Does anyone have information about France?

Country name: The Republic of France (La Republique Francaise)

National Day: July 14 (1880 Parliamentary legislation confirming the day of the capture of the Bastille (National Day to commemorate the French Bourgeois Revolution) France celebrates National Day

The national flag: rectangular in shape, with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. The flag consists of three parallel and equal vertical rectangles, which are blue, white and red from left to right. The French flag has many origins, the most representative of which is: During the French bourgeois revolution in 1789, the Paris National Guard used the blue, white and red tricolor flag as its flag. White is in the center, representing the king, symbolizing the king's sacred status; red and blue are on both sides, representing the citizens of Paris; at the same time, these three colors symbolize the French royal family and the Paris bourgeois alliance. The tricolor flag was once a symbol of the French Revolution. It is said that the three colors represent liberty, equality and fraternity respectively.

National emblem: France does not have an official national emblem, but it traditionally uses the coat of arms from the Revolutionary period as the national symbol. The coat of arms is oval in shape, with one of the popular symbols during the Revolution - the caduceus, which was the symbol of authority used by senior law enforcement officials in ancient Rome. The two sides of the stick are decorated with olive branches and oak branches, and the sash wrapped between them reads "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" in French. The entire design is ringed by a ribbon bearing the Roman Legionary Order.

National anthem: "La Marseillaise"

National flower: iris

National bird: rooster

National stone: pearl

Physical geography: Area is 551,602 square kilometers. Located in western Europe, it borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Andorra, and Monaco, faces the United Kingdom across the Strait of La Manche to the northwest, and is bordered by the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica is the largest island in France. The terrain is high in the southeast and low in the northwest. Plains account for two-thirds of the total area. The main mountain ranges include the Alps, Pyrenees, and Jura Mountains. Mont Blanc on the French-Italian border is 4,810 meters above sea level and is the highest peak in Europe. The main rivers are the Loire (1,010 kilometers), the Rhone (812 kilometers), and the Seine (776 kilometers). Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea is the largest island in France. The total length of the border is 5,695 kilometers, including 2,700 kilometers of coastline, 2,800 kilometers of land lines, and 195 kilometers of inland water lines. The western part has a maritime temperate broad-leaved forest climate, the southern part has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, and the central and eastern parts have a continental climate. The average precipitation increases from 600 mm to more than 1000 mm from northwest to southeast.

Population: 61.4 million (January 2003), including 4 million foreign nationals, 1.5 million of whom are from EU countries. General French. 90% of the residents believe in Catholicism, and there are about 4 million Muslims and a handful of Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, and Orthodox Christians.

Capital: Paris, with an urban population of 2.17 million.

Administrative divisions: divided into regions, provinces and towns. The province has regions and counties, but they are not administrative regions. Counties are judicial and electoral units. France is divided into 22 regions, 96 provinces, 4 overseas provinces, 4 overseas territories, and 2 local administrative regions with special status. There are 36,565 cities and towns in the country, of which 34,000 have a population of less than 3,500 people, 231 have a population of more than 30,000, and 37 have a population of more than 100,000. The 22 regions are: Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Bourgogne, Brittany, Center Region, Champagne-Ardenne, Corsica, Franche-Gondet, Paris Region, Lancdoc-Roussillon, Limzan, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Pas de Calais, Lower-Normandy, Upper-Normandy, Loire region, Picardie, Boitou-Charentes, Poitou Lowence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur, Rh?ne-Albes. The four overseas departments are: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, and Reunion. The four overseas territories are: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis Islands and Futuna Islands, French Southern Hemisphere and Antarctic Territory. The 2 local administrative regions are: Mayotte, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

The Birth of a Country

The history of France is the result of the hard work of the people over a long period of time. France’s many unique features are a reflection of its culture. Over the past two thousand years, various dynasties and their civilizations have left their mark on this land, and finally formed today's modern France.

Prehistoric Period

About one million years ago, humans who migrated from Eurasia reached the last frontier - the Atlantic Ocean. Since then he has settled down. The Sabians first appeared here between 40,000 and 8,000 BC. Many archaeological remains prove the existence of human civilization in France in prehistoric times.

The Gallic Period

From about 1200 BC to 800 BC, the Celts left their home in Silesia and began to move towards the area between the Rhine River and the Atlantic Ocean. Invasion. This land was inhabited by 90 different tribes, known as Gauls. The Gauls built their civilization on agriculture and a highly developed handicraft industry.

They invented the harvester, the barrel, the wagon, and the iron sword.

Soon the Roman Empire also noticed this land. In 50 BC, Julius Caesar came here and conquered the area. Gallo-Roman civilization established its capital in Lyon and ruled for a long time, forming the original blueprint for today's France. It was during this period that the French language began to take shape, many large cities took shape, and road networks began to take shape.

The Kingdom of the Franks

Since the fifth century, Hans, Vandal, Alamance, Wiesgaard, and Osterloh from the East

The Gauls and Franks invaded the area successively, and the Gallo-Romans united with the Frank tribes to resist the invasion. Their base was located in an area near Paris, a place known as the ?le-de-France, and this force slowly conquered the country.

The Merovingian and Carolingian families of the Frankish dynasty ruled from the fifth to the tenth century. During this period, Gallic-Roman culture and Germanic culture gradually merged.

The Kingdom of France

During the reign of Charlemagne from AD 768 to 814, he established many schools, promoted cultural prosperity and gathered many scholars around him. His labor state was divided into counties, under the jurisdiction of the county chief (secular authority) and the bishop (religious authority). Commander Mith is responsible for enforcing the laws of the empire.

In 987, Hugo Capet, lord of ?le-de-France, was crowned king, and the land of the Franks (called France) became the Kingdom of France. The newly established French dynasty wanted to extend suzerainty to the entire ruling domain.

From the 11th century to the 15th century, 18 kings continued to exert authority on the feudal lords, and the kingdom expanded (annexing Brittany and Burgundy) and seized some British possessions. Territories such as Aquitaine and Normandy. These centuries were characterized by a surge in religious fervor and a tremendous development of culture, economy and cities. During this period, bourgeois began to appear, and they formed a new class in society. Cities also became administrative units.

King Louis XI, who ruled France from 1226 to 1270, attached great importance to justice and once personally presided over a trial under an oak tree in Vincennes. He built many hospitals and churches during his life, participated in two Crusades, and became a model among kings. He later became known as St. Louis.

From the 16th to the 18th century, ten kings worked to strengthen the power of the country and its administration. Fighting against invasions from the east and south, they gradually established the country's natural borders. Three political figures are particularly worth mentioning:

-Henry IV ended the religious wars between Catholics and Puritans in the country and drove the Spanish invaders out of the country. In this way, he consolidated the unity of the country. In addition, he also tried to improve the unfortunate situation of poor French farmers.

-Richelieu, prime minister of Louis XIII. He led France against Austrian military intervention and strengthened its sovereignty by weakening the power of the nobility and Puritans. He also ordered the establishment of the Sorbonne University and promoted the establishment of the Collège de France.

-Colbert, chief minister of Louis XIV. He attempted to unify the country's legal system and promote innovation by establishing large manufacturing and international trading companies. He had pinned his hopes on the French colonies of Canada and Louisiana.

Several historical changes

The Great Revolution of 1789

The National Assembly in 1789 became a constitutional assembly. Feudal power was abolished, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was promulgated, and a parliamentary monarchy was established.

In 1792, due to the interference of foreign forces and the flight of the monarch, the monarchy was abolished and the First Republic of China was proclaimed. From then until 1795, revolutionaries, including Robespierre, fought against counterrevolutionary forces abroad (Prussia, Austria, England, Spain) and at home (Vendée) at the same time. In political life, revolutionaries adopted the principles proposed by Montesquieu and Rousseau (the principle of separation of powers and the principle of popular sovereignty).

From 1799 to 1804, General Napoleon Bonaparte, the first in power, led the French government. During his rule, he established a powerful centralized bourgeois state, a modern administrative system and a legal code ( Its Civil Code remains in force until the Decree). The government also established a high school education system and reformed university education.

Napoleonic Empire

Napoleon was crowned emperor in 1804. During his 12-year rule to 1815, he tried to build a huge European empire. For 10 years, the French army continued to compete with powerful alliances across the European continent. There was a period when France's territory expanded dramatically. Only in 1815 did its borders return to their 1789 state.

The heavy casualties suffered by the French army in the Russian campaign led to Napoleon's downfall and exile. He later ruled France again, but abdicated again after only a hundred days due to his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

The Restoration of the Monarchy

The two kings between 1815 and 1830 wanted to maintain some of the progressive measures of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Empires under the restored old monarchy. The French colonial empire continued to expand in North Africa.

The last king of France: Louis-Philippe was dubbed "King of the French". Between 1830 and 1848 a trading and commercial bourgeoisie emerged, the Industrial Revolution began, and the socialist and federalist movements also began to rise. Economic crisis and social unrest eventually led France to the Revolution of 1848, leading to the final collapse of the monarchy.

The Second Republic and the Second Empire

Universal suffrage, a free press and the fear of a working-class uprising gave Napoleon I's nephew Louis Napoleon Bonaparte By chance, he became the President of France. After a period of autocratic presidential rule, Louis Napoleon became emperor through a plebiscite and a coup, known as Napoleon III. His government advocated radical economic reform policies and implemented a large number of important economic programs aimed at rebuilding the country's capital. The Second Empire was characterized by industrial expansion. Just as the government was changing to a parliamentary form of government, the Franco-German War broke out (1870). The French defeat in the Sudan led to the fall of the Second Empire.

The Third Republic of China

In 1871, the Republic of China was established and a national defense government was established. France was defeated and in the peace treaty with Germany it ceded the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The famous Paris Commune uprising occurred in the same year, but the uprising was bloody suppressed.

The parliamentary government of the Republic of China established a series of major laws on public freedoms between 1871 and 1914, proving its worth. Prime Minister Jules Farry (in office from 186 to 1885) exerted a major influence on the establishment of freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. He also made a significant contribution to the establishment of a non-church free and compulsory primary education system.

French colonial expansion in Asia and Africa continued, but at the same time social unrest and disputes between religion and schools (separation of church and state) shook social rule.

The First World War {1914-1918) caused France to lose one-tenth of its labor force. December 1917 was a turning point in the war. Georges Clemenceau led France and the Allies to victory, and Germany was defeated. Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.

Soon after post-war reconstruction, France, like other countries in the world, was severely hit by the Great Crisis of 1929. Widespread strikes and left-wing alliances brought France a Popular Front government in 1936, which set the obligation to establish basic social laws in the national plan.

All around France, Nazism, Italian Fascism, and the Spanish Civil War all heralded the coming of World War II.

With the end of the famous so-called "Strange War", France declared a truce in 1940 and France became a German-occupied area. The French economy is in instability. The entire country was divided into two parts: on the one hand, the Vichy government, which cooperated with the occupying powers, and on the other hand, the "Free French" government-in-exile and resistance movement based in London. After five years of war, France was liberated by the Allies in 1944.

The Fourth French Republic

After Charles de Gaulle gave a radio speech on June 18, 1940, he was recognized as the leader and symbol of the French Resistance Movement. He served as head of government from 1944 to 1946, establishing the French social security system and granting women the right to vote. However, the Fourth Republic was shaken by government reshuffles as a result of the parliamentary system's inability to provide clear political direction. During the period from 1945 to 1958, France was busy rebuilding the country and developing its economy. The ever-increasing problems of decolonization (the wars in Indochina and Algeria) meant the end of weak administrative power.

The Fifth Republic of China

In 1958, General Charles de Gaulle returned to the stage of history. He designed and established the Fifth Republic system to strengthen administrative power. That is to say, a presidential system with universal suffrage by the people was established. France has since entered a period of modern development and sustained economic growth. The student movement and social riots in May 1968 reflected the unrest of the younger generation, the lack of social order, and the excessive centralization of power in the country. General de Gaulle was forced to resign. However, the right-wing government still holds power. Georges Pompidou served as president until his death in 1974. His successor, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, served a full seven years but was defeated in 1981 by Fran?ois Mitterrand, the first left-wing president of the Fifth Republic. Mitterrand successfully ran for re-election in 1988. Generally speaking, however, French politics during this period was characterized by alternating left-wing and right-wing governments.

The unified European market began to be established

On December 1, 1993, the European Union was born on the basis of the European Economic Community.

Jacques Chirac was elected President of the Republic of Korea

In May 1995, Jacques Chirac was elected President of the Republic of Korea. The National Assembly was dissolved on April 21, 1997. Early elections will be held on May 25 and June 1. Local elections were held in March. The outcome of this election produced a "coexistence" of left and right.

A modern country

Over the past three decades, France has established a stable system.

The Constitution of the Fifth Republic of China, established through referendum during General de Gaulle's presidency in 1958, ensures the good operation of the political system. France is a unified, democratic, secular socialist communist country. Its citizens are equal before the law regardless of their origin, race or religion. Modern French democracy is a legacy of the French Revolution of 1789. Its principles are based on the 1791 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which today forms the introductory part of the Constitution.

The motto of France is "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity".

The French flag is a tricolor consisting of three vertical stripes: blue, white and red.

The French national anthem is Marseillaise.

France’s National Day is July 14, the day the Bastille was stormed in 1789.

National System

Executive Power

***The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and is elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term. The president enacts laws and has the power to introduce bills to a vote by the nation's citizens. He also has the power to dissolve the National Assembly after speaking with the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate.

The President appoints the Prime Minister and appoints members of the government nominated by the Prime Minister.

The government should respond to the National Assembly’s inquiries.

Legislative power

Parliament is composed of two houses: the National Assembly, elected by universal suffrage every five years; and the Senate, with members serving nine-year terms, with one-third of the seats up for election every three years. .

The Parliament votes to decide whether to pass laws, ratify international treaties, and exercise the power to amend the constitution granted by the President of the Republic of China.

Judicial Power

The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative powers.

473 courts of first instance and 186 courts of first instance are responsible for enforcing the law. There are 35 courts of appeal. The Court of Final Appeal is responsible for judging whether the law has been correctly implemented. Criminal offenses are tried in felony courts with a judge and jury.

In the field of administrative justice, there are administrative courts and the country's highest administrative court. The Court of Audit is responsible for reviewing public expenditures.

Other organizations provided for by the Constitution

-Constitutional Committee: Committee members are appointed by the President of the Republic of China, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the President of the Senate respectively. The functions of the Constitutional Council are to supervise elections and review the constitutionality of laws.

-Economic and Social Council: Its members are representatives of various social strata (trade unions, businessmen, various associations) or persons with specific qualifications designated by the government. When bills, decrees or related plans are of an economic and social nature, the Economic and Social Committee shall be consulted.

-Supreme Administrative Court: the highest administrative authority. The government must seek their opinions before drafting bills and implementing laws.

-Supreme Council of Judicial Magistrates: composed of judicial magistrates and persons with specific qualifications. The Committee is chaired by the President of the Republic of China and the Minister of Justice as Vice Chairman respectively. It appoints senior judicial officers and is also responsible for the disciplinary action against judicial officers.

-***The Republic of Korea Judicial Court: formerly known as the High Judicial Court, consists of fifteen judges, who are either members of parliament (12 are members of the National Assembly) or judicial officers ( 3 people). The courts are responsible for hearing official acts committed by members of the government that are considered to be criminal in nature. Any individual who believes that he or she has been harmed by a criminal or unlawful act by a member of the Government may bring a complaint to a specialized grievance committee.

Administration

Regions

France is divided into 21 regions and the island of Corsica. Regions are governed by regional committees, whose presidents and members are elected by universal suffrage. Provinces

There are 96 departments in mainland France. In addition, there are four overseas departments: Guatrope, Martinique, Reunion Island and French Guiana in South America. The overseas territories include Bologna. Polynesia, New Caledoria, Mayotte, Saint-Pierre and Macron, Wallis and Futuna, Ter Atrie, Coghlan Islands, Croce and Saint Paul Island.

The province is governed by a General Council, whose chairman and members are elected by universal suffrage. Provincial governors are representatives sent by the central government to local areas. Provinces are divided into districts (***339 including overseas provinces), communes (3,995) and municipalities (36,560).

Municipality

Municipal management is the responsibility of the mayor with the assistance of the Municipal Council, whose members are elected through universal suffrage.

Competitive Economic System

1945-1961

Although France was the victor in World War II, she faced huge challenges at the end of the war. Economic difficulties: The population is only 40 million (the same as in 1900), and the gross industrial production is only half of what it was before the war. There was an extreme shortage of raw materials and unprecedented inflation.

The three primary economic plans are to rebuild basic industry, promote production and prepare for international economic competition.

1962-1975

During this period, under the supervision of the state, the economy achieved amazing and sustained development and achieved the expected plan. During this period, France's economic growth rate hit an unprecedented record (annual growth rate reached 5-6%), which brought about full employment, improvement of living standards, consumption growth and rapid increase in wage levels.

The next economic plan shifted its focus to regional economic development, investment policies and social organizations (reforming the social insurance system to establish a universal pension).

Since 1976

Three consecutive oil crises (197, 1979, 1980) and continued world economic turmoil have made France emphasize economic structural adjustment and modernization in the past two decades. This has led to high unemployment (more than three million job opportunities have been lost in 20 years).

Austerity in government spending and the emphasis on reducing energy consumption and developing competitive industry, research and vocational training have given France new vitality to face the challenges of international competition, European integration and the next generation. The coming of the year.

Highly diversified economic system

The French economy covers all important economic sectors: agriculture (the third in the world and the largest exporter in Europe), industry (the fourth in the world and the largest exporter in Europe) Second in Europe), fisheries (fourth in European catch).

France’s export trade ranks fifth in the world, and five French companies are among the world’s top 100.

Agriculture

French agriculture is a modern mechanized, high-productivity production sector. France's agricultural production area accounts for nearly one-third of the EU's total area, and agricultural products account for 23% of the EU's output, half of which are livestock products (meat, milk, cheese), and the rest are cereals, sugar and processing industries.

Industry

French industry includes both a large number of traditional industrial sectors (steel, metallurgy, machinery, automotive and textile industries) that are being reorganized and automated, as well as a number of new developing technology industries. (Food processing, precision chemistry, aerospace industry and new materials).

French industrial production mainly relies on imports of raw materials and energy, with the exception of electricity. 25% of electricity comes from the country's nuclear power plants.

Services

The service sector (to collective and individual consumers) is playing an increasingly important role in the national economy.

Main service sectors such as transportation, electronic communications, postal services, electricity and water are equipped with advanced technologies in their fields (microphones, high-speed trains and subway systems enjoy international reputation). France's tourism industry ranks first in Europe and is of great significance to maintaining the balance of international payments. In fact, France ranks second in the world after the United States in this "invisible export industry".

How France sees itself

France is not a "superpower" in terms of size, population and gross national product. But France still occupies a very important position. Due to the vigorous development of high-tech enterprises, she is one of the world's important economic powers, ranking fourth or fifth in the world in terms of exports. She is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, with veto power, and one of the permanent members of the International Monetary Fund. UNESCO is located in Paris.

France also has a decisive influence from other perspectives:

-One of the Latin countries (by 2000, one in six people in the world was of Latin descent).

-One of the French-speaking countries. There are 105 million French-speaking people in the world. In some parts of the Americas and Africa, French has been spoken for hundreds of years.

-One of the European countries. France has good political, trade and cultural exchanges with many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. These countries became increasingly powerful after the political changes in the Soviet Union in 1990-1991. More importantly, France's future is closely tied to the fate of the fifteen other members of the Western European Union. Due to the establishment of the European Council and the European Parliament (elected by universal suffrage), the French people have actively participated in European political life.

Appendix 1: French economic data

GDP: 78Y, 61 billion francs

Per capita GDP: 134,656 francs

Export value: 18,860 billion francs

Industrial enterprises: 196,600

Agricultural/food enterprises: 72,000

GDP growth rate: 2.3% (to 1996)

Total growth value in 1996: agriculture 5.5%; industry and energy 25.2%; service industry 56.4%

Existing employed population: 25,590,000

Appendix 2: Characteristics of France< /p>

Although France is geographically and ethnically diverse, the country still has a strong cohesion and a strong cultural identity. The French people have a strong sense of identity with their history and cultural identity.

The basic concept of modern France is to defend human rights and freedom, democracy, and unity. These concepts have been generally recognized.

Appendix 3: Foreigners in France

Foreign immigrants have contributed significantly to France’s population growth and economic prosperity over the past four decades. But due to the current economic crisis, immigration flows have been officially halted. There are now approximately less than four million foreigners in France (6.5% of the population since 1995). The proportion of foreigners has remained roughly unchanged since 1990.

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