France is a European country with a rich history, known for its wines, art, cuisine and much more. The French
attitude is pretty well known also, and French culture is considered very prestigious and classy. There are many
great historical points of reference in France, and the country has always been a formidable world power. The
following are 10 interesting facts about France, a sophisticated country.
France
1. France is a country, and most people know the country only by its name. Did you know that France is actually called The French Republic? The country’s name is from the word “Francia,” which is Latin for “country of the Franks.” The country has a population of almost 63 million people.
2. Did you know that there are 8 countries bordering France? That is quite a lot of bordering countries when compared to other countries in the world. Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and Monaco are four of the countries, and the remaining are Andorra, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain.
3. If you were to rank the world’s top languages, where do you think French would rank? Many people would of course guess that English is the number one most studied language in the world. However, many people would also probably guess that Spanish might come in second. However, 2nd place goes to French!
4. Where do you think France ranks when it comes to the most visited countries. Surely it’s landmarks and popularity across the world concerning its major cities has it in the top 10. Would the US be #1? Perhaps some country in the Caribbean would be #1, where people from all over the world go to lay on the beach. England and Germany are two popular European countries, and China has the most people. Maybe you would be surprised to know that the #1 most visited country in the world is actually France!
5. Did you know that France is also home to the most famous and most visited art museum in the whole world? This museum is known as The Louvre, and it is a must see when you visit France. It’s definitely one of the top five tourist destinations in the country, and you are going to find the Mona Lisa there. Talk about seeing one of the most famous pieces of art in the entire world.
6. Did you know the reasoning behind the Eiffel Tower? The 1889 World’s Fair was to use this as the entrance to the fair itself. The Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular landmarks in the entire world, let alone in France.
7. France is a very prominent country in the world of sports. Consider the sports tennis and cycling. The Tour de France treks through the French territory, and when it comes to tennis there is the French Open held each year in Paris. Paris is of course also one of the most popular tourist destination cities in France. It could be one of the top 10 interesting facts about France in and of itself. On another side note for sports, did you know that France was the 2nd host for the Olympic Games, and guess what city was the host? Paris was the host of course, and the games were held in 1900. Of course, it would not even be another quarter of a century before Paris would host the games yet again in 1924. As well, France has been the host to the Olympic Winter Games on three separate occasions.
8. The famous scientist Louis Pasteur was from France. He was the person responsible for developing a vaccine for rabies. He is considered one of the most influential men in history when it comes to modern medicine.
9. Everyone has heard about the French being famous for their wine. However, did you know that they have been producing wine since the era of the Roman Empire? French cuisine turns out some delectable goodies, and did you know that the country sees on average two cookbooks published daily? France also has 300 different kinds of cheeses, which go well with their top-notch wine. And if you think England has enough castles, there are 40,000 of them approximately within the boundaries of France. Wow!
10. Rounding out the list of 10 interesting facts about France is a few more quick fun tidbits. For instance, did you know that there are seven mountains and 5 rivers in the country? France has a president instead of a monarchy now, and there have only been three presidents serving the country within the last three decades. If you’re looking for the nation in western Europe that is the largest, look no further than France. If you’re wondering about origins, the French State was recognized in 843 after its departure from the Carolingian Empire.
