 80% of them live in towns and cities.
What countries border France?
France borders eight countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Andorra and Monaco.
What is the highest mountain in France?
The highest mountain in France is Mont Blanc, at 4,807 metres. It is the highest peak in the Alps and its summit lies in France, near the border with Italy.
Why is 14 July important in France?
14 July is Bastille Day, France’s national holiday. It marks the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris in 1789, the start of the French Revolution.
What language do people speak in France?
The official language of France is French. France has no official religion, and its money is the euro.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: France — location, borders, landscape, history, government, Paris and farming
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: France facts and stats — population, area, language, currency, parliament, life expectancy and city dwellers
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Mont Blanc — its height, position on the border and glaciers
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Loire River — the length and course of France’s longest river
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bastille Day — the storming of the Bastille and France’s national holiday
France Final Challenge
- Why do French people often call their country l'Hexagone?
- What do the French call the English Channel?
- What does the name Mont Blanc mean?
- What money is used in France?
- Charles de Gaulle joked it was impossible to unite a country with how many kinds of cheese?
- Which sea lies to the south of France?
