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France map in Russian. The capital of France, flag, history of the country. Detailed map France with cities and roads

(French Republic)

General information

Geographical position. French Republic is a state in Western Europe. In the west and north, the territory of France is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, in the south by the Mediterranean Sea, so the maritime borders of France can be conditionally divided into three parts. This is the Mediterranean coast, the coastal strip of the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic and the shores of the English Channel. Thanks to the significant extent of its maritime boundaries France has 11 million sq. km of exclusive economic zone. In the southwest, the Pyrenees separate the French borders from Spain. In the southeast France has common border with Italy. Mountain ranges The Alps and Jura create a natural barrier in the east. Here France borders Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.

The island of Corsica is part of French territory. The republic's overseas territories are extensive. These include a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia(located in Melanesia, total area -19 thousand km), since 1853 - declared a French possession, in 1864-1896. was a place of exile to hard labor; and French Polynesia (located in the central part Pacific Ocean, total area - 4 thousand square meters. km). The other two French overseas territories are Wallis and Futuna, as well as Southern lands and French Antarctica.

Square. The territory of France occupies 543,965 square meters. km.

Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of France is Paris. Largest cities: Paris (9,400 thousand people), Marseille (1,200 thousand people), Lyon (1,200 thousand people), Lille (1,000 thousand people), Bordeaux (400 thousand people), Toulouse (380 thousand . people), Nice (350 thousand people), Nantes (300 thousand people), Strasbourg (270 thousand people), Toulon (250 thousand people), Rouen (200 thousand people).

France is divided into 96 administrative divisions. Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guiana, Reunion, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon have a special status as overseas departments. In addition, France includes a number of overseas territories.

Political system

France is a republic. The head of state is the president. The head of government is the prime minister. The legislative body is the parliament, consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly. .

Relief. Geographic relief continental France is diverse: the western and northern regions are occupied by plains and lowlands; in the center and in the east there are mid-high mountains (Massif Central, Vosges, Jura). The Pyrenees stretch in the southwest of the country, the Alps in the southeast, and the Ardennes in the northwest. The tallest Mountain peak France and Western Europe - Mont Blanc (4,807 m).

Geological structure and minerals. On the territory of France there are deposits of coal, iron ore, bauxite, and zinc.

Climate. France can be divided into five climatic zones. The smallest of them occurs in the mountainous regions of France, where the air temperature is usually 5 degrees lower than in the country as a whole. The mountains receive up to 2,000 mm of precipitation per year.

The second climatic zone is in the east of the country, it is characterized by a large temperature range throughout the year. In winter it is about 0°C, in summer the temperature can rise to 30°C.

Coast Mediterranean Sea and the Rhone Valley to Lyon belongs to the subtropical Mediterranean climate zone. The Alpine mountain ranges prevent warm cyclones from penetrating into the interior of the country from the southeast, which determines special climatic conditions in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Lyon. The air temperature in this area in the winter months is +5°C, +12°C, in the summer +18°C, +26°C. 600-1,000 mm of precipitation falls here annually.

The central part of the country makes up another climate zone - the Atlantic. It is almost no different from the Mediterranean in terms of precipitation, but it is characterized by large temperature fluctuations. For example, in Paris during the winter months average temperature air temperature is +2°С, +5°С, and in summer +15°С, +24°С.

The last mentioned climate zone is located along Atlantic coast. The proximity of the sea determines increased air humidity and a more even pattern of temperature fluctuations throughout the year with similar amounts of precipitation. In winter, thermometers show +3°C, +8°C, in summer +12°C, +19°C.

Inland waters. Large rivers on the territory of the country - the Seine (776 km), cities such as Paris and Rouen owe their history to it; Rhône (812 km), which originates among the alpine ridges of Switzerland and serves as the main source of hydroelectric power for France; Loire-most long river in the country (1012 km), Garonne (647 km).

Soils and vegetation. 24% of the territory is occupied by forests in which walnut, birch, oak, spruce, and cork grow. On the Mediterranean coast there are palm trees and citrus fruits.

Animal world. The fauna of France is characterized by fox, badger, wild cat, deer, wild boar, roe deer, squirrel, hare, fallow deer, as well as birds - partridge, hazel grouse, snipe, pheasant, woodcock, magpie, thrush, sparrow, pigeon, hawk.

About 58 million people live in the French Republic. The average population density in France is 106 people per 1 sq. km. State language The country is French. Only on the outskirts of France do the population use other languages ​​to communicate in everyday life: Basque (Pyrenees), Italian (Corsica), Flemish (Dunkirque region), German (Alsace), Breton (Western Brittany).

Religion

The main religion in France is Catholicism (47 million people). It is followed in terms of the number of adherents by: Islam (4 million), Protestantism (950 thousand), Judaism (700 thousand), Orthodoxy (120 thousand).

Brief historical sketch

People began to live on the territory of modern France more than a million years ago. The first dated information about settlements on these lands dates back to 600 BC. e., when Greek merchants from Asia Minor founded their colony of Massalia on the site of modern Marseille.

In VI BC. e. from of Eastern Europe The Celts, whom the Romans called Gauls, invaded the territory of modern France and then settled in the northeast and center of the country. Hence the ancient name of the country - Gaul.

Around 220 BC e. The territory of Caesalpine Gaul (between the Po River and the Alps) was subjugated by the Romans.

In 125-118 BC e. The Romans conquered the entire Mediterranean coast, and a Roman province, Narbonese Gaul, was created in the south of Gaul.

In 58-51 BC e. Caesar, at that time proconsul of Gaul, using the struggle between individual Celtic tribes and the orientation of some of them towards the Suebi Germans, drove the Germans beyond the Rhine and conquered the lands of Transalpine Gaul (between the Alps, Pyrenees, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean).

Roman colonization had a great impact on the country. Large estates of local rulers, roads, and cities appeared in it. The Celtic languages ​​were, albeit very slowly, replaced by Latin. In 16 BC. e. Gaul was divided into 4 Roman provinces.

In the II century. The first Christian communities appeared in the southern Gallic cities, which by the end of the 4th century. are beginning to dominate the country.

In 258, the Gallic Empire was formed, which in 273 joined the once powerful Rome.

BIII century The fall of the Western Roman Empire begins under the blows of waves of barbarian invasions. The first mention of an attack by Frankish tribes on Roman territories dates back to this time.

In 406, the state of the Burgundians was created on the territory of Gaul (it was finally formed by 457 with its center in Lyon), in 418 - the states of the Germanic Visigoths (Kingdom of Toulouse) appeared in the south of Gaul.

The wave of barbarian invasions was stopped on July 15, 451, when, in the battle of the Catalaunian fields, a united army of the Romans, Visigoths, Franks and Burgundians defeated the hordes of Attila, and then drove the Huns out of Gaul.

The lands of the future France, however, did not remain under the rule of the Romans, but became part of the newly formed Frankish state, where the Merovingian dynasty began to rule. Its founder is considered to be Merovey, who, according to legend, appeared before people in the form of a monster emerging from the sea, and its main representative is Clovis (died in 511).

In 481, 15-year-old Clovis was proclaimed king of the Salic Franks, whose center had previously been the city of Tournai (currently in Belgium). In 486, Clovis defeated the troops of the Roman governor Syagrius, who retained power in the center of Gaul with his capital in Soissons after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

In 507, in a duel, Clovis killed the Visigoth king Alaric and thereby acquired rights to new lands in Aquitaine. Under Clovis, in 496, the Alemanni, who lived along the Middle and Upper Rhine, were also subjugated. In 497, the Frankish king occupied Paris, and in 507 he also conquered the possessions of the eastern Franks in the lower reaches of the Rhine.

Under the sons of Clovis, the kingdom of the Burgundians was subjugated in 534, Provence, the Alpine possessions of the Alemanni and a number of other territories in the lands of what is now France were subjugated in 536.

In the 7th century The Frankish state was actually divided into several parts. Three independent kingdoms emerge: Austrasia (“ Eastern State"), Neustria ("New Western State") and Burgundy.

The revival of a unified Frankish state began only under the new royal dynasty.

An important date in the history of the country is 732, when the Franks, led by Charles Martel, were able to defeat the Arabs at Tours and Poitiers, defending the independence of the country and stopping the Arab offensive in Western Europe. The Frisians, Alamanni and Bavarians who attacked the country were also defeated.

In 751, Pepin the Short (a representative of the family of mayors of Austrasia, the future Carolingians), having secured the support of the Pope, overthrew the last ruler from the Merovingian family, Dagobert II (who was tonsured a monk) and proclaimed himself the rightful king.

In 768, the Frankish throne was occupied by Charles (742-814), nicknamed the Great. Charles' conquests (the Lombard kingdom in Italy (773-774), the Saxon region (772-804), lands south of the Pyrenees and other territories) led to the formation of the vast Holy Roman Empire in 800.

Charles's son, Louis the Pious (778-840), tried unsuccessfully to maintain the integrity of the inherited state and was forced (for the first time in 817) to divide control between his sons.

Under the grandchildren of Charlemagne in 843, according to the treaty concluded at Verdun, the empire was divided between Lothair (he received the lands of Italy and the territory along the Rhine and Rhone - subsequently Lorraine), Charles the Bald (he received lands west of the Rhine) and Louis the German (he became the ruler of the lands east of the Rhine). From that time on, the Carolingians ruled: in Italy until 905, in Germany until 911, in France until 987.

In 885-886. The Normans (Vikings) besiege Paris, but serious territorial losses occur during the reign of Charles III the Simple. In 911, although he captured Lorraine, he ceded the northern territories to the Normans, who in the 9th-10th centuries. thanks to constant raids, they form numerous colonies and west coast France, including in the Seine Valley. Charles III was captured by the nobility, who rebelled against him, and was imprisoned from 923.

In the 10th century The collapse of the once unified state occurs, in which power passes to more than 20 semi-independent counts and dukes (Anjou, Poitou, Champagne, etc.). Royal power becomes elective. From the end of the 9th century. The Counts of Paris from the Robertin family began to seek election more often than others. After 987, when one of the Robertins, Hugo Capet, became king, royal power was consistently assigned to representatives of this family. After the name of the founder of the royal family, Hugh Capet, it began to be called the Capetian dynasty.

In 1066, the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy from 1035), landed in England, defeated the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II and became the rulers of the country. In 1154, the royal throne in England was occupied by the Angevin dynasty of the Plantagenets, who were also the Dukes of Normandy. Originated in the 12th century. The rivalry between the rulers of France and England became the basis of conflicts not only in Europe, but also in the world for many centuries.

Period XI - XIII centuries. was the time of the development of trade, the emergence and growth of cities (especially during the period of the Crusades), the formation of knighthood, the establishment of royal power in the face of feudal lords, the internal colonization of the country's lands, and the great influence of monastic orders.

The third representative of the Capetian family was Henry I, who was married to the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Anna. Henry I, according to Capetian custom, crowned an heir in 1059, when his son Philip was seven years old. About a year after the coronation of Philip I, Henry died, leaving custody of his son to Anna Yaroslavna. Under Philip I, for the first time after a long break, the kings' possessions began to grow again. His reign also included the convening of a church council by Pope Urban II in 1095 in the city of Clermont (southern France), at which the beginning of the Crusades was proclaimed. On July 14, 1099, Christians liberated Jerusalem.

During the period when the French king Louis VII led the 2nd Crusade (1147-1149), his mentor, Abbot Suger, the famous builder of Saint-Denis, became the regent of the country. For his wise and fair reign, upon his return, the king ordered to call Suger “father of the nation.”

In 1152, Louis VII annulled his marriage to Alienore, Duchess of Aquitaine, resulting in the loss of the Duchess's lands to France. Soon Alienora married Henry Plantagenet, who ascended the English throne in 1154, and Aquitaine went to England. All this complicated the already difficult situation in northern France and Britain.

In 1300, Philip IV the Fair managed to capture Flanders, but as a result of the uprising of cities in this area, it was lost again two years later.

In 1302, Philip IV convened the first Estates General, and under him a class monarchy emerged.

In 1347-1348 A plague epidemic that came from the East broke out in the country. The situation was complicated by constant wars within the country between the nobility. Economic development was delayed for a long time by the Hundred Years' War. The country was destroyed, the population could not stand the tax burden.

In 1356, during the Battle of Poitiers, the French king John the Good and his best knights were captured.

In February 1358, an uprising of artisans took place in Paris, who hoped to establish in the country the rule of King Charles the Evil of Navarre, the grandson of Louis.

Vika X. The leader of the uprising was the wealthy merchant Etienne Marcel. The Dauphin fled the capital. Preparing for decisive battles, he set up a blockade of Paris, hoping to defeat it by starvation.

In 1358, France was gripped by a peasant revolt. Based on the nickname Jacques the Simpleton, which was given to the peasants by French nobles, it was called Jacquerie.

In 1422, the kings of England and France died one after another. Power formally passes to the young king Henry VI, but some of the French defended the rights of Charles VII, who lived either in the city of Buge or in the castle of the city of Chinon. The British and Burgundians are seizing one province after another and, it would seem, dynastic disputes will soon lose their relevance. However, in February 1429, a young girl came to the Dauphin Charles, who called herself Joan of Arc, and stated that God had sent her to lift the English siege of Orleans, crown the Dauphin in Reims and expel the British from France. The Dauphin decided trust Jeanne. In a short time, an army of seven thousand was assembled in Blois. On April 29, Jeanne rode into Orleans on a white horse with a waving flag, and already on May 8, 1429, the British were forced to lift the siege of the city, which lasted more than 200 days. On June 16, it was restored French royalty, Charles VII was solemnly crowned in Reims in the presence of Joan of Arc. Joan's desperate efforts, with the help of small detachments, to liberate Paris and the country amazed both her opponents and her supporters. On May 23, 1430, while trying to lift the siege from the Compiegne fortress, the “Maiden of Orleans” was captured by the Burgundians. They kept the girl chained in the tower for almost six months, and then sold her to the English for the sum of 10 thousand gold, which was usually put on the king’s head. The British organized a church trial, which declared Joan of Arc a witch. On May 30, 1431, accused of heresy, Joan was burned at the stake in Rouen (in 1920 she was canonized by the Catholic Church).

By the end of the 15th century. There were already 15 universities in France; in 1474, the inventor of printing, Gutenberg, became a French citizen.

In 1491, the son and successor of Louis XI, Charles VIII, married Duchess Anne of Brittany, and with this marriage the last major duchy - Brittany - actually became part of the lands of the French crown. Having largely completed the unification of modern French lands, the state became the largest and most populous in Western Europe.

The constant rivalry between the French rulers and the Habsburgs led to a war for the possession of Italy. In 1494-1559. the Italian wars were fought with varying success between France and Spain (with the intervention of other states, including Turkey). According to the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresia in 1559, France renounced its claims to the territory of Italy, most of which was under Spanish rule. This period, however, was a time of comparative calm within France, a period of cultural upsurge of the country, when such geniuses of the Renaissance as Leonardo da Vinci, Michel Montaigne, Francois Villon, Pierre Ronsard, Francois Rabelais and many others worked on its territory.

Since the 20s of the 16th century. ideas of the Reformation begin to spread in France. Created in 1547, the “Fiery Chamber”, designed to fight heretics in the country, could not prevent the growth of the number of supporters of the Reformation, especially in the south of the country.

After Henry II, his three sons reigned: Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III. At the time of his coronation in 1559, Francis II was 15 years old. He was a glutton and a sensualist who actually transferred power to the Lorraine Guises, relatives of his wife Mary (Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland). François Guise became the head of the army, the Bishop of Lorraine and the cardinal took control of the civil administration. A supporter of the Guises was the king’s mother, Catherine de’ Medici, who sought to remove the late king’s favorite, Constable Montmorency, and his relatives, Admiral Coligny and his brothers, from power. Among the opponents and rivals of the Guizs were relatives of the royal house, the Bourbons.

Already in August 1559, the three leaders of the future opposition - Antoine Bourbon, his brother Condé and Admiral Coligny - decided to “free the king” from the “tyranny” of the Guises, and to do this, establish guardianship over the minor king by his closest relative, Bourbon. It was decided to capture the king and then act on his behalf. At the head of the so-called Amboise conspiracy (the royal court was then located in the castle of Amboise) was the Prince of Condé, who took advantage of the discontent of the army due to its partial dissolution in accordance with the text of the peace treaty of Cateau-Cambresis. In 1560, the conspiracy was discovered and brutally suppressed, Antoine Bourbon and Condé were arrested, but they were saved by the unexpected death of the king. Charles IX ascended the throne, whose guardian Antoine Bourbon briefly became. Catherine de Medici, aware of the conspiracies, tried to maintain a balance between Guise and the noble opposition and influence affairs, but the events of 1562 destroyed her plans. On March 1 of this year, Francois Guise dealt with a crowd of Huguenots in the town of Vassy, ​​which was the reason for the start of religious wars between Catholics and Protestants, which lasted until 1598.

The wedding of King Henry of Navarre and the sister of the French king Margaret of Valois took place in August 1572. After the wedding, on August 24, St. Bartholomew's Night, between 2 and 4 o'clock in the morning (hence the name Bartholomew's Night), the infamous massacre of the Huguenots took place in Paris on the orders of Catherine de Medici. Admiral Coligny was one of the first to be killed; Henry of Navarre and Condé, who lived in the Louvre, saved themselves by converting to Catholicism. A new stage of the Huguenot wars began, which was characterized by two features. The first is the desire of the opposition to overthrow the Valois dynasty, the second is the creation in the south of the country by the Huguenot minority of a real state within a state.

In 1624-1642. The first minister of Louis XIII was the Cardinal and Duke of Richelieu (Armand Jean du Plessis) (1586-1642), who was able to establish the system of absolutism in France. Without encroaching on the religious feelings of the Huguenots, Richelieu began a decisive struggle against their military-political organization led by the Duke of Rohan. In 1628, after many years of siege, the port city of La Rochelle was taken, and in 1629 the last centers of Huguenot resistance in mountainous areas Languedoc.

Soon after the death of the famous cardinal, Richelieu became the successor in 1643-1661. Cardinal Mazarin was the first minister of France during the regency of the king's mother, Anne of Austria. She, like Marie de Medici, had to face demands from the nobility for new awards and pensions, and expansion of the rights of aristocrats. The protracted Thirty Years' War and rising taxes also caused numerous peasant uprisings in the country. The events of the so-called Fronde (literally “sling”) broke out in France.

When Mazarin died in March 1661, the 22-year-old King Louis XIV announced that from now on he himself would be prime minister. For 54 years, he personally dealt with the most important issues in the life of the state. Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” with his statement “The State is I,” became a symbol of absolute power.

In 1733-1735 France became embroiled in the War of the Polish Succession because Louis XV was married to the daughter of the hapless Polish king Stanislaw Leszczynski, who had been dethroned by Peter I. Finding itself diplomatically isolated, France was forced to end the war. B1740-1748 gt. France took part in the War of the Austrian Succession, which also brought nothing to the country except sacrifices and expenses. The intensification of the struggle for the colonies led in 1756-1763. to the Seven Years' War between France, Russia, Spain, Saxony, Sweden, Austria on the one hand, and England (in union with Hanover), Portugal and Prussia on the other. In accordance with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France ceded almost all of its colonies to England North America(Canada, East Louisiana) and India. An important acquisition was the purchase of the island of Corsica from Genoa in 1768.

In March - April 1789, a wave of popular unrest swept across France. The urban poor were especially active, demanding bread and cheap food prices. The king was forced on May 5, 1789, for the first time in a century and a half, to convene the Estates General. The Assembly of the Third Estate proclaimed itself the National and then the Constituent Assembly. On July 14, 1789, after Necker's resignation and the royal court's attempt to launch a counteroffensive, the people took to the streets of Paris and stormed the Bastille prison fortress. On August 26 of the same year, the Constituent Assembly proclaimed the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The first laws of the Constituent Assembly approved a new administrative division of the country and abolished the class division of society. At the proposal of Talleyrand, the former bishop of Autun, all property and landed property of the church were confiscated.

On April 8, 1792, France declared war on Austria, and all men capable of bearing arms were drafted into the army. On August 10, 1792, royal power was overthrown in France and republican rule was established. This led to the creation of the 1st anti-French coalition of European powers (1792-1797), which also included England, Holland, Spain, and a number of Italian and German states. The revolutionaries responded to this in September 1792 with mass terror against the aristocracy.

The Jacobins came to power in Paris and abolished all feudal rights, duties and taxes; lands that belonged to the nobility were distributed to the peasants; The emigrants' lands were put up for sale in small plots. On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was executed on charges of conspiracy against freedom. On June 2, 1793, the Jacobin dictatorship was established in the country. During the Great French Revolution and then the Directory, revolutionary government troops carried out grueling military operations not only against external enemies, but also against royalists in the western provinces of the country, which, after the main center of opponents of the revolution (the Vendee department), were called the Vendee Wars.

On Thermidor 9 (July 27), 1794, the Jacobins, led by Robespierre, accused of tyranny, were arrested and guillotined without trial. On October 5, 1795, the monarchists tried to seize power in the country, but the decisive actions of Napoleon Bonaparte forced the rebels to surrender under the threat of guns. Power in the country actually passed from the Convention to the Directory in 1795, headed by Paul Barras.

By 1795, French troops occupied all of Belgium, transforming the country into nine new departments; Holland was turned into a "daughter" Batavian Republic; Some Spanish and German territories were annexed to France.

In April 1796, the French army of Napoleon Bonaparte, having crossed the Alps, defeated the Sardinian troops, and Sardinia made peace. On May 10, the French defeated the Austrians at Lodi and in June besieged the fortress of Mantua. The fall of Mantua in 1797 opened the way for the French to Vienna, which allowed them to conclude the profitable Campoformic Peace.

In 1798-1802 The battles with the French troops were fought by the new, 2nd coalition. The actions of Russian troops in Northern Italy under the leadership of Field Marshal A.V. Suvorov and the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea under the command of F.F. Ushakov led to the temporary liberation of Italy.

In November 1799 (18 Brumaire), Napoleon Bonaparte carried out a coup d'état, as a result of which he became first consul and concentrated all power in his hands. In numerous battles and wars, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered many European countries. Particularly noteworthy is the battle of December 2, 1805 at Austerlitz. By 1812, all of Western and Central Europe, with the exception of Sweden, Portugal, Sicily and Sardinia, was dependent on France.

In 1804, Bonaparte was proclaimed emperor by Napoleon I. In July 1812, the French emperor began a campaign in Russia. The Battle of Borodino and the entry of French troops into Moscow seemed to be evidence of Napoleon's victory, but by November 1812 the French emperor had only about 5 thousand soldiers left in the ranks. At the same time, in France, Brigadier General Claude Francois Malet, a staunch Republican, attempted to carry out a coup d'etat. Under these conditions, Napoleon abandoned the remnants of his army and fled to Warsaw. “Battle of the Nations” October 16-18, 1813 near Leipzig, at the most decisive moment of which the Saxons betrayed Napoleon, predetermined the defeat of France. In 1814, troops of the anti-French coalition entered Paris.

On April 4, 1814, Napoleon abdicated the throne in favor of his son, and on April 6, the Senate called Louis XVIII to the throne. The betrayal of Marshal Marmont, Bonaparte's former adjutant, forced the French emperor to abdicate the throne for the second time, this time for himself and his son. An agreement was signed at Fontainebleau, according to which Napoleon retained the imperial title and the island of Elba was transferred to his management.

According to the agreement between the victorious powers and France, it was deprived of all territories conquered after 1795.

At the beginning of March 1815 The famous “hundred days” of Napoleon Bonaparte began. At the head of a detachment of 900 soldiers, the French emperor landed on the continent, and on March 20 he triumphantly entered Paris. England, Prussia, Austria and Russia hastily concluded an alliance against France (the 7th in a row) and, thanks to superior numbers, defeated Napoleon near the Belgian village of Waterloo. June 22, 1815 Bonaparte again abdicated the throne in favor of his son Joseph François Charles Bonaparte (Napoleon II), who, however, never ruled in France, but spent his life at the court of his grandfather, the Austrian emperor. Napoleon then surrendered to the British and was exiled to St. Helena.

In February 1848, another revolution broke out in France. The monarchy was overthrown, Louis Philippe fled to England, where he died. However, republican rule did not establish itself in the country. Taking advantage of the peasants' dissatisfaction with the new regime, Napoleon I's nephew Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte achieved his election as president. With the support of the military, December 2, 1851. he committed state

coup. In December 1852, after a second plebiscite, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte received the title of Emperor under the name Napoleon III. The beginning of his reign was marked by a number of successful wars for France. In February 1854, France, in alliance with the Kingdom of Sardinia (since 1855) and Great Britain, entered the Eastern (Crimean) War on the side of Turkey and won it. As a result of a series of wars 1856-1885. France received the right to trade along the Yangtze River and established its protectorate over the territories of Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1859, Piedmont, in alliance with France, began a war against Austria, which held the Lombardo-Venetian region.

On September 2, 1870, the French army capitulated near Sedan, and Napoleon III, along with an army of one hundred thousand, surrendered.

On September 4, 1870, power in Paris passed to the Republicans as a result of a revolutionary uprising, which marked the beginning of the so-called Third Republic, the constitution of which was adopted in 1875. An attempt to resist German troops advancing on the capital of France led to the establishment of to May 28, 1871, the authorities of the Paris Commune. The heterogeneity of the composition of the Commune led to the formation of two factions within it: a “majority” (Blanquists) and a “minority” (Proudhonists), which significantly weakened the new government in Paris. After 72 days of existence, the Commune was defeated.

At the end of the 19th century. France, having ceded primacy in Europe to Germany, made major colonial conquests and became the owner of the second colonial empire in the world, after England. In 1881, France established a protectorate over Tunisia, in 1893 over Laos, and in 1912 over most of Morocco.

July 21 (August 3), 1914 Germany declared war on France. In the first months of the First World War, Germany hoped to completely defeat the French troops and withdraw France from the Entente. In 1916, Germany again attempted to break through the front that had stabilized in November 1914 in the Verdun region. In April - May 1917 Anglo-French troops carried out unsuccessful offensive operations. In the spring of 1918, German troops made a last desperate attempt to break the resistance in France. Having launched the offensive, the Germans, as in 1914, reached the Marne River and were only 70 km from Paris. Only the urgent transfer of American troops to France, like earlier Russian troops, stopped the German advance. On August 8, Entente forces attacked strongest blow against the Germans and launched a general offensive under the command of General Foch, which became decisive during the First World War.

November 11, 1918 Germany capitulated. On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was concluded between the victorious powers, on the one hand, and Germany, on the other. In accordance with this treaty, France regained Alsace and Lorraine (within the borders of 1870) and received a huge indemnity, part of the German colonies in Africa - Togo and Cameroon, and under an agreement with Turkey, a mandate for Syria and Lebanon.

In 1924, a new coalition government of socialists and radical socialists, chaired by Edouard Herriot, came to power in France. The country began an economic recovery; there was a shortage of workers.

The new crisis reached its peak by 1934, when the number of unemployed reached 50% of the number of employed persons.

During the parliamentary elections of 1936, the Popular Front - an alliance of radical socialists, the French Socialist and French Communist parties - finally took shape. In March 1936, a unification congress of trade unions took place. On June 4, 1936, Leon Blum created the first government based on the Popular Front.

On September 3, 1939, following Germany's invasion of Poland, France declared that it would honor its allied obligations to Poland. However, at first, France's entry into the war did not affect the country and its inhabitants in any way.

In June 1940, the Germans launched an offensive to the south and defeated the French army, which capitulated. Based on the Compiegne Armistice, two-thirds of the country found itself occupied by fascist troops of Germany and Italy. At the end of 1940, Marshal Philippe Pétain, a hero of the First World War, created a pro-fascist government in Vichy that collaborated with the Nazis.

In November 1942, the Nazis, taking advantage of the Allied landings in North Africa, occupied the entire territory of France, which influenced the growth of the anti-fascist front. On June 6, 1944, American, Canadian and British troops landed in Normandy, and on August 15 in the south of France. On August 25, Paris was liberated, and at the end of 1944 the whole country was liberated.

In 1944, power was transferred to the head of the provisional government, General de Gaulle. In January 1946, General de Gaulle made the irrevocable decision to resign because he realized that in a multi-party system it was impossible to create a “strong” presidential state.

The suppression of the liberation struggle in Algeria, Madagascar, and Vietnam, the orientation in foreign policy toward the United States, and the government’s refusal to increase wages prompted the communist members of parliament to vote against confidence in the cabinet in 1947. As a result, the communists were removed from the government. The rule of the “third force” began, which declared the need to fight on two fronts - against communism and against Gaullism.

Major military defeats, especially at Dien Bien Phu, forced France to conclude a series of agreements in Geneva (1954,1962), according to which the French withdrew their troops from Indochina. In 1954, active military operations began in Algeria, which was seeking independence. In March 1956, Morocco and Tunisia freed themselves from the French protectorate. In November 1956, French troops, in alliance with the British and Israelis, tried to seize the Suez Canal, but already in December of the same year the French were forced to withdraw their troops from Egypt. An important event in the life of the country was the signing in 1957 of the Rome Agreements on the organization of the European Economic Community.

On May 13, 1958, there was a military uprising in Algeria led by General Jacques Massu, who demanded the transfer of power to General de Gaulle.

On June 1, 1958, the hero of France formed a government. Since 1958, as a result of a referendum in the country, a new constitution came into force, marking the beginning of the Fifth Republic; The rights of the executive branch were significantly expanded to the detriment of the legislative branch.

In 1958, in accordance with the new constitution, Charles de Gaulle was elected president of the republic for a seven-year term (re-elected in 1965).

In 1958-1960 France granted independence to most of its African colonies: Gabon, Congo, Mauritania, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast (Ivory Coast), Guinea, Sudan, Senegal, Madagascar, Benin (Dahomey), Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Upper Volta , Mali.

At the end of the 1960s, the most serious crisis in the post-war era began in France. economic crisis. In 1969, the French president decided to resort to a means of strengthening his power, tested in 1958 - a referendum, which raised the issue of reforming the Senate and the territorial-administrative structure of the country. Contrary to expectations, de Gaulle's proposals were rejected, and on April 28, 1969, the 79-year-old general resigned.

In June 1969, Georges Pompidou became the nineteenth President of France. In 1974, after his death, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became the new head of state. The unification of democratic and left-wing socialist forces in the subsequent presidential elections predetermined the victory of the former first secretary of the French Socialist Party, Francois Mitterrand, who served as president until 1995.

Brief Economic Sketch

France is a highly developed industrial-agrarian country. Extraction of coal, oil, iron ore, natural gas. Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. The leading industry is mechanical engineering. Automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, tractor and aircraft manufacturing, electrical engineering and radio-electronic industries are highlighted. The chemical (production of soda, fertilizers, chemical fibers, plastics), oil refining and petrochemical industries are developed. The production of textiles, clothing, and haberdashery is of export importance. Large food-flavoring industry, tu. including winemaking. Crops of cereals and sugar beets. Viticulture, vegetable growing, fruit growing and floriculture. Marine fishing and oyster farming. Export: industrial equipment, household appliances, chemicals and semi-finished products, clothing, footwear, cars, agricultural products. France is one of the largest regions international tourism. Resorts of the French Riviera - Cannes, Nice, Menton, etc.

The monetary unit is the French franc.

Brief sketch of culture

Art and architecture. Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral (founded in the 12th century in the bishopric of Maurice de Sully, in 1196 it was almost completely completed with the exception of the facade. Work continued until the 14th century. The architectural type of Notre Dame Cathedral is a five-nave basilica. The length of the entire building is 130 m, the size the choir (the altar part of the cathedral) is 28 m, the height of the vaults is 35 m. A distinctive feature of the temple is the presence of wide galleries in the second tier-emporas. The treasury of the cathedral is interesting and Observation deck Notre Dame); royal chapel Sainte-Chapelle (the only monument of developed French Gothic that has preserved its stained glass windows); Conciergerie building (Castle of the gatekeeper of the royal residence. It was built in the 14th century and was part of the Capetian era royal palace); Louvre (on the site of the present Louvre in 1200, Philip Augustus founded a fortress that protected the approaches to the Ile de la Cité from the north-west. In the 14th century, it lost its defensive functions and, after significant restructuring under Charles V, became royal residence. The museum was opened on November 18, 1793. The basis of the collection was made up of royal collections: in particular, Francis I, under whom 4 works by Raphael and 3 paintings by Leonardo da Vinci were acquired (including the famous “La Gioconda”), one of the largest museums in the world, which represents the development of the centuries-old history of Western European and Eastern art, starting from the era of Ancient Mesopotamia and ending with the mid-19th century); Tuileries Gardens; Orangery Museum (collection of French artists of the last quarter of the 19th - early 20th centuries (Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Modigliani, etc.); Museum d'Orsay; Museum of Impressionism (French painting of the mid-19th century); Hotel Invalides (built in 1671-1676 by order of Louis XIV for 7000 war invalids by the architect Jules Art-douin-Mansart. In the center of the complex stands the Cathedral of the Invalides, built in 1679-1706. Under a dome 105 m high in a sarcophagus made of red porphyry rests the ashes of Napoleon I, moved from St. Helena in 1840); the Auguste Rodin Museum (his bronze and marble sculptures are widely represented); the Eiffel Tower (the first project of a high-rise iron structure for the Paris Universal Exhibition was created by Postav Eiffel in 1884. Three years (1887- 1889) was needed to implement the plan. For a long time it was the tallest building in the world); the Palais de Chaillot (built in 1937 for the World Exhibition according to the design of the architects Carlu, Boileau and Azem) - within its walls there were 4 museums at once: the Maritime Museum with many models of ships from various eras, the Museum of Man with an excellent ethnographic collection, the Museum of Cinema and the Museum of National Monuments, which displays plaster copies of portals and individual sculptures of the most famous monuments French Middle Ages and Renaissance; Palace of Tokyo (the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris is located here (works by R. and S. Delaunay, Matisse, Dufy, Modigliani, Chagall and many other artists of the 20th century); National Museum Asian art; Champs Elysees(the most famous street in Paris); an Egyptian obelisk brought to Paris from Luxor in 1833; Elysee Palace (built in 1718 for the Comte d'Evreux, later it belonged to the Marquise of Pompadour, Caroline Murat and Empress Josephine), Triumphal Arch in honor of the victories of the French army; Picasso Museum; Montmartre, which was inextricably linked with the world of Parisian bohemia of the late 19th - early 20th centuries; the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, erected after the tragic events of 1871; Church of St. Eustachia (in the architecture of which Gothic was intricately combined with the Renaissance); National Museum of Modern Art, National Museum of Medieval Art (series of 6 Dutch tapestries, created around 1500 and representing an allegorical interpretation of human feelings); building of the famous University of Paris-Sorbonne ( modern building was built under Richelieu in 1624-1642. In the Sorbonne Church, designed by the architect Le Mercier in 1635-1642, there is the tomb of the great cardinal); Church of Saint-Etienne du Mont (built in the 15th century and reconstructed at the beginning of the 17th century at the expense of Queen Margot); Church of St. Mary Magdalene ("Madeleine"); the building of the Paris Opera (an example of the luxurious style of the era of Napoleon III. In 1860, 171 projects took part in the competition. The young, then unknown architect Charles Garnier won. Here you can see sketches and costumes of Benois, Bakst, Golovin. The ceiling of the auditorium in 1964 was created by Marc Chagall); building of the Palais Royal (built by order of Cardinal Richelieu in 1632 by the architect Le Mercier). Nice. Remains of the ancient city (arenas, amphitheater, baths, temple ruins); Church of Saint-Jacques (early 17th century); Cathedral(monument of the Baroque era); Lascari Palace; Chapel of St. Guillaume; the “Sun” fountain by the sculptor Zhanio; Musée Massena (rare works of the early French school of painting); "Castle of St. Helena", which houses the collection of the International Museum of Naive Art; one of the most beautiful Russians Orthodox churches abroad - the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, in whose crypt there is a museum of the Russian community; Matisse Museum;

Archaeological Museum; National Museum of Biblical Messages of Marc Chagall; Museum of Fine Arts Jules-Cheret (collection of works by French artists of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries: Degas, Monet, Sisley, Bonnard, Vuillard).

The so-called Loire Castles deserve special attention - Blois, Chambord, Cheverny, Amboise, Chenonceau, Loches, Langeais, Villandry.

The science. It is difficult to overestimate the contribution of French scientists to world science. Among the most famous scientists are P. Fermi (number theory), E. Mariotte (barometer), R. Reaumur (thermometer), A. Ampere (electrodynamics), J. Foucault (speed of light in water), J. Gay-Lussac ( thermal expansion of gases), P. Curie (radioactivity), L. Foucault (eddy currents), L. Pasteur (fundamentals of microbiology), L. de Broglie (wave properties of matter), J. Cousteau (oceanography).

Literature. Among the most famous French writers are Voltaire, C. Montesquieu, J. Rousseau, J. Meslier, J. La Mettrie, D. Diderot, J.-P. Sartre, F. Rabelais, Cyrano de Bergerac, J.-B. Moliere, P. Beaumarchais, V. Hugo, Stendhal, P. Mérimée, G. Flaubert, A. Saint-Exupéry.

France refers to those states that are the dream of most people on the planet to visit. The country of Burgundy and croissants borrowed from the Austrians is associated with Eiffel Tower, Coco Chanel, Bastille Day and the famous Marseillaise.

France on the world and Europe map

Country location on the European continent. You can often hear the expression that France is the heart of France. It shouldn’t be taken literally, although there is some geographical truth in it.

Where is?

In terms of territory, France is second only to Ukraine on the European continent. The mainland of the state, when viewed from space, resembles hexagon, located on the map between 46 º 00 ‘N. from the equator and 2 ° 00’ E. from Greenwich.

Area of ​​the country along with overseas territories is 675.4 thousand sq. km.

Countries it borders with

The metropolis has common land borders with 8 states. French overseas territories have borders with three countries. Among the countries bordering European France:

• Luxembourg;
• Andorra;

French overseas territories border on Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles.

Don't know where to go? Read about the sights of unique France.

How to get there from Russia?

The best way to get from Russia to France by plane. This is the most convenient and fastest way. Only from Moscow Sheremetyevo airlines Air France and Aeroflot operate 7 joint flights daily to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Within 48 hours can be reached by train from Nice and 38 hours from Paris.

Buy plane tickets using this convenient search form. Enter information about cities of departure and arrival, departure date And number of passengers.

Detailed map of France with provinces and cities

France is a country with a high population density. There are 115 inhabitants per 1 km of its territory. Marked on the map of France a large number of cities, which are connected to each other by many roads cutting its territory.

Capital

The main city of the country is . The capital of France, with a population of 2.2 million people, annually receives more than 25 million tourists coming to it from all over the world. Paris is more than 2000 years old.

Together with the suburbs, the population of the Parisian agglomerate exceeds 10 million people.

Provinces

The territory of France is divided into 39 historical provinces. The most famous of them are Burgundy, Normandy, Poitou, Bordeaux, Provence, Anjou and Brittany. This division is not official. The country's administrative system includes 22 regions and 96 departments.

Big cities

The second largest city in France is Marseilles. Its population is 850 thousand people. Besides him in the top ten big cities world includes:

1. Lyon;
2. Toulouse;
3. Nice;
4. Nantes;
5. Strasbourg;
6. Montpellier;
7. Bordeaux;
8. Lille.

Country information

• The founder is considered to be king, who bore the name Clovis. He was the first French monarch.
• At different times by country ruled by dynasties Carolingians, Capetians, Valois, Bourbons and Louis.
• Transforming the country into republic associated with the name of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• The country is parliamentary republic. It is a nuclear power that is part of the UN, EU and NATO.
• France ranks 20th in the world in terms of population. Slightly more people live on the continental territory of the country 62.8 million people.
• The official language of the state is French. For three centuries it had the same status in England.

Watch an educational video about France:

A detailed map of France in Russian with cities will help you get an unforgettable impression of adventures in Europe. Google map will also help you find hotels and resorts in France.

An interactive map of France makes it possible not to get lost and find the most magical sights, which in turn will help you plunge headlong into the romanticism of this beautiful country, visit wine plantations or immerse yourself in the mysterious and beautiful world Provence.

France on the map of Europe

France itself on the map of Europe, not counting its overseas possessions, is located in the west. We list the main and largest borders of the state:

• On the southwestern side of the border is Spain;
• The southeastern border is adjacent to Italy;
• From the east - Switzerland;
• To the north is the border with Belgium;
• In the northeast is Germany.

The main administrative unit of the state is its capital - Paris. Paris on the map of France is located in a region called Ile-de-France, it is located north of the center called the Loire Valley.

Hotels in France

The entire country is a major tourist destination for those who love thermal or seaside resorts France. Hotels are clearly visible on this map. You can find relatively inexpensive options for yourself or book rooms in those hotels that will be located near the places where you decide to take your tour.

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Paris and back

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Airports in the country

There are about 130 air terminals in the French Republic. Therefore, when choosing airports in France on the map, take into account your stop. This means that if you are going to Nice, then Nice Cote d'Azur or Marseille-Provence air terminal is more suitable for you.

For those wishing to visit the ski resort of Val Thorens, Lyon Airport (Lyon-Saint Exupéry) will be more convenient. And if you dream of getting to the ocean resort of Biarritz, then Aeroport Biarritz Pays Basque is more suitable for you.

Tickets from Moscow to Paris for the next few days

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Climate and weather

Since the country’s territory is quite vast, both from the west and from the north it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, as well as from the southern part by the Mediterranean Sea, the climate here is quite diverse.

Therefore Mediterranean coast The climate, accordingly, is Mediterranean, on the side of the Atlantic Ocean it is oceanic, and in the very center it is already continental. In summer it is usually hot, about 23 - 25 degrees Celsius. And in winter it is quite rainy and the average temperature fluctuates around +7-10 degrees Celsius.

The best ski resorts

The ski resorts of France attract not only extreme sports enthusiasts, but also ordinary tourists who love mountain walks and hikes. On this map you can find the resort of Les Arcs. The Lezark ski resort is located in the heart of the majestic Alps on the border with Italy. This is one of the most famous ski resorts after Val Thorens.

The best resorts in France, one of the many of which is Val Thorens, give their travelers the opportunity to express themselves in skiing or take a carefree ride on the cable car. Val Thorens is the highest (2300 m) ski resort in Monarchia.

Geographical or physical map France provides an opportunity to look at the topography of the state, to understand where and what water bodies (hydrography) are located on it. And also clarify the location and boundaries of reserves and mountain zones. It will help you find the capital, region, settlements political map France. Regions of France on the map, or rather, each region is marked with different colors.

Attractions

If you are a fan of French cheeses Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l'Evêque, go to their historical homeland Normandy. Normandy on the map of France occupies the northwestern region of the Monarchy. If you are a wine gourmet and come to Monarchy on vacation, do not forget to look into the main, ancient agricultural province of the wine regions of France - Burgundy, Alsace, Corsica, Bordeaux.

If you are a lover of classics and beauty, go to the Louvre. In addition to ski and balneological centers, entertainment lovers can go to the European Disneyland, the Grand Opera, and of course admire the Eiffel Tower.

Chamonix

Chamonix is ​​a city that is the center ski region Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. Chamonix is ​​famous for its famous 20 km off-piste descent, called the White Valley, with the summit of the Aiguille du Midi (3843 meters).

Courchevel

Courchevel attracts skiers and snowboarders with its wide and smooth slopes. The longest route is almost 4 km long. Wealthy people and celebrities from all over the world flock here.

Tignes

In this wonderful place of lovers skiing hold stages of the World Cup. The total complexity of all routes is 300 km.

Resorts by the sea

The sea and balneological resorts of France on the map are located mainly on the coasts on both sides of the French Monarchy. The best spa center in all of Europe can be provided by the Evian resort on Lake Geneva.

Roya

The history of the Auvergne region began in ancient times, but it became the site of the most famous thermal resorts in France only in the 19th century. The resort of Roya is located in a mountainous area, which fascinates tourists with its unique nature and a riot of greenery, among other things, the resort provides balneotherapy. In the Auvergne region, you can also visit no less famous resort Vichy, which houses many health centers, as well as medieval palaces and castles.

Riviera

The Riviera is a delightful coastline that stretches along the Mediterranean Sea and is divided into two halves. One is French, the other is Italian. The coast itself is lined with magnificent beaches, which in turn are located at the foot of the fabulous hills of the Alps. The eastern part of the Riviera starts from Marseille and ends at the border with Italy.

Marseille on the map of France is located in the southeast, it is the country's largest port in the Provence region. Provence itself on the map of France is also located among the Alps and the sea in the southeastern part of the country. Riviera is the most popular resort with a typical Mediterranean climate.

20 kilometers from Nice, the dwarf state of Monaco is located on the coast of the Ligurian Sea. Monaco has the most prestigious and famous resort area, in the Monte Carlo area. Many sports competitions are held here, such as UEFA matches, Formula 1 races, Tour de France cycling races, etc.

Cagnes-sur-Mer

Cagnes-sur-Mer - tourist centre located in the same region of Provence, not far from Nice. In turn, Nice on the map of France is located next to the border of Italy. The Bay of Angels is a region not only of resorts and beaches, but also of famous people and stunning sights.

Cote d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur of France is the French part of the entire Mediterranean coast. The mild and friendly weather is attractive to tourists, but due to the large flow of vacationers, vacations and real estate are the most expensive here.

France, a state located in western Europe, owns overseas territories that have different legal status.

The area of ​​the country without overseas possessions is 547.03 thousand km2, the population in 2017 is 66.99 million people, the capital is the city of Paris.

Under French jurisdiction there are islands and archipelagos - Martinique, Guadeloupe, New Caledonia, Reunion and a number of others. The country also owns the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

A detailed map of France shows the neighboring states with which it shares borders:

• land (length 4072 km) - Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, Spain, Luxembourg;
• maritime - UK.

The country is located approximately the same distance from the equator and the North Pole. Has a beneficial geographical position, which is characterized by access to the Atlantic Ocean in the west and a large land border with most of the leading European states in the east. The mainland of the country has a hexagonal shape.

France on the world map: nature and climate

The country extends in the meridional direction for 950 km; approximately the same distance must be covered when moving from west to east. The following natural areas are located here:

• deciduous forests;
• steppes;
• Mediterranean evergreen forests;
• areas of altitudinal zonation.

A map of France in Russian shows that the most high point countries Mont Blanc mountain– 4810 m above sea level, and the lowest delta of the Rhone River is 2 m.

Relief

France on the world map is distinguished by a combination of different relief forms. In the west and north there are large plains, among which the Paris Basin, the lowlands of the Rhone and Saône, and the Aquitaine lowland stand out. The center of the country is dominated by hilly terrain; the French Massif Central stands out here with maximum heights up to 1700 m. Mountains occupy about 23% of the area, the largest mountain regions are the Jura, the French Alps, the Pyrenees, the Ardennes, and the Vosges.

Water resources

The sources of most French rivers are in the Massif Central and flow into Mediterranean Sea or Atlantic Ocean. The longest of them:

• Rona- the deepest river with a length of 812 km, which is actively used in the transport sector, the agricultural sector and hydropower. It has the largest tributary - the Sona.
• Loire- the longest river in the country (1020 km), but in summer it is navigable only in the lower reaches, the largest tributaries are the Cher, Allier and Indre.
• Seine- flows in the flat part of France, is navigable and provides transportation of goods between the capital and Rouen.

The coastline of France has a length of 4668 km and runs along the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, which belong to the Atlantic Ocean. It combines flat beaches and rocky cliffs, long shores and sharp bends.

Flora and fauna

Just over a quarter of France's territory is covered by forests. In the western and northern regions there are oaks, birches, spruces, walnuts, and cork trees are also found. Palm trees, agave, cork oak, and citrus fruits grow in the Mediterranean coast area. About 15% of the territory is occupied by parks and reserves. National Park Mercantour has 2 thousand plant species, a tenth of which are endangered. More than 2.2 thousand plant species of continental and Mediterranean types grow in Seven.

The country is home to about 135 species of mammals, including one that has disappeared and another 20 that are at various stages of extinction. Here you can find a wolf, weasel, raccoon dog, wildcat, fallow deer, several species of seals, fin whale, blue whale, sika deer and many other animals.

Of the reptiles, only one poisonous one lives - the common viper.

In coastal areas there are many types of fish - herring, tuna, cod, flounder, mackerel and others.

Climatic features

Most of France is located in a temperate climate zone; in the area of ​​the Mediterranean coast, a subtropical climate prevails. Due to its elongation in the meridional direction, the country is characterized by climatic diversity. The northwestern and western regions (Brittany, Normandy) have a pronounced maritime climate with high rainfall, mild winters, moderately warm summers and frequent strong winds. Average temperatures in winter months are +5, +7°C, in summer +16, +17°C.

In the east, the climate is more continental - it is characterized by a greater temperature range, so winters here are colder (January averages are 0°C), and summers are noticeably warmer (July averages are +20°C).

The southern regions are dominated by a subtropical Mediterranean-type climate. Freezing temperatures are very rare here. most of precipitation falls in winter. Summer is long and hot; in the western half there is a cold northwest wind, the mistral, about 100 days a year.

Map of France with cities. Administrative division of the country

The country is divided into 18 regions, of which 12 are located in the mainland, 1 on the island of Corsica and 5 are classified as overseas. They have no legal autonomy, but have the right to adopt a budget and impose their own taxes.

All regions include 101 departments and the Lyon metropolis. The grassroots units are considered to be communes, of which there are 36,682.

Largest cities

On a map of France with cities in Russian you can see the location of all settlements countries, including the largest ones. These include:

• Paris- the capital of the state with a population of 2.27 million people (2014). It is located on the banks of the Seine River in the northern half of the country in the North French Lowland. The length from west to east is about 18 km, and from north to south it is two times less.
• Marseilles – largest port France with a population of 869.8 thousand people (2015). Located near the mouth of the Rhone River on the coast of the Gulf of Lyon in the Mediterranean Sea. The city is located on hills that stretch in tiers along seashore. Near it there are many calanques - rocky bays.
• Lyon– a city in the southeast of the country with a population of 506.6 thousand people (2014). Located on the territory of the Rhone Lowland at the confluence of the Soniv Rhone River. Around Lyon is more quantity gardens and vineyards.

France or French Republic is the largest state in Europe, occupying an area of ​​674,685 km2. A map of France in Russian shows that the country is washed by the Mediterranean and North Seas, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. On satellite map you can also see that France borders 8 European states. On the territory of the country there are mountain systems: Alps, Pyrenees, Vosges, Ardennes and Jura. Finally, a detailed map of France shows that 4 rivers flow through the country: Rhone, Seine, Loire and Garonne.

Today France is one of the most developed countries in Europe. In the unitary democratic republic includes 27 regions, which are based on 36,682 communes. France consists not only of European territory, but also of numerous islands: Corsica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, French polynesia etc.

The country's largest cities are Paris (the capital), Marseille, Toulouse, Lyon, Lille and Bordeaux. The French state is an industrial-agrarian country with a high level of exports. Today France is the 6th largest economy in the world.

The country significantly influences world politics. France is a member of the UN Security Council, the EU, the WTO and the G8.

Country motto: “Liberty, equality, brotherhood”

Historical reference

In 843, according to the Treaty of Verdun, the West Frankish state was formed, which from the 10th century began to be called France. The most significant events in the history of the country were:

Crusades;

Avignon captivity of the popes 1303-1382;

Hundred Years' War with England (1337-1453);

Italian wars of the XV-XVI centuries;

St. Bartholomew's Night 1572 (massacre of Huguenots);

The reign of the “Sun King” Louis XIV;

The Great French Revolution of 1789;

The reign and conquests of Napoleon.

From 1958 to currently The period of the 5th Republic lasts, which began with the reign of Charles de Gaulle.

Must Visit

A map of France with cities and regions clearly demonstrates that the country is incredibly rich in attractions. Must-sees include Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Rouen and Lyon. It is worth taking a tour of the castles of the Loire, seeing Romanesque and gothic cathedrals, visit the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. France is widely known for its wineries in Champagne and Bordeaux, ski resorts, resorts on Cote d'Azur and the Tour de France cycling race.