Useful information about France, including everything you need to know before leaving for a trip or vacation to this country.
France in a nutshell
- Capital: Paris
- Area in sq km: 543,965
- Population: 60,081,800 (first half 2001)
- Religion: Catholics, Muslims, Protestants, Jews.
Where is it
France is bordered to the north with the North Sea, to the north east with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, to the east with Switzerland and Italy, to the south with the Mediterranean Sea and Spain, to the west with the Atlantic Ocean, to the north west with The Sleeve.
Reliefs of medium height with rounded edges such as the Armorican Massif in the west, that of the Ardennes and the Vosges in the east and the Central Massif in the center, date back to the Paleozoic era.
In the Mesozoic era, the Paris Basin and the Aquitaine Basin were formed. In the Cenozoic (therefore geologically younger) the Jura, the Pyrenees and the Alps.
The French coasts are varied, on the Atlantic Ocean and on the English Channel they are low and sandy in the south and high and rocky in the north.
On the Mediterranean Sea the coasts are rocky jagged in the east, instead in the west they are low and sandy.
Hydrography
The largest rivers in France are: the Seine, the Loire and the Garonne which flow into the Atlantic Ocean and the Rhone which flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Rhine River also flows for a small stretch in French territory.
There are numerous tributaries that pay to these large rivers.
Climate
Another important consideration for those who want to do tourism in France, is to take into account the climatic conditions.
In France we can distinguish different types of climate. Oceanic climate in Normandy and Brittany, with frequent rains, is mild in winter and cool in summer.
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In central areas and Paris the climate is less rainy and more continental than the ocean coast.
In the regions on the border with Germany the climate has continental characteristics with cold winters and fairly hot and stormy summers.
In the French regions located between the Massif Central and the Alps, winter is quite cold and summer hot, (semi-continental type).
In mountain regions, rainfall is often snowy and cold winters.
On the southern coast of France the climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers.
Population
In France there is a greater population density, especially in the industrial regions (North, East, Saint-Etienne) and around Paris, as well as in some specialized agricultural regions (Languedoc, Alsace, Val de Loire), on the Breton and Provencal coasts and close to ports.
The scattered rural settlement is present in the section of the Central Massif and in the eastern part of the country.
Time zone
Throughout the year in France the time is the same as in Italy.
Spoken language
The official language is French.
In addition there are some regional languages, including Corsican (Corsica), Basque and Catalan (Pyrenees), Breton (Brittany), Flemish Dutch (Flanders and Hainaut), Alsatian (Alsace and Lorenza), for which the use was not encouraged from the French government until not long ago.
Economy
France is one of the great economic powers of the world.
Its economy involves collaboration between large private companies and state bodies, between 1980 and 1986 there was the nationalization of different sectors.
The state controls the telecommunications, electricity, railways and aviation sectors.
The government's trend today is to gradually release control of certain sectors by selling their holdings on the stock exchange.
Although agriculture occupies only 6% of the population, France excels as an agricultural producer in Europe.
The main sectors of the industry are the chemical, engineering, automotive, aeronautical, metallurgical, textile, energy and food sectors.
In France, the service sector plays an important role, in particular the tourism sector.
The products of the manufacturing companies in France are mostly exported.
When to go
All months of the year are good for organizing trips to France.
Necessary documents
In order to enter France, Italian citizens need an identity card valid for expatriation or a passport.
The country is part of the European Union and adheres to the Schengen agreement.
Phone
To call France from Italy, you must dial 0033 followed by the prefix without the 0 and the required number.
To call Italy from France, the desired number must be preceded by 0039.
Electricity
Electricity is 220 volts.
Currency
The official French currency is the euro.
ATM withdrawals can be made and credit cards are normally used.
How to get
From Italy it is possible to reach France by any means of transport.
plane
Air France, Alitalia and various low cost airlines connect several Italian cities to the French ones.
Train, bus, car
Rail and bus connections are also good, and you can also get there easily by car.
The main road access routes from Italy are the tunnels of Mont Blanc, Frejus, Gran San Bernardo, Piccolo San Bernardo, Monceniso and Monginevro, or passing through Ventimiglia for those coming from Liguria.
