The population of city of Lyon proper was 491,268 January 2011 census, 14% of whom were born outside Metropolitan FranceMain sights, Caves Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil part of UNESCO Prehistoric Sites Decorated Caves of Vézère ValleyGeological formations near Roussillon Vaucluse dating back Post-classical historyMetropolitan France has wide variety of topographical sets natural landscapes Large parts of current territory of France were raised during several tectonic episodes like Hercynian uplift Paleozoic Era during which Armorican Massif Massif Central Morvan Vosges Ardennes ranges island of Corsica were formed These massifs delineate several sedimentary basins such Aquitaine basin southwest Paris basin north latter including several areas of particularly fertile ground such silt beds of Beauce Brie Various routes of natural passage such Rhône valley allow easy communications Alpine Pyrenean Jura mountains much younger have less eroded forms 4,810.45 metres (15,782 ft) above sea level Mont Blanc located Alps French Italian border highest point Western EuropeAlthough 60% of municipalities classified having seismic risks these risks remain moderate coastlines offer contrasting landscapes mountain ranges along French Riviera coastal cliffs such Côte d'Albâtre wide sandy plains Languedoc Corsica lies off Mediterranean coast France has extensive river system consisting of four major rivers Seine Loire Garonne Rhône their tributaries whose combined catchment includes over 62% of metropolitan territory Rhône divides Massif Central from Alps flows into Mediterranean Sea Camargue Other water courses drain towards Meuse Rhine along north-eastern borders France has 11 million square kilometres (4.2×106 sq mi) of marine waters within three oceans under its jurisdiction of which 97% overseasClimate. Champagne widely regarded luxury good originates from Champagne region Northeast FranceFrance has historically been large producer of agricultural products Extensive tracts of fertile land application of modern technology EU subsidies have combined make France leading agricultural producer exporter Europe (representing 20% of EU's agricultural production) world's third biggest exporter of agricultural productsWheat poultry dairy beef pork well internationally recognised processed foods primary French agricultural exports Rosé wines primarily consumed within country but Champagne Bordeaux wines major exports being known worldwide EU agriculture subsidies France have decreased recent years but still amounted $8 billion 2007 That same year France sold 33.4 billion euros of transformed agricultural products France produces rum via sugar cane-based distilleries almost all of which located overseas territories such Martinique Guadeloupe La Réunion Agriculture important sector of France's economy 3.8% of active population employed agriculture whereas total agri-food industry made up 4.2% of French GDP 2005Tourism. Val de LoirePays de la Loire, Marseille has been setting many films mostly produced France or Hollywood Taxi 4 was filmed Marseille (2007)! According historian Dio Cassius 43 BC Roman Senate ordered creation of settlement Roman refugees of war with Allobroges These refugees had been expelled from Vienne were now encamped confluence of Saône Rhône rivers foundation was built Fourvière hill officially called Colonia Copia Felix Munatia name invoking prosperity blessing of gods city became increasingly referred Lugdunum (and occasionally Lugudunum)earliest translation of this Gaulish place-name Desired Mountain offered 9th-century Endlicher Glossarycontrast some modern scholars have proposed Gaulish hill-fort named Lug[o]dunon after Celtic god Lugus ('Light' cognate with Old Irish Lugh Modern Irish Lú) dúnon (hill-fort)The Roman-era Theatre Fourvière Hill, France has long varied musical history experienced golden age 17th century thanks Louis XIV who employed number of talented musicians composers royal court most renowned composers of this period include Marc-Antoine Charpentier François Couperin Michel-Richard Delalande Jean-Baptiste Lully Marin Marais all of them composers court After death of Roi Soleil French musical creation lost dynamism but next century music of Jean-Philippe Rameau reached some prestige today he still one of most renowned French composers Rameau became dominant composer of French opera leading French composer harpsichord.[full citation needed], Université Claude Bernard (Lyon 1) The music room Grobet-Labadié museum. The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) operates public libraries Paris among them François Mitterrand Library Richelieu Library Louvois Opéra Library Arsenal Library There three public libraries 4th arrondissement Forney Library Marais district dedicated decorative arts Arsenal Library occupies former military building has large collection French literature Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris also Le Marais contains Paris historical research service Sainte-Geneviève Library 5th arrondissement designed Henri Labrouste built mid-1800s contains rare book manuscript division Bibliothèque Mazarine 6th arrondissement oldest public library France Médiathèque Musicale Mahler 8th arrondissement opened 1986 contains collections related music François Mitterrand Library (nicknamed Très Grande Bibliothèque) 13th arrondissement was completed 1994 design of Dominique Perrault contains four glass towersThere several academic libraries archives Paris Sorbonne Library 5th arrondissement largest university library Paris addition Sorbonne location there branches Malesherbes Clignancourt-Championnet Michelet-Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie Serpente-Maison de la Recherche Institut des Etudes Ibériques Other academic libraries include Interuniversity Pharmaceutical Library Leonardo da Vinci University Library Paris School of Mines Library René Descartes University LibrarySports, Maison Carrée temple Nemausus Corinthian columns portico, The city of Marseille divided into 16 municipal arrondissements which themselves informally divided into 111 neighbourhoods (French quartiers) arrondissements regrouped pairs into 8 sectors each with mayor council (like arrondissements Paris Lyon) Municipal elections held every six years carried out sector There 303 councilmembers total two-thirds sitting sector councils one third city councilThe 9th arrondissement of Marseille largest terms of area because comprises parts of Calanques National Park With population of 89,316 (2007) 13th arrondissement of Marseille most populous oneFrom 1950 mid-1990s Marseille was Socialist (PS) Communist (PCF) stronghold Gaston Defferre (PS) was consecutively reelected six times Mayor of Marseille from 1953 until his death 1986 He was succeeded Robert Vigouroux of European Democratic Social Rally (RDSE) Jean-Claude Gaudin of right-wing UMP was elected Mayor of Marseille 1995 Gaudin was reelected 2001 2008 2014In recent years Communist Party has lost most of its strength northern boroughs of city whereas National Front has received significant support last municipal election 2014 Marseille was divided between northern arrondissements dominated left (PS) far-right (FN) southern part of town dominated right-wing (UMP) Marseille also divided twelve cantons each of them sending two members Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône departmentList of Mayors of Marseille since beginning of 20th century. France has long varied musical history experienced golden age 17th century thanks Louis XIV who employed number of talented musicians composers royal court most renowned composers of this period include Marc-Antoine Charpentier François Couperin Michel-Richard Delalande Jean-Baptiste Lully Marin Marais all of them composers court After death of Roi Soleil French musical creation lost dynamism but next century music of Jean-Philippe Rameau reached some prestige today he still one of most renowned French composers Rameau became dominant composer of French opera leading French composer harpsichord.[full citation needed]. The Palais Longchamp with its monumental fountain Main article Paris Métro According Article 2 of Constitution official language of France French, Romance language derived from Latin Since 1635 Académie française has been France's official authority French language although its recommendations carry no legal weight There also regional languages spoken France such Occitan Breton Catalan Flemish (Dutch dialect) Alsatian (German dialect) Basque others (see Languages of France) Italian was official language of Corsica until May 9 1859The French government does not regulate choice of language publications individuals but use of French required law commercial workplace communications addition mandating use of French territory of Republic French government tries promote French European Union globally through institutions such La Francophonie perceived threat from anglicisation has prompted efforts safeguard position of French language France Besides French there exist 77 vernacular minority languages of France eight spoken French metropolitan territory 69 French overseas territoriesFrom 17th mid-20th century French served pre-eminent international language of diplomacy international affairs well lingua franca among educated classes of Europedominant position of French language international affairs was overtaken English since emergence of US major powerFor most of time which French served international lingua franca was not native language of most Frenchmen report 1794 conducted Henri Grégoire found that of country's 25 million people only three million spoke French natively rest spoke one of country's many regional languages such Alsatian Breton or Occitan Through expansion of public education which French was sole language of instruction well other factors such increased urbanisation rise of mass communication French gradually came be adopted virtually entire population process not completed until 20th centuryAs result of France's extensive colonial ambitions between 17th 20th centuries French was introduced Americas Africa Polynesia South-East Asia Caribbean French second most studied foreign language world after English, lingua franca some regions notably Africa legacy of French living language outside Europe mixed nearly extinct some former French colonies (The Levant South Southeast Asia) while creoles pidgins based French have emerged French departments West Indies South Pacific (French Polynesia) other hand many former French colonies have adopted French official language total number of French speakers increasing especially AfricaIt estimated that between 300 million 500 million people worldwide can speak French either mother tongue or second languageAccording 2007 Adult Education survey part of project European Union carried France Insee based sample of 15,350 persons French was first mother tongue of 87.2% of total population or roughly 55.81 million people followed Arabic (3.6% 2.30 million) Portuguese (1.5% 0.96 million) Spanish (1.2% 0.77 million) Italian (1.0% 0.64 million) People who had other languages their mother tongue made up 5.2% of populationReligion.
Opéra Nouvel (1831) renovated 1993 Jean Nouvel In 2017 Greater Paris had 2,020 hotels including 85 five-star hotels with total of 119,000 rooms Paris has long been famous its grand hotels Hotel Meurice opened British travellers 1817 was one of first luxury hotels Parisarrival of railways Paris Exposition of 1855 brought first flood of tourists first modern grand hotels Hôtel du Louvre (now antiques marketplace) 1855 Grand Hotel (now InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel) 1862 Hôtel Continental 1878 Hôtel Ritz Place Vendôme opened 1898 followed Hôtel Crillon 18th-century building Place de la Concorde 1909 Hotel Bristol Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 1925 Hotel George V 1928In addition hotels 2017 Greater Paris had 84,000 homes registered with Airbnb which received 2.3 million visitors Under French law renters of these units must pay Paris tourism tax company paid city government 7.3 million Euros 2016Culture. Animated map of growth decline of French colonial empireFrance had colonial possessions various forms since beginning of 17th century but 19th 20th centuries its global overseas colonial empire extended greatly became second largest world behind British Empire Including metropolitan France total area of land under French sovereignty almost reached 13 million square kilometres 1920s 1930s 8.6% of world's land Known Belle Époque turn of century was period characterised optimism regional peace economic prosperity technological scientific cultural innovations 1905 state secularism was officially establishedThe French conquest of Morocco was one of longest toughest annals of European colonialism French historian Daniel Rivet puts casualty rate among Moroccans who resisted French occupation 100,000Contemporary period (1914–present), Main article Administration of Paris, Jean Moulin University France has 37 sites inscribed UNESCO's World Heritage List features cities of high cultural interest beaches seaside resorts ski resorts rural regions that many enjoy their beauty tranquillity (green tourism) Small picturesque French villages promoted through association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (literally The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Remarkable Gardens label list of over 200 gardens classified French Ministry of Culture This label intended protect promote remarkable gardens parks France attracts many religious pilgrims their way St James or Lourdes town Hautes-Pyrénées that hosts several million visitors yearEnergy.
Hohmann A Fuel