QUICK REFERENCE COUNTRY PROFILE:

FRANCE

PIC: Le Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower)

OFFICIAL NAME:

RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE

(FRENCH REPUBLIC)

FLAG:

PIC: Le Drapeau Tricolore de la France

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE:

FRENCH

CURRENCY:

EURO

PIC: Euro Currency

MAP:

PIC: Map of France

BORDERING COUNTRIES:

ANDORRA, BELGIUM, GERMANY, ITALY, MONACO, 

LUXEMBOURG, SPAIN & SWITZERLAND

CAPITAL & LARGEST CITY:

PARIS

SECOND LARGEST CITY:

MARSEILLE

THIRD LARGEST CITY:

LYON

NATIONAL ANTHEM:

"LA MARSEILLAISE"

NATIONAL HOLIDAY:

BASTILLE DAY - JULY 14th

NATIONAL MOTTO:

LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ

(LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY)

NATIONAL BIRD:

PIC: Gallic Rooster

HIGHEST POINT:

MONT BLANC

PIC: 'Mont Blanc' - the highest mountain in western Europe

LOWEST POINT:

RHONE RIVER DELTA

LONGEST RIVER:

LOIRE RIVER

LARGEST LAKE:

LAKE GENEVA

(shared with Switzerland)

BORDERING OCEAN:

ATLANTIC OCEAN

BORDERING SEA:

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

LARGEST ISLAND:

CORSICA

PIC: Corsica in relation to mainland France

LARGEST RELIGION:

ROMAN CATHOLICISM

MOST POPULAR SPORT:

FOOTBALL (SOCCER)

PIC: Thierry Henry - legend of French football

PRESIDENT:

FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE

(as at 18.05.12)

PIC: François Hollande

PRIME MINISTER:

JEAN-MARC AYRAULT

(as at 18.05.12)

PIC: Jean-Marc Ayrault

HELLO:

BON JOUR (daytime)

BON SOIR (at night)

SALUT (informal, anytime)

GOODBYE:

AU REVOIR

THANK YOU (VERY MUCH):

MERCI (BEAUCOUP)

EXCUSE ME:

EXCUSEZ-MOI

DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?:

PARLEZ-VOUS ANGLAIS?

I DO NOT SPEAK FRENCH:

JE NE PARLE PAS FRANÇAIS