France
History of France
France was one of the original founders of the European Union. It joined in 1952, when the EU was first formed. France was never a part of another country, however, the area now known as France was originally named "Gaul." The flag of France came from the French Revolution. The colors of red and blue were decided because those are the tradional colors of Paris, where the French Revolution occured. White was choosen because it stands for royalty.
Geography
The area of France reaches from the North Sea down to the Mediterranean. Some surrounding countries are Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium. Many rivers and mountains are in France, with some flatter regions. One of the mountains is Mount Blanc and four of the river basins are the Seine in the north, the Lorre and Garonne flow westward, and the Rhône flows from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea.
Government/Economy
Currently, France has a Republican government type and uses the Euro as their currency. Before they began using the Euro they used a French Franc.
Major Cities
Some of the biggest cities in France are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Nice. All of these are great tourist sites, due to their historical and modern importance. Other unique things in these cities are their mueseums, buildings, art , and cuisine. Paris, in particular, has a very large tourist attraction in the Eiffel Tower. Not only does is Paris a very large in the tourist industry, but it also is the capital of France.
Fun Facts
Here are 3 interesting facts about France:
-Pets outnumber children.
-French writers have won more Nobel Prizes (for writing) than any other country.
-It takes 60 tons of paint to paint the Eiffel Tower.
Citations
"France." EUROPA. European Union. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/member-countries/france/index_en.htm>.
"France." CultureGrams. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://online.culturegrams.com/kids/kids_country.php?contid=5&wmn=Europe&cid=17&cn=France>.
"France." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>.