France is probably one of the most diverse and historically rich countries on earth with an incredible range of landscapes, cultures and cuisines. It consists of large areas of fertile (and picturesque) land and, as a result, has been fought over for millennia. France has endured invasion and occupation by Romans, Visigoths, Vikings, Moors, Franks, English, Prussians and Nazis but has somehow survived and thrived. It has emerged as one of the most powerful countries in Europe and is at the heart of the European Union whose combined economy is larger than that of the US.

France shares a border with Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra and Monaco. It has 5500km of coastline on both the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, and as such, has been an important maritime nation.

France is the world's most visited country with 78 million visitors in 2006.

See France's most visited sites

Google Map of France

The population of Metropolitan France (France without all its overseas territories) is estimated to be 61 million. Approximately 50% of the population identify their religion as Catholic, with 3% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 1% Jewish with the remainder not identifying with any particular religion.

There is an increasing drift to the cities away from rural areas and like most western countries the birthrate is declining and the population is aging.

Metropolitan France is 551,695 sq km (NSW is around 800,000 sq km) in area. France has several major alpine areas such as the Alpes which border Switzerland and Italy, the Pyrenees that form a natural barrier with Spain and the Massif Centrale, an area of extinct volcanoes in the centre of the country.

France is shaped by rivers such as the Rhone, Loire and Garonne creating large fertile river valleys, plains and deltas. France is a significant agricultural producer due to its topography and is able to support its 61 million population (2006 estimate for Metropolitan France) and still be a major food exporter.

The name France comes from the Latin word Francia which, meant "land of the Franks" who were a Germanic tribe and the Roman’s adversaries.

France is a republic with a President (Nicolas Sarkozy) and a Prime Minister (Dominique de Villepin).

The president of the Republic heads up the Cabinet and has overall responsibility for key areas such as foreign affairs and defence. The Prime Minister handles the day to day running of the country. The President is elected by directly by the people in a general election every five years and the Prime Minister is nominated by the President. The parliament consists of a National Assembly, directly elected every five years, and a Senate whose members are chosen by an electoral college. See more about the French elections of 2007.