Jack Goldstein - 101 Amazing Facts about France

Title Page

101 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT FRANCE

Jack Goldstein

Publisher Information

Published in 2013 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

The right of Jack Goldstein to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998

Copyright 2013 Jack Goldstein

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Disclaimer: All facts presented in this title were gained from common and reputable sources in print and on the internet. If any detail within this title is found to be incorrect, the author will be happy to publish a corrected version.

Introduction

In this amazing eBook you can find more than one hundred facts about the country of France. Separated into sections such as its geography, its people, famous French figures and many more you will find some fascinating information inside!

Whether you are planning on visiting France, working on a geography project or just want to know more about this beautiful country, this is an excellent addition to your bookshelf. Find the information you need, fast!

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Key Facts

1. France is the largest country in Western Europe.
2. Its main geographical territory covers more than 210,000 square miles.
3. It borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain.
4. The French boast the fifth largest economy in the world.
5. The capital of France is Paris.
6. France - as we know it today - was formed in 843 after splitting from the Carolingian Empire.
7. The country has a population of more than 63 million.
8. The currency used in France is the Euro.
9. It has a GDP of around 2 trillion Euros - at the time of writing that is around 2.7 trillion US Dollars.
10. According to the World Health Organisation, France provides the worlds best healthcare.

Famous French Figures

1. Coco Chanel (1883-1971) - Fashion Designer.
2. Marie Antoinette (1755-1793) - Queen of France known for saying Let them eat cake.
3. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) - founder of microbiology, invented pasteurization.
4. Claude Monet (1840-1926) - impressionist painter.
5. Marie Curie (1867-1934) - discovered radiation.
6. Victor Hugo (1802-1885) - Author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
7. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) - led the French army to victory.
8. The Montgolfier Brothers: Joseph (1740-1810) and Jacques (1745-1799) - invented the hot air balloon.
9. Louis Braille (1809-1852) - invented braille to help the blind read.
10. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) - Emperor of the French.

General Facts

1. France produces more than 400 types of cheese.
2. In France, a French kiss is known as a soul kiss.
3. More than 75 million tourists visit the country every year.
4. Neither French toast nor French fries were invented in France!
5. French was the worlds first international language, until English replaced it in the 20 th century.
6. The French spoken in Canada is so different to the language in France itself that many French people struggle to understand it.
7. The name France comes from a Germanic tribe called the Franks, who settled in the area after the collapse of the empire of Gaul.
8. Nicotine was named after Jean Nicot, a 16 th century French diplomat who introduced the tobacco plant to the country.
9. The national anthem of France is known as La Marseillaise - but was actually composed in Strasbourg, not Marseilles!
10. France was home to the worlds first department store - Le Bon Marche, founded in 1838 by Aristide Boucicaut.

France is Famous For...

1. Wine - with Bordeaux and Burgundies being classed as the best in the world.
2. Cheese - with Camembert being a world favourite.
3. Perfume - many of the finest perfumes are made there.
4. Cars - Renault, Citroen and Peugeot are some of the best known French manufacturers.
5. Fashion - Paris Fashion week is one of the highlights of the haute-couture calendar!
6. The Tour de France - the worlds premier cycling race.
7. Frogs Legs - The unusual food is considered a delicacy.
8. Snails - see above!
9. The Statue of Liberty - this was a gift to America in 1886. The original statue which was used as preparatory work for the one now in New York still stands in Paris, in Le Jardin de Luxembourg.
10. Foie Gras - a very controversial foodstuff.

The People of France

1. Around 85% of French citizens are catholic, with the next largest religious group being Muslim at around 10%.
2. Cooking and eating is high on the list of interests in the country - on average, two new cookbooks are published every day!
3. Despite their love of food however, French men have the lowest level of obesity in Europe.
4. Before 1964, women in France werent allowed to open a bank account without their husbands permission.
5. After the French Revolution in 1789, they countrys people created the worlds first true declaration of human rights.
6. The French kiss each other as a simple greeting. The number of kisses varies with the region - on the French-owned island of Corsica, five times is the norm!
7. France has more winners of the Nobel prize for literature than any other country.
8. The country has produced a fair number of inventors - French inventions include the submarine, photography, cinema, the hot air balloon and the adding machine.
9. July the 14 th is Bastille day, a national holiday where the entire country celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 (which help political prisoners) - the starting event of the French Revolution.
10. The French traditionally saw the British as their main enemy, fighting many, many wars against them over history. However this has changed in modern times, with them both fighting on the same side in the two world wars.

Landmarks to Visit

1. The Eiffel Tower
2. Sacre Coeur
3. The Louvre
4. Notre Dame
5. The Pompidou Centre
6. Arc de Triomphe
7. The Cit de Carcassonne
8. Chteau de Chambord
9. The Palace at Versailles
10. Place de la Bastille

The Eiffel Tower

1. The tower is 324 metres high.
2. It was the tallest building in the world until 1930.
3. It was built in 1889 for that years worlds fair.
4. The tower is named after the owner of the company who built it, engineer Gustave Eiffel.
5. Eiffel was not however the architect - this was a man called Stephen Sauvestre.
6. There are three viewing levels available for members of the public with the top level only generally accessible by lift.
7. In total there are 9 lifts in the structure.
8. The tower was initially built as a temporary structure, with it due to be dismantles in 1909!
9. The tower is actually painted in three different colours, with the darkest at the bottom and the lightest at the top - this is to enhance the perception of its height!
10. More than 200 million people have visited the tower in its lifetime.

Geography

1. France is home to two of Europes key mountain ranges - The Alps and the Pyrenees.
2. The country hosts the highest mountain in Europe - Mont Blanc, which is 4810m tall.