France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is in Western Europe, with overseas regions and territories in the Americas, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific. Its capital is Paris.
France is a republic with a strong presidency, a prime minister, and a bicameral parliament. It is a member of the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, the Council of Europe, the G7, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
Geography
Metropolitan France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Andorra. It has coastlines on the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The country includes plains, major river valleys, mountain ranges, and coastal regions. The Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Vosges, and Jura shape much of its physical geography. Major rivers include the Seine, Loire, Garonne, and Rhone.
France also includes overseas territories such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, and other island territories.
Population
INSEE estimated the population of France at about 69.1 million inhabitants on 1 January 2026. The population is ageing, with people aged 65 or over making up a large and growing share of the country.
Paris is the capital and largest urban centre. Other major cities include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lille, and Rennes.
Government
France's current constitutional system is the Fifth Republic, founded in 1958. The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, who leads the government.
Parliament is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate. The French system is often described as semi-presidential because executive authority is shared between the president and the government, with the balance depending on election results and parliamentary support.
History
France developed from Roman Gaul, the Frankish kingdoms, and the medieval French monarchy. It became one of Europe's major powers through royal centralisation, military expansion, trade, and cultural influence.
The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended the old monarchy. It reshaped French politics around citizenship, republicanism, secular authority, rights, and national sovereignty. The Napoleonic period spread French influence across Europe but ended in military defeat and restoration politics.
Modern France was shaped by industrialisation, colonial expansion, the First World War, the Second World War, decolonisation, and the creation of the Fifth Republic. Its post-war history includes European integration, social reform, immigration, and repeated debates over secularism, national identity, and the role of the state.
Economy
France has a large, diversified economy. Important sectors include services, manufacturing, aerospace, transport, luxury goods, agriculture, energy, tourism, and public services. INSEE's economic dashboard reported that GDP slightly fell back in the first quarter of 2026.
The country is known for major firms in aerospace, rail, energy, finance, food, fashion, cosmetics, and technology. Agriculture remains culturally and economically important, especially wine, dairy, cereals, and regional food production.
Culture and Tourism
France has a major cultural presence in literature, philosophy, film, fashion, art, architecture, food, and music. French is the national language and is also used internationally through Francophone institutions.
Tourism is a major part of France's economy and public image. France Diplomatie describes France as one of the world's leading tourist destinations, helped by its cities, coastlines, mountain regions, museums, food culture, historic sites, and overseas destinations.
References
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