FRANCE'S IDENTITY CARD
Country Name: France
Flag: blue, white, red
National hymn: la Marseillaise
Capital City: Paris
Geographical Area: 551,000 sq km(210,025 sq miles)
Population: 64.5 million
Language: French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany.
Government: Democracy
President: Nicolas Sarkozy
Visas: Nationals of the EU, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Israel do not require visas to visit France. In any case always check if you need a visa.
Currency: France’s basic monetary unit is the Euro
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
MAIN STATIONS IN PARIS
There are six main SNCF(National Railways operator) rail stations in Paris serving different geographical areas:
- From Gare de L'Est trains departs to the East of France: Reims, Strasbourg as well as Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg etc..
- From Gare du Nord trains travel to the north of France: Lille, Calais and it is also where you take the Eurostar to England or the Thalys train to Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany
- From Gare Montparnasse is the departing station for trains going to Brittany and the Atlantic Coast;
- From Gare de Lyon, trains travel south to Avignon, Marseille, Cote d'Azur and Italy
- From Gare d'Austerlitz trains go to the Southwest on to Spain and Portugal
- From Gare Saint Lazare is the departing point for trains going to Normandy.
CLIMATE
France has a temperate climate though it is very variable.
- Paris and the North tend to be cold in winter and often hot and humid in summer.
- The south including Provence, French Riviera and Languedoc/Rousillon have a Mediterranean climate with the mildest temperature. This region boasts the most sunny days with mild temperature in winter and very hot days in summer but watch out for the strong Mistral wind that sometimes occur in the Provence/Cote d'Azur region.
- Along the Atlantic coast the weather is temperate with mild temperature distributed throughout the year. Summers can be hot and sunny.
- Normandy has a rather temperate climate throughout the year.
- The Alps region and Pyrenees have more rigorous winters but hot and sunny summers.
