Location
France, culturally and historically one of the most important countries in the Western world, has also played a major role in international politics. With past colonies in every region of the world, France has had a presence in almost every aspect of modern-day life (Rickard, 2003). France has, for a very long time, served as a geographical, socioeconomic, and linguistic bridge between northern and southern Europe by virtue of its location between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean Sea, as well as the Alps and the Pyrenees. It is one of the major industrial powers in the globe as well as the country that produces the most agricultural goods in Europe.
Language
Linguists believe that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of seventy-five different regional languages spoken in France. Certain of them are taught in schools, such as Occitan, Alsatian, Basque, Breton, and Corsican (Hunt, 1986). Some of the Melanesian languages, such as Tahitian, are also taught in some schools. Four hundred thousand students in France’s public and private schools are educated in one of the country’s official regional languages each and every school year.
Climate
The climate of France is characterized by moderate winters and warm summers, with the exception of the Mediterranean coast, which has mild winters and scorching summers on average. Temperatures in the winter vary from 32 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, while summer temperatures range from 61 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit on average (Aykut et al., 2012). Traveling to the southern part of the nation will provide you the most amount of warmth and sunlight. The areas of Provence and Languedoc are distinguished by having pleasant winters and summers that may reach searing highs. The winters in Paris are mild and somewhat wet, while the summers here are often quite hot. Paris is located in both the northern and central areas.
History
When the Celts first settled in the area, it was known as Gaul or Gallia, and France was a part of it. Its current name comes from the Latin Francia, which translates to “country of the Franks.” The Franks were a Germanic people that invaded the region in the 5th century, about the time when the Western Roman Empire was collapsing. This is when its current name was given. In the 9th century, it established its independence as a nation-state (Hunt, 1986).
France has consistently been a key player in both European and global affairs since the 17th century. In the 20th century, it went through a number of difficult times, including the destruction of two world wars, social and political uprisings, and the loss of a big empire in Algeria, West and Equatorial Africa and Indochina. Despite all of these challenges, it managed to emerge stronger than ever.
