France is a large country in mainland Europe which is bordered by Spain and Andorra to the south and Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco from the north east going clockwise. To the north France is bordered by the Channel, to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south east by the Mediterranean Sea. France also has a number of overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean, South America, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

France is a secular and democratic Republic which is run by a President and a Prime Minister. The country has influenced the world greatly in terms of politics, culture and economy. During the 19^th and 20^th centuries France had the second largest empire in the world with many colonies in North Africa and Asia. Today France is highly developed with one of the highest standards of living and levels of education in the world.

There are too many reasons for visiting France to list them all and that is why France has been the most frequented tourist destination for the last two decades. In addition France has the second largest economy in the world and so attracts numerous business travellers to its cities and agricultural areas. Its capital Paris is considered one of the world’s great cities and has a reputation for romance attracting couples and honeymooners from all over the world. The country also has a very varied terrain with numerous climates. That means there are seaside resorts in France for great beach holidays and some of the best mountains in Europe for winter skiing. Furthermore France is considered the premiere country in the world for food and wine and it is the home of Bordeaux, Champagne and over 700 different types of cheese.

French people have a Celtic, Latin and Teutonic heritage and most of them are Roman Catholic. The country has a large number of immigrants including populations of North Africans and Indochinese people. 10% of the population is Muslim, 2% Protestant, 1% Jewish and 4% unaffiliated.