Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi. The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, but while France is undoubtedly a place to indulge yourself, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.

Beautiful Alps, picturesque country side and exciting city life combined with a location central to many other countries and cultures makes France a highly sought after destination.

In ancient times France was part of the Celtic territory known as Gaul or Gallia. Its present name is derived from the Latin Francia, meaning "country of the Franks," a Germanic people who conquered the area during the 5th century, at the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It became a separate country in the 9th century.

Since the 17th century, France has played a major role in European and world events. In the 20th century, it has experienced numerous crises, including the devastation of two world wars, political and social upheavals, and the loss of a large empire in Indochina, Algeria, and West and Equatorial Africa. It has, however, survived and emerged from the ruins of World War II to become an important world supplier of agricultural and industrial products and a major partner in the European Community (EC, or Common Market).

Today, the term metropolitan France refers to the mainland departments and Corsica, a large island located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy that has been a part of France since 1768. France has six overseas departments: French Guiana in South America; Guadeloup and Martinique in the West Indies; Mayotte, an island formerly part of the Comoros, located in the Indian Ocean; Reunion, an island in the Indian Ocean; and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, islands off the east coast of Canada. In addition, France has numerous small possessions called overseas territories. These include a group of widely scattered islands in the South Pacific, which are administered from Tahiti and are known collectively as French Polynesia, French Southern and Antartic territories, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna Islands; and many small islands in the southern oceans, including the Kerguelen and Crozet archipelagos and the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam (Indian Ocean). The overseas departments and territories are represented in the French National Assembly.

Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain.

While Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe, France also has a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica. These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas department to overseas collectivity.

Metropolitan France covers 551,695 square kilometres (213,010 sq mi) and possesses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west. At 4,807 metres (15,770 ft) above sea-level, the highest point in western Europe, Mont Blanc, is situated in the Alps on the border between France and Italy. Metropolitan France also has extensive river systems such as the Loire, the Garonne, the Seine and the Rhône, which divides the Massif Central from the Alps and flows into the Mediterranean sea at the Camargue, the lowest point in France (2 m / 6.5 ft below sea level).

Democratic parliamentary republic

National name: République Française

President: Nicolas Sarkozy (2007)

Prime Minister: François Fillon (2007)

French families enjoy the concept of togetherness. The average family is very small. Unlike most countries, the people of France treat pets as one of the family. In fact, there are more pets in France than children.

With the exception of breakfast, wine is served with all meals. Foods vary from inexpensive dishes to gourmet meals with complicated recipes. Most people eat a light breakfast and lunch and have their main meal at night. Sometimes dinner is not served till after nine o'clock. If you do not enjoy French cuisine, there are several fast food restaurants across the country.

Although few people participate in sports, they are popular to watch. Individual sports such as skiing, hiking, horse riding, and cycling are enjoyed by many. Another frequent form of recreation is the American film.