France

France is a unitary sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean; France covers 640,679 square kilometers and has a population of 66.6 million. It is a semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the nation's largest city and the main cultural and commercial center.

Did you know that:
1. France is the most visited country in the world.
2. France once controlled more than 8% of the world's land.
3. Napoleon wasn't short. He was actually above the average Frenchman.
4. Paris was originally a Roman city called "Lutetia".
5. The French government gives medals to citizens who have "successfully raised several children with dignity".
6. In France, you can marry a dead person.
7. French Toast Isn't French. Joseph French advertised the modern toast but forgot to add the apostrophe :)
8. There's a Coffee Shop in France where not saying "hello" and "please" makes your coffee more expensive.
9. France uses 12 different time zones, the most of any country in the world.
10. For 214 years until 2012, it was illegal in Paris, for women to wear trousers.
11. Beauty pageants for children are banned in France. They are punishable with up to 2 years in prison and a €30,000 fine.
12. There are more people speaking French in Africa than in France.