What you should know about France

France - a modern European state and a republic, is one of the world's major economies. France has a population of slightly over 60 million, approximately equal to that of the United Kingdom; but in terms of surface area, France is twice the size of the UK. The capital and the nation's largest city is  Paris. The official language is French, though regional languages such as Breton and Alsacian are making a comeback. 
Metropolitan France ( France in Europe) is divided, administratively, into 22 regions, and 95 counties, known as departments. France uses the Euro, and most garages, hotels and shops in France accept credit cards, though not always cards that do not have a microchip. The cost of living in France is fairly similar to neighboring countries, though some things (like supermarket food) may be more expensive. Staying in  Paris can be expensive - as can staying on the Riviera, particularly during the peak tourist periods.. On the other hand, fruit, wine, travel, hotels and restaurants tend to be cheaper than they are in the United Kingdom, particularly in rural areas, and there are plenty of ways of avoiding tourist traps

One of the oldest nations in Europe, France - which the Romans called Gaul -  is also a country with a very rich cultural and environmental heritage. The climate in France is quite varied, but generally west European - on the whole a bit warmer than the UK, a bit cooler than Spain.  Don't expect to find summer in winter in the South of France! 

GDP growth averaged 2% between 1994 and 1998, with 4% recorded in 2000. Like other continental economies, France's real GDP growth has been relatively weak. The unemployment rate is relatively high, at nearly 7.5% in February 2008 according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) statistics.