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Location
Western Europe.
Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Area
545,630 sq km (339,054 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).
Population
60.9 million (2006 estimate).
Population Density
111 per sq km.
Capital
Paris. Population: 12.7 million (2.2 million in the city; 10.5 million in the suburbs) (2006).
Geography
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.
EU
Member since 1958.
Government
Republic since 1792.
Head of State
Nicolas Sarkozy since May 2007.
Head of Government
Prime Minister Francois Fillon since May 2007.
Recent History
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.
Language
French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany. Many people, particularly those connected with tourism in the major areas, speak at least some English.
Religion
Approximately 83% Roman Catholic; Protestant 2%; Muslim 5%; Jewish 1%; unaffiliated 9%.
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used.
Social Conventions
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 January2008.
