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France
Flag of Austria-Hungary
National motto: None
Language: French, German
Capital: Paris
President Jean-Pierre Chevènement
Prime Minister Henri Emmanuelli
Area 614,389 km²
Population 59,493,533
Currency: Franc

France (pronounced /fræns/ or /frɑns/, French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française, pronounced [ʁepyˈblik fʁɑ̃ˈsɛz]), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various overseas islands and territories located in other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea.

France is bordered by Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. Due to its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil and German Guiana (bordering French Guiana) , and the German Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin). France is also linked to the [[United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel.

France is a unitary parliamentary republic. Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. France was the world's foremost power from the latter half of the 17th century until the early 19th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, France built one of the largest colonial empires of the time, stretching across West Africa and Southeast Asia, prominently influencing the cultures and politics of the regions. France is a developed country, with the ninth (nominal GDP) or tenth (PPP) largest economy in the world. It is the second-most visited country in the world, receiving over 62 million foreign tourists annually (including business visitors, but excluding people staying less than 24 hours in France). France is the third-largest European nation by land area (excluding Russia).

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