Facts about France that will interest you

France is a country of love, beautiful landscapes and delicious croissants. If you associate France with these words, then, most likely, you know very little about this country. Its culture and history go far beyond the generally known facts and stereotypical descriptions in Hollywood films.

If you want to know more about this country, our article on 25 incredible facts about France will help you with this. But, first of all, it is worth recalling the basic information about this “romantic” country:

Official name – French Republic (Republique Francaise).
Capital – Paris.
Area – 643,801 km².
Population – 67.5 million (as of 2021).
Official language – French.
Form of government – unitary state, mixed republic.
Monetary unit – euro (euro).

25 interesting facts about France

In general, we have already recalled the main information about France. And now to the most interesting!

• Paris, the capital of France, was not always as romantic as we are used to seeing it. Around 4000 BC a Celtic settlement called Lutetia was founded on the site of the French capital. According to one of the theories, the first inhabitants of this city were the soldiers who camped on the banks of the Seine.

• As we have already mentioned, the official language of this state is French. But without knowing English, it will be difficult for you to get a job in France. As the French themselves say, they can still understand that someone doesn’t speak French, but if you don’t know English, it’s nonsense.

• Mount Mont Blanc is considered the highest point not only in France, but also in the whole of Western Europe, in the mountain system of the Alps (its height is 4810 meters). It is here that mountain climbing competitions are held annually – Mont Blanc mountain has repeatedly won the title of the best place for mountaineering and skiing.

• Parisians are very fond of beekeeping. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see apiaries in local parks more than once – for France, this is quite normal and legal. By the way, the French can install beehives even on their balconies, but only after successfully completing beekeeping courses.

• France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. In particular, out of all the regions (22), wine is produced in 17: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Laura, Champagne, Provence and others. In addition to wines, France is known for its liqueurs and cognacs.

• France is a country of wines. This drink is perceived here as something everyday, served with every meal. A truly luxurious drink for the French is beer. In France, it is used only in honor of special occasions and events.

• The coat of arms of France consists of three parts: oak and olive branches; shield in the form of a crescent (pelten); and bundles of twigs (fascia). It is interesting that since 1376, the coat of arms of France has been changed and improved eleven times!

• France is a free country, but even here there are limits for radio and television on the consumption of foreign (meaning music, movies and the like). The French are very careful that the main part of consumer content is of French origin.

• France ranks first in Europe and second in the world (after the United States of America) in electricity production using nuclear energy. In a year, France produces more electricity than in such countries as Germany, Spain and England combined.

• The American Statue of Liberty, not surprisingly, was created in France. The USA received the statue as a gift in honor of the 100th anniversary of independence. Its sculptor was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. It is interesting that the sculptor was inspired to create the image of the statue by Isabella Boyer, a woman who was a local manufacturer of sewing machines.

• France is a country of art. Yes, it was here that Gothic art, which used to be called “French”, was born. Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame de Paris) is a great example. In addition, France is the birthplace of such a style in art as Baroque.

• The most extraordinary rose grows in France, in the area of Graas (the world-famous birthplace of perfumery). Its peculiarity is that it has a lot of petals. Roses have as many as 100 of them.

• The most popular vehicle in France is a bicycle. For the maximum comfort and safety of cyclists, there are many bicycle lanes in all cities. And those who do not want or cannot have their own bicycle transport can use bicycle rental services – there are also many of them in France.

• France is the birthplace of the guillotine, and the French are incredibly proud of it. Fortunately (or unfortunately for the French), not so long ago, in 1981, its use was banned. Therefore, since then, every year in France there is a day of mourning for the guillotine.

• The French have great respect for the art and culture of Ancient Egypt. Moreover, to express you respect the Egyptians, in France, near the Louvre, a glass pyramid resembling the Egyptian pyramids was installed.

• France has a large number of national cuisines – 22 – this is exactly how many regions this country has. And all because in each of them the residents use exactly those products that are characteristic of their region. For example, since many different varieties of potatoes grow in France, the French have learned to cook a variety of potato dishes that are not alike.

• The world famous denim clothes came from France (Language – Roussillon region). It was invented as work clothes for French gold diggers. The density and stickiness of this material were ideal for this type of work.

• Although France is associated with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, they are not the most popular among tourists. The most visited place in France is, who would have thought, the French Disneyland (it is visited by about 13 million people a year).

• The official anthem of France is called “Marseillaise” (author Claude Joseph Rouget de Lille, 1792) – this is the song of the first soldiers who walked from Marseille to Paris to support the revolutionary movement. It is interesting that it is very popular and widely appreciated not only in France, but also throughout the world.

• Of all the countries in the world that celebrate their independence day every year, 26 countries celebrate their independence from France. Perhaps that is why French is so common. After all, for example, more people speak French in Africa than in France itself.

• France is known for another delicacy – truffles (very smelly, but very expensive mushrooms). Interestingly, these mushrooms are the only commodity in the world for which there is no official price. On average, their cost is from 600 euros per kilogram. The season for picking truffles falls on November-March.

• Several types of fire-resistant trees grow on the territory of France. The most famous of them are juniper and cedar. They are used to create extremely beautiful and unique fireplaces. In particular, French fire-resistant trees became part of the fireplace in the famous Amboise castle.

• If you ever find yourself in France and want a dry wine, the French are unlikely to be able to satisfy your need. The fact is that there is no such thing as “dry wine” here. All wines are considered genuine and natural. Everything that is stronger – refers to liqueurs. And the French use the word “dry” only for champagne.

• We used to believe that the famous French commander Napoleon Bonaparte was quite short. But his contemporaries thought completely differently. The fact is that Napoleon’s height, which is 169 cm, was slightly higher than the average height of a French citizen at that time.

• It turns out that the French themselves do not call a French kiss French. Residents of France call it “English kiss”. Why do you think so? Write your answers in the comments: