France is a country in Europe.
Its coasts face the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel and the North Sea.
On land, France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. It’s even connected to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which runs under the English Channel.
The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower in Paris, the capital of France, about 330 meters tall. It was built in 1889 on the Champ de Mars near the River Seine, and it’s one of the most famous landmarks in the world. It’s named after the engineer whose company designed and built it. Around six to seven million people visit it every year.
When the Eiffel Tower was being built, many people in Paris – including famous artists – protested against it. They thought the giant iron tower was ugly and would spoil the city. It was only meant to stand for 20 years!
What saved the tower? Its height made it perfect for a radio antenna, and it became an important station for sending radio signals.
Another fun fact: the tower changes size with the weather! The iron shrinks in the cold and expands in the heat, so in summer the tower can be about 15 centimeters taller than in winter.
The Arc de Triomphe was ordered by the French emperor after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, and building began in 1806. It honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Several architects worked on it, because building it took about 30 years. It was inspired by the triumphal arches of the ancient Roman Empire, but built in the neoclassical style that is so typical of Paris.
The Louvre is one of the most important and fascinating museums in the world. It’s so huge that it takes several days to see it all. It’s in the heart of Paris, near the River Seine, and it holds an enormous collection of art from all over the world: paintings, sculptures and ancient treasures.
The Louvre building itself is magnificent, with very old roots. It was first built at the end of the 12th century as a fortress on the western edge of Paris, to protect the city from attackers. Later, as the city grew, it became a royal palace. In 1793 it became a museum – and today a famous glass pyramid marks its entrance.
Mont-Saint-Michel is a small rocky island about a kilometer off the coast of Normandy in France, topped by an abbey and a little village. Today a bridge connects it to the mainland.
This part of the French coast has some of the biggest tides in Europe. Because the water near the shore is very shallow, a change of a few meters in sea level can turn the place into an island – and then connect it to the land again.
At low tide the sea pulls far back, and at high tide the water rushes in and can surround the island. In the past, the tides helped protect it from invaders, who couldn’t easily reach it.
More interesting facts about France:
Baguette:
You might be surprised to learn that France has special rules for bread! A traditional French baguette (“baguette de tradition”) may be made only from flour, water, yeast or sourdough, and salt – nothing else. A typical baguette weighs about 250 grams. In 2022 the craft of making baguettes was even added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list!
Speaking of food: a typical French breakfast is light and often sweet – like bread with butter and jam, or a croissant – rather than a big cooked breakfast.
Paris:
The name Paris comes from the Parisii, an ancient Gallic tribe who lived where the city stands today. Paris is also nicknamed “the City of Light” – partly because it was one of the first cities in Europe to light up its streets with lots of street lamps, and partly because it was a center of learning and ideas.
The croissant:
Did you know that the croissant actually comes from Austria? It was inspired by an Austrian pastry called the kipferl. French bakers turned it into the flaky, buttery croissant we know, and recipes for it appear in French cookbooks from the 19th century. Today there are chocolate croissants, almond croissants and many other kinds.
French:
If you think France has the most French speakers in the world, think again! Africa has even more French speakers. That’s because in the past France had colonies all over Africa and in other parts of the world.
More than 20 countries in Africa have French as an official language.
Napoleon:
There’s a famous rumor that Napoleon, the emperor of France in the early 19th century, was very short. That isn’t true! He was about 1.68–1.69 meters tall, which was normal or even a bit above average back then. One reason for the mix-up is that French inches were longer than English inches, so his height was recorded in a confusing way.
