Interesting Facts About France - Essay Example

In the landscape of France, rivers also play an important role. The river basins in the country are the Rhone, the Seine, the Loire, and the Garonne (Encyclopedia.com). All of them played a significant role in history as they were used as the main transportation routes before the railway replaced them.

The population of the country is about 64 million people with 20 percent of them living in the Parisian region (OECD). The French people have the highest female life expectancy in the EU; at the same time, they are the biggest consumers of medicine in Europe and the second biggest consumers of alcohol on the continent (after Luxembourg) (“Interesting Facts About France”). Andre Gide, the famous French Nobel Prize winner in literature, once said about the French people, “French people are Italian people in bad mood” (“Interesting Quotes”). About 85 percent of the population are Roman Catholics; about 2 percents are Lutherans and Calvinists; Muslims comprise about 8 percent. At the same time, more than 40 percent claim they are atheists (Encyclopedia.com).

The official language is French; there are also several regional languages spoken in the country, such as Alsatian, Basque, Catalan, Breton, Corsican, Occitan, Franco-Provencal, etc. French was the language of diplomacy and aristocracy throughout entire Europe and the Ottoman Empire. In addition to this, it was the official language in England for more than three centuries (“Interesting Facts About France”).

France is famous for its well-developed food-and-drink industry. In particular, France is one of the greatest producers of wine and liquors in the world. In fact, wine has been produced in the country since Roman times. In total, there are more than 450 wine appellations in the entire country. Also, cheese production is flourishing in the country: more than 300 types of cheese, including Camembert, Livarot, Brie de Meaux, Roquefort, Reblochon, etc., are made there. What is more, France is the world’s leader in the production of luxury goods, for example, cosmetics, perfumes, haute couture, and accessories (Encyclopedia.com).

Also, France is one of the oldest nations in Europe, and it has a very rich cultural heritage. In one of the regions of the country, Brittany, there is the oldest extant building in the world, which is about 2000 years old. Furthermore, a wide range of sites is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, among which are cathedrals, historic cities, abbeys, palaces, castles, etc. This fact, among a great number of others, is the reason why such a great number of tourists (about 80 million per year) choose France (“Interesting Facts About France”).