France
Géographie
France is largest country in Western Europe. It is slightly smaller than Texas. France’s capital is Paris, and Marseille and Lyon are other large metropolitan cities. To the northwest, France has a natural border with the English Channel, which separates it from England. On the northeast, France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Continuing clockwise on the east, France borders Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. A natural border exists on the southeastern portion of the country due to the Alps mountain range. Half of the southern border is made up by the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, and then a natural border with Spain across the Pyrenees Mountains. The western border of France meets part of the Atlantic Ocean called the Bay of Biscay.
Tout sur la France
Just like the United States, France has the colors of red, white, and blue in its national flag. What else do the United States and France have in common? Both countries celebrate a national holiday, many of the same religious holidays, and have a president. However, the countries are also different. France uses the euro as its currency and is part of the European Union. In this interactivity, learn all about the country of France. Click the player to begin.
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The French National Anthem
The French National Anthem was composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle. Originally, the song was known as Chant de Guerre pour l’Armee du Rhin. This was a war song for the Army of the Rhine and became famous when the army sang the song while marching into Paris in 1792. View French National Anthem from eMediaVASM to hear an instrumental version of La Marseillaise.
Système de transport
Traveling throughout France is not a problem. France has many airports, a high speed railroad train, subways, and an advanced system of roads and highways. The high speed train system can take you from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea in just a matter of hours. You can even buy multi-day passes and see the entire country by train! In this interactivity, learn about the modern transportation system in France. Click the player to begin.
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Bâtiments importants et monuments
France has a long history, and has preserved a lot of its buildings. There are many famous monuments and landmarks all over the country. France is also home to the Loire River. The picturesque river is dotted with châteaux. Some of the châteaux de la Loire are older châteaux forts meant for defense; others are more recent châteaux de la Renaissance, such as Chambord, that were built to accommodate the opulent desires of noble families. In this interactivity, you will explore the important buildings and moments of France. Click the player to begin.
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Personnalités françaises
Many French historical figures have contributed to the country's richness that we enjoy today. This includes domains such as art, science, literature, government, and cuisine. France also boasts many contemporary personalities who attract worldwide acclaim. In this interactivity, explore several examples of personnalités françaises, like Joan of Arc, Napoléon Bonaparte, and Claude Monet. Click the player to begin.
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France Review
Now that you have studied the country of France, practice what you have learned. In this non-graded interactivity, read each question and select the correct response. Click the player to get started.