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Geography of Frane

The French Republic is large country in the form of a hexagon situated in the western part of Europe, extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rhine River and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea. France borders many countries, namely Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra and Spain. It has several islands, like French Guiana and Saint Martin, and thus it also neighbours Brazil and Suriname, as well as the Netherlands Antilles. The country is connected to the United Kingdom with the help of the Channel Tunnel.

France spreads over a territory of 547,030 square kilometres and is the largest country in the European Union. Being that large, the country has a variety of landscapes including mountain ranges and coastal plains. Here is situated the highest mountain top in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, which is part of the Alps close to the border with Italy. Furthermore, France is cut by several large rivers such as the Seine, Loire, Garonne and Rhone. The French Republic is part of the northern temperate zone and has a combination of latitude and altitude, as well as maritime influences. It's a fact that the south-eastern zone of the country enjoys a Mediterranean climate, while the western part of the country has an oceanic climate. The inland territory is predominated by a continental climate with hot, stormy summers and cold winters.

France is comprised of twenty-six administrative regions and four overseas regions, which are further separated into 100 departments. These 100 departments are subdivided into 321 arroundissements, which are in turn comprised of 4,032 cantons. The population of the country reaches 64.5 million, making it the 19th most populous state in the world.

The largest cities in France are the capital, Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse and Nice, as well as Nantes. French is the official language in the country; however, on its territory 77 regional languages are spoken. Due to the many immigrants, Portugese, Italian and Arabic are widely understood and spoken as well.