France
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Introduction to France
"France cannot be France without greatness." -Charles de Gaulle
- France's nickname is, "The Hexagon" (six-sided country)France's Region
- Paris is economic, political and cultural capital of France
- Lille is another important city that has textile factories, chemical plants and steel mills
Southwest France
- This region has grapes that are used to make wines.
- Bordeaux has a reputation for producing the best wines.
Southern France
- The massif and the Alps, 2 rugged regions; snowy .
- It's hard to move between Italy and France, so they dug between the Alps.
The Mediterranean
The mediterranean sea in southern France is a thin strip of low-laying coastal land. Th riviera attracts millions of tourists each year. Its warm climate is ideal for sun bathing on the regions famous beaches and swimming in the sea. The 3 sites are Cannes, Nice, and Saint-Tropez. The port of Marseille is the busiest seaport in France and the second most active in all of Western Europe .
East France
The Rhine river is Europes busiest waterway, forms part of Frances border with Germany. Alsace and Lorraine , 2 Rhine Valley provinces with rich natural resources have changed conflict between France & Germany.
France's History
France was once known as Gual when the Romans conquered it in the first century B.C.
Charlemagne was one of the most famous conquerors of all time, he became king of the Franks in A.D. 768. By the time he died , he controlled a huge empire. The allies invaded France and other countries including the United States helped.
Language and Culture
- Before the 1500s, the language that is now called French was spoken only in and around Paris.
- As the French kings expanded their control, they decreed that the language of Paris become the language of all the lands they ruled.
- A dialect(s) are variations of a language that are unique to a region or community.
- The French Academy was established in 1635 to preserve the purity of the French language. It is a symbol of French cultural pride.
Cultural Identity
- Impressionism is a painting.
- Rene Descartes , one of the world's most famous artist , have been French.
- Paris has been the cultural center of France.
- The famous Louvre, celebrate the achievements of those artists.
France Today
- The French government established national planning programs to modernize the economy and encourage more balanced growth among France's regions. It also reached out to its Western European neighbors to form new trade agreements.
- Frances opposition to military action against Iraq in 2003 strained its alliance with the United States.