People

Population Size:

There are a lot of people in France. There are 66.99 million people there. 80% percent live in urban environments and 20% live in rural environments. People move to France because of its food, architecture, transport, parks, and gardens.

Population Ethnic Composition:

Seventy seven percent of the French population is of French ethnicity. What does that mean to be of French ethnicity? It means that it is made up of a mix of various European tribes that have invaded and eventually settled in France for the past 2500 years. They include the Celtic Gauls, the Romans, the Germans (Teutonic) and the Norsemen (specifically the Normands). We do not know the origins of the very old and very mysterious ethnicities like The Basque and the Brittons.

Language(s):

The main and official language is French. However there are 4 more languages spoken in France.

Briton is spoken in Brittany. It’s a very old Celtic language.

Basque is spoken the the south west part of France in what is called Basque country. Basque country is actually a region between France and Spain.

Catalan is spoken in the south of France, in a region close to Spain and bordering the Mediterranean sea. Just like Basque country, Catalan country is a region between Spain and France.

Occitan is an old language that used to be spoken in the southern half of France.

Religions:

The two major religions in France are Christian (64.5%, mostly Catholic) and muslim (8.0%). About 25 % of people are non-religious.

Country staples:

Here are four examples of typical french food. First, the Croissant, a rolled up piece of sweet tasting and flaky bread. Second, the crêpe, a very thin pancake that you can fill with whatever you want: white sugar, ham, cheese and egg or maple syrup. Third, the baguette which is the best kind of bread! It’s made out of white wheat flour, water and yeast. Last, the camembert , the signature cheese of France. It is a soft cheese and come in various flavors depending on how long you let it age: the older it is, the stronger it tastes (and smells!!!!!)

sHistory:

58 BC (before Christ): Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor, invades the region that will later become France. It was called Gauls at the time. Before being part of the roman Empire, there were many small tribes. One of them lived on an Island in the middle of the river Seine. This tribe was called the Parisii (pronouce it Pareesee). Now unless you know nothing of France you should know that this island will become Paris.

Gauls was invaded by the Francs over long period of time. Clovis I, (born c. 466—died November 27, 511,in France), was one of the king of the Francs ruled much of Gaul from 481 to 511, a key period during the transformation of the Roman Empire into Europe. While he was not the first Franc king, he was the first king to convert to catholic religion. That was important because from that moment on, France became a catholic country.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clovis-I

France became a republic in 1792 as a result of the French Revolution against centuries of royal rule that happened in 1789. The Revolution started with the storming of the Bastille fortress on 14th July 1789, an event that is celebrated every year all over France known as Bastille Day.

Napoleon Bonaparte started as a general during the French Revolution. He became the leader of France in 1799. He began a campaign of wars with neighboring countries. These wars were called the Napoleonic Wars. They were a series of major conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies that led to the creation of the first French empire that included Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Slovakia. But France’s domination in Europe came to an end in 1815, when Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.

After the two world wars, France and Germany started an alliance to prevent future wars. The European union was signed 1957 between France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. There are now 28 countries that are part of the European union. France switched it’s currency from the franc to the euro.

Below are three quick videos. The first one explains the French History and the second one shows the evolution of France's capital: Paris. The third one is so cool: it is a 3D reconstructions of major sites of Paris at various time of its history: the Village of the Parisii, Lutece, the construction of Notre Dame (first step in 1165 AD, second step 1185, third step in 1225), the construction of the Louvres (from Philippe August in 1200 AD to Napoleon in 1810 AD), La Bastille and the Tour Eiffel. Check it out!