France is a country with a little over sixty million people, it is divided up into 96 departments. Each has its own name and number, for example I live in the Bas-Rhin department number 67. All cars in France have as their last two license plate numbers the number of the department they were registered in. Our car, registered in the Bas-Rhin has a license plate with the last numbers of 67.

The official language of France is French. There are many other languages spoken, as France in very much a melting pot with people from all over the world. France also has regions where local languages are spoken, Alsatian in Alsace, Breton in Brittany, Corsican in Corsica and Euskara in Basque country.

The French flag, referred to as the Le Drapeau Tricolore(The Three Colors Flag) by the French, is blue, white and red. The blue was the color of the republican army uniform just after the French revolution, white the color of French royalty and red the color of the royal army uniform before the French revolution.

The French national anthem is the La Marseilles. A rather rousing song that calls all citizens to arms to fight the tyranny at France's door step. Then to water France's fields with enemy blood.

The Basics

Politics

Structure

Telling Time

General Thoughts

Little Known Facts