Lincoln Financial Group

The European Parliament Strasbourg near border with Germany France founding member of all EU institutionsFrance member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but under President de Gaulle excluded itself from joint military command protest special relationship between United States Britain preserve independence of French foreign security policies However result of Nicolas Sarkozy's pro-American politics (much criticised France leftists part of right) France rejoined NATO joint military command 4 April 2009In early 1990s country drew considerable criticism from other nations its underground nuclear tests French Polynesia France vigorously opposed 2003 invasion of Iraq, straining bilateral relations with United States United KingdomFrance retains strong political economic influence its former African colonies (Françafrique) has supplied economic aid troops peace-keeping missions Ivory Coast Chad Recently after unilateral declaration of independence of northern Mali Tuareg MNLA subsequent regional Northern Mali conflict with several Islamist groups including Ansar Dine MOJWA France other African states intervened help Malian Army retake controlIn 2013 France was fourth-largest (in absolute terms) donor of development aid world behind United States United Kingdom Germany This represents 0.36% of its GDP this regard rating France twelfth largest donor listorganisation managing French help French Development Agency which finances primarily humanitarian projects sub-Saharan Africamain goals of this support developing infrastructure access health care education implementation of appropriate economic policies consolidation of rule of law democracyMilitary, Health care emergency medical service city of Paris its suburbs provided Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) public hospital system that employs more than 90,000 people (including practitioners support personnel administrators) 44 hospitalslargest hospital system Europe provides health care teaching research prevention education emergency medical service 52 branches of medicine hospitals receive more than 5.8 million annual patient visitsOne of most notable hospitals Hôtel-Dieu founded 651 oldest hospital city Other hospitals include Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (one of largest Europe) Hôpital Cochin Hôpital Bichat Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou Bicêtre Hospital Beaujon Hospital Curie Institute Lariboisière Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital Hôpital Saint-Louis Hôpital de la Charité American Hospital of ParisMedia, France highly urbanized country with its largest cities (in terms of metropolitan area population 2013) being Paris (12,405,426 inh.) Lyon (2,237,676) Marseille (1,734,277) Toulouse (1,291,517) Bordeaux (1,178,335) Lille (1,175,828) Nice (1,004,826) Nantes (908,815) Strasbourg (773,447) Rennes (700,675) (Note There significant differences between metropolitan population figures just cited those following table which only include core population) Rural flight was perennial political issue throughout most of 20th centuryFunctional urban areas. Main articles French Renaissance (c 1400–c 1650) Early modern France (1500–1789) French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) Ancien Régime (c 1400–1792), The basic principles that French Republic must respect found 1789 Declaration of Rights of Man of CitizenFrench law divided into two principal areas private law public law Private law includes particular civil law criminal law Public law includes particular administrative law constitutional law However practical terms French law comprises three principal areas of law civil law criminal law administrative law Criminal laws can only address future not past (criminal ex post facto laws prohibited) While administrative law often subcategory of civil law many countries completely separated France each body of law headed specific supreme court ordinary courts (which handle criminal civil litigation) headed Court of Cassation administrative courts headed Council of StateTo be applicable every law must be officially published Journal officiel de la République françaiseFrance does not recognise religious law motivation enactment of prohibitions France has long had neither blasphemy laws nor sodomy laws (the latter being abolished 1791) However offences against public decency (contraires aux bonnes mœurs) or disturbing public order (trouble à l'ordre public) have been used repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution Since 1999 civil unions homosexual couples permitted since May 2013 same-sex marriage LGBT adoption legal France Laws prohibiting discriminatory speech press old 1881 Some consider however that hate speech laws France too broad or severe damage freedom of speech France has laws against racism antisemitism Since 1990 Gayssot Act prohibits Holocaust denialFreedom of religion constitutionally guaranteed 1789 Declaration of Rights of Man of Citizen 1905 French law Separation of Churches State basis laïcité (state secularism) state does not formally recognize any religion except Alsace-Moselle Nonetheless does recognize religious associations Parliament has listed many religious movements dangerous cults since 1995 has banned wearing conspicuous religious symbols schools since 2004 2010 banned wearing of face-covering Islamic veils public human rights groups such Amnesty International Human Rights Watch described law discriminatory towards Muslims However supported most of populationForeign relations, International regional transport Catholic University of Lyon. Immigration National Gendarmerie, Marseille second-largest city France after Paris centre of third-largest metropolitan area France after Paris Lyon east starting small fishing village of Callelongue outskirts of Marseille stretching far Cassis Calanques rugged coastal area interspersed with small fjord-like inlets Farther east still Sainte-Baume (a 1,147 m (3,763 ft) mountain ridge rising from forest of deciduous trees) city of Toulon French Riviera north of Marseille beyond low Garlaban Etoile mountain ranges 1,011 m (3,317 ft) Mont Sainte Victoire west of Marseille former artists' colony of l'Estaque farther west Côte Bleue Gulf of Lion Camargue region Rhône delta airport lies north west of city Marignane Étang de BerreMarseille Calanques National Park from ISS February 2017, International School of Lyon nearby Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon. History To west of Saône fifth arrondissement covers old city (Vieux Lyon) Fourvière hill plateau beyond 9th immediately north stretches from Gorge de Loup through Vaise neighbouring suburbs of Écully Champagne-au-Mont-d'Or Saint-Didier-au-Mont-d'Or Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or Collonges-au-Mont-d'OrBetween two rivers Presqu'île second first fourth arrondissements second includes most of city centre including Bellecour Perrache railway station reaches far confluence of two rivers first directly north of second covers part of city centre (including Hôtel de Ville) slopes of La Croix-Rousse north of Boulevard fourth arrondissement which covers Plateau of La Croix-Rousse up its boundary with commune of Caluire-et-CuireTo east of Rhône third sixth seventh eighth arrondissementsMayors. In addition 18 regions 101 departments French Republic has five overseas collectivities (French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre Miquelon Wallis Futuna) one sui generis collectivity (New Caledonia) one overseas territory (French Southern Antarctic Lands) one island possession Pacific Ocean (Clipperton Island)Overseas collectivities territories form part of French Republic but do not form part of European Union or its fiscal area (with exception of St Bartelemy which seceded from Guadeloupe 2007) Pacific Collectivities (COMs) of French Polynesia Wallis Futuna New Caledonia continue use CFP franc whose value strictly linked that of euro contrast five overseas regions used French franc now use eurodiagram of overseas territories of France showing map shapes. Institution des Chartreux Parc des hauteurs Fourvières Pays de. Police (Gendarmerie) motorcyclists Paris animated gif showing expansion of Franks across Europe. The port also important arrival base millions of people each year with 2.4 million including 890,100 from cruise ships With its beaches history architecture culture (24 museums 42 theatres) Marseille one of most visited cities France with 4.1 million visitors 2012 Marseille ranked 86th world business tourism events advancing from 150th spot one year before.[citation needed] number of congress days hosted its territory increased from 109,000 1996 almost 300,000 2011.[citation needed]!

8th arrondissement Monplaisir (south) Bachut États-Unis Grand Trou/Moulin à Vent Grange Blanche (south) Laënnec Mermoz Monplaisir-la-Plaine, This section needs expansion You can help adding it (June 2017). Sainte Marie de La Tourette monastery (1960) designed Le Corbusier. Prime Minister The Abbey of St Victor basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde, René Descartes founder of modern philosophyFrench philosophers produced some of most important political works of Age of Enlightenment Spirit of Laws Baron de Montesquieu theorised principle of separation of powers which has been implemented all liberal democracies since was first applied United States Voltaire came embody Enlightenment with his defence of civil liberties such right free trial freedom of religion19th-century French thought was targeted responding social malaise following French Revolution Rationalist philosophers such Victor Cousin Auguste Comte who called new social doctrine were opposed reactionary thinkers such Joseph de Maistre Louis de Bonald Félicité Robert de Lamennais who blamed rationalist rejection of traditional order De Maistre considered together with Englishman Edmund Burke one of founders of European conservatism while Comte regarded founder of positivism which Émile Durkheim reformulated basis social researchIn 20th century partly reaction perceived excesses of positivism French spiritualism thrived with thinkers such Henri Bergson influenced American pragmatism Whitehead's version of process philosophy Meanwhile French epistemology became prominent school of thought with Jules Henri Poincaré Gaston Bachelard Jean Cavaillès Jules Vuillemin Influenced German phenomenology existentialism philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre gained strong influence after World War II late-20th-century-France became craddle of postmodern philosophy with Jean-François Lyotard Jean Baudrillard Jacques Derrida Michel FoucaultMusic, Main articles French Renaissance (c 1400–c 1650) Early modern France (1500–1789) French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) Ancien Régime (c 1400–1792). The origins of French art were very much influenced Flemish art Italian art time of Renaissance Jean Fouquet most famous medieval French painter said have been first travel Italy experience Early Renaissance first hand Renaissance painting School of Fontainebleau was directly inspired Italian painters such Primaticcio Rosso Fiorentino who both worked France Two of most famous French artists of time of Baroque era Nicolas Poussin Claude Lorrain lived Italypainting Claude Monet of woman with parasol facing left field from Musée d'Orsay.