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Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
© 123rf.com / Stephen Finn
France Travel Guide
Key Facts
Area:
545,630 sq km (339,054 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).
Population:
120 per sq km.
Population density:
112 per sq km.
Capital:
Paris. Population: 12.7 million (2.2 million in the city; 10.5 million in the suburbs) (2006).
Government:
Republic since 1792.
Head of state:
François Hollande since May 2012.
Head of government:
Prime Minister Francois Fillon since May 2007.
Electricity:
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used.
France - the world's most popular tourist destination - can confidently claim to offer it all, from glamorous beaches and storybook castles to panoramic countryside and city chic. It's a country of dramatic juxtapositions - the expansive boulevards of Paris, the timeless greenery of the Loire Valley, the wide slopes of the Alps, the lavender fields of Provence, the gourmet restaurants of Lyon, the rugged charm of Corsica - and one which, when taken as a whole, presents a near-perfect visitor package.
Paris itself is one of the globe's truly great cities: a multi-layered realm of high fashion, historical riches and haute cuisine. But seen in a wider context, it's just one of many world-class tourist destinations that France has to offer. "How could one describe a country which has 365 kinds of cheese?" once asked former French president Charles De Gaulle. It's a good question.
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