Known for high fashion, perfume, croissants, the riviera, artists, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, fine cuisine, wine, cheese and of course champagne. France is the third largest country in Europe.

It was first settled by Greeks and Celts around 700 BCE and the oldest city of France is Marseille from 600 BCE.

In ancient times France was a part of a Celtic region called Gaul or Gallia (think Asterix) but it was conquered by Julius Caesar in 58-51 BCE and was governed by the Roman Empire until Rome couldn’t hold off the Germanic Franks in the 5th century. The name France is taken from the Latin name for the Franks.

In 987 Hugh Capet became King of West Francia. This kingdom expanded territorially and became closer to the France of today. The death of the last king in the line of succession led to the 100 Year War featuring a young peasant girl called Jeanne d’Arc leading the troops to victory.

France stayed a monarchy until the French Revolution in 1789 when Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette and many others were famously guillotined. The French Revolution was the start of the 1st Republic. Soon after this Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power and proclaimed himself Emperor and tried to take over Europe. After being defeated in Waterloo and sent to prison there was another king taking his place but after being toppled the 2nd Republic started in 1848. Only four years in comes Napoleon III, restoring the monarchy yet again and keeping it until 1871 when the 3rd Republic starts. After WWII but without the resurrection of the monarchy in between the 4th Republic started in 1947 and the final 5th Republic started with Charles de Gaulle in 1959.

Apart from mainland and Corsica, France has six so called overseas departments, for instance Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion. It also has smaller colonies called overseas territories like French Polynesia and New Caledonia.