Discovering France

• > Profile of France

  Generalities

• > Institutions

  The Constitution of 4 October 1958 provides the institutional basis for the Fifth Republic. It has been amended several times to institute (...)

• > French society

  The most recent census was in March 1999. On 1 January 2000, Metropolitan and Overseas France had 60.4 million inhabitants, including 4 million (...)

• > Culture and leisure

  Books In 1999, 49,808 books were published including 24,485 new titles and 25,323 reprints; 411 million copies were printed by 331 publishing (...)

• > Economy

  France is the world’s fourth largest economic power in terms of GDP. The country’s assets are varied and include its transport and (...)

• > The single currency

  On 1 January 2002, the euro became the single currency for 300 million Europeans living in 12 European Union countries (euro area). The (...)

• > France’s foreign policy

  France’s foreign policy is based on certain fundamental principles: the right of peoples to self-determination, respect for human rights and (...)

• > Traveling in France

  France is the most visited country in the world and has so much to offer to tourists of all tastes, from cities of high cultural interest, lovely (...)

• > Taking a walk in Paris

  Paris, the City of Lights, nevertheless has some unsuspected and inspiring treasures and unexpected, enchanting and exotic secrets: a cloister (...)