FRANCE

France, is a unitary semi-presidential republic located mostly in Western Europe, with several overseas regions and territories. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. From its shape, it is often referred to in French as lHexagone ("The Hexagon"). The Arc de Triomphe de l'toile is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle (originally named Place de l'toile), at the western end of the Champs-lyses. The Arc is located on the right bank of the Seine at the centre of a dodecagonal configuration of twelve radiating avenues. It was commissioned in 1806 after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes.

The Muse du Louvre, the Louvre Museum or simply The Louvreis one of the world's largest museums, and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, France, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine. Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres. With more than 8 million visitors each year, the Louvre is the world's most visited museum.

Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci

The Palace of Versailles or simply Versailles, is a royal chteau in Versailles in the le-de-France region of France. In French it is the Chteau de Versailles. When the chteau was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Rgime.

FOOD

French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 78 billion bottles. France is the world's second largest wine producer behind Italy. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France.

Steak frites, meaning steak [and] fries, is a very common and popular dish served in Brasseries throughout French-speaking Europe. Traditionally, there are from 350 to 400 distinct types of French cheese grouped into eight categories 'les huit familles de fromage'. There can be many varieties within each type of cheese, leading some to claim closer to 1,000 different types of French cheese.

Religieuses