The French Republic (French: Republique francaise, English: French Republic), referred to as France, the capital of Paris, is located in the west of Europe, north of Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, east of Italy, Monaco, south of Spain, Andorra, northwest across the English Channel and Britain. It has a temperate maritime climate in the west, a subtropical Mediterranean climate in the south, and a continental climate in the middle and east.
It mainly consists of plains, hills and plateaus. The total area is 550,000 square kilometers (excluding overseas territories), including 2,700 kilometers of coastline and 2,800 kilometers of land lines. The total population in 2021 is 65.24 million (excluding overseas territories). France, formerly known as Gaul, was occupied by the Romans in the 1st century and settled by the Franks in the 5th century. From the 10th to the 14th century, it was renamed the Kingdom of France during the reign of the Gabet Dynasty.
On July 14, 1789, the French Revolution broke out, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was issued, the monarchy was abolished, and the First Republic was established in 1792. After that, it went through the First Empire founded by Napoleon, the Bourbon Restoration, the July Dynasty, the Second Republic, the Second Empire and the Third Republic. In March 1871, the people of Paris armed uprising, founded the Paris Commune. In World War I, France joined the Allies and won the war against the Central Powers. It was invaded by Germany during World War II.
In August 1944, Paris was liberated. In October 1946, the Fourth French Republic was established. In 1958, the Fifth Republic was founded with Charles de Gaulle as its first president.
The French flag is blue, white and red, and the national anthem is La Marseillaise. France is one of the most advanced industrial countries, leading the world in nuclear power, aviation, aerospace and railways. France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a founding member of the European Union and a member of NATO. It is home to the headquarters of UNESCO, Interpol, OECD, the European Parliament and other important international and regional organizations.
