Western Europe.

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

545,630 sq km (339,054 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).

61.8 million (2008 estimate).

112 per sq km.

Paris. Population: 12.7 million (2.2 million in the city; 10.5 million in the suburbs) (2006).

France, the largest country in Europe, is bordered to the north by the English Channel (La Manche), the northeast by Belgium and Luxembourg, the east by Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the south by the Mediterranean (with Monaco as a coastal enclave between Nice and the Italian frontier), the southwest by Spain and Andorra, and the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The island of Corsica, southeast of Nice, is made up of two départements. The country offers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to the attractive river valleys of the Loire, Rhône and Dordogne and the flatter countryside in Normandy and on the Atlantic coast. The country has some 2,900km (1,800 miles) of coastline.

Member since 1958.

Republic since 1792.

Nicolas Sarkozy since May 2007.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon since May 2007.

Jacques Chirac's reign as French president finally came to an end on 16 May 2007 with the ruling party's Nicolas Sarkozy winning a decisive victory in the second round of the presidential election. He won 53% of the vote, finishing six points ahead of his Socialist rival, Segolene Royal. Sarkozy then almost immediately appointed his right-hand man and moderate conservative senator Francois Fillon as prime minister.

Measures taken by his government have tried to boost growth by reducing taxes and passing a 'Modernization of the Economy Law' to facilitate the creation of new businesses. But in September 2008, Sarkozy had to declare an end to 'Laissez faire capitalism' and revert to state interventionism. Meanwhile high unemployment and the problem of pensions still need solving.

Issues related to climate change are also on Sarkozy's agenda, and he has stated his intention to push forward a progressive energy package to reduce CO2 emissions during his tenure as EU president (a post he holds until January 2009).

French is the official language. There are many regional dialects, but these are rapidly declining, with the exception of Basque, which is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton,which is spoken by some in Brittany. Many people speak at least some English.

Approximately 83% Roman Catholic; Protestant 2%; Muslim 5%; Jewish 1%; unaffiliated 9%.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used.

Shaking hands and, more familiarly, kissing both cheeks, are the usual forms of greeting. The form of personal address is simply Monsieur or Madame without a surname and it may take time to get on first-name terms. At more formal dinners, it is the most important guest or host who gives the signal to start eating. Mealtimes are often a long, leisurely experience. Casual wear is common. Social functions, some clubs, casinos and exclusive restaurants warrant more formal attire. Evening wear is normally specified where required. Topless sunbathing is tolerated on most beaches but naturism is restricted to certain beaches - local tourist offices will advise where these are. A ban on smoking in workplaces (including airports, railway stations, shops and offices etc) came into force in February 2007, and bars and restaurants joined the list in January 2008.