The Opéra Bastille Main article French Armed Forces Main article List of French inventions discoveries Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon (Fine Arts Museum) main museum of city one of largest art galleries France Housed Palais Saint Pierre former 17th-century convent displays major collection of paintings artists (including Tintoretto Paolo Veronese Nicolas Poussin Rubens Rembrandt Zurbaran Canaletto Delacroix Monet Gauguin Van Gogh Cézanne Matisse Picasso Francis Bacon...) collections of sculptures drawings printings decorative arts Roman Greek antiquities second largest collection of Egyptian antiquities France after that of Louvre medal cabinet of 50.000 medals coinsThe Gallo-Roman Museum displaying many valuable objects artworks found site of Roman Lyon (Lugdunum) such Circus Games Mosaic Coligny calendar Taurobolic Altar. Église Saint-Bonaventure 14th- 15th-century Gothic church Main article French cuisine. EPITA As of 2009 World Trade Organization (WTO) reported France was world's sixth largest exporter fourth largest importer of manufactured goodsof 2016 World Factbook ranked France seventh largest exporter2008 France was third largest recipient of foreign direct investment among OECD countries $118 billion ranking behind Luxembourg (where foreign direct investment was essentially monetary transfers banks located there) United States ($316 billion) but above United Kingdom ($96.9 billion) Germany ($25 billion) or Japan ($24 billion) same year French companies invested $220 billion outside France ranking France second largest outward direct investor OECD behind United States ($311 billion) ahead of UK ($111 billion) Japan ($128 billion) Germany ($157 billion)Financial services banking insurance sector important part of economy Paris stock exchange (French La Bourse de Paris) old institution created Louis XV 17242000 stock exchanges of Paris Amsterdam Bruxelles merged into Euronext2007 Euronext merged with New York stock exchange form NYSE Euronext world's largest stock exchange Euronext Paris French branch of NYSE Euronext group Europe's 2nd largest stock exchange market behind London Stock ExchangeFrance member of Eurozone (around 330 million consumers) which part of European Single Market (more than 500 million consumers) Several domestic commercial policies determined agreements among European Union (EU) members EU legislation France introduced common European currency Euro 2002French companies have maintained key positions insurance banking industries AXA world's largest insurance company leading French banks BNP Paribas Crédit Agricole ranking world's first sixth largest banks 2010 (by assets) while Société Générale group was ranked world's eighth largest 2009Agriculture, Cathedral of St John medieval church with architectural elements of 13th 14th 15th centuries also principal religious structure city seat of Archbishop of Lyon, Sainte-Geneviève Library Medieval philosophy was dominated Scholasticism until emergence of Humanism Renaissance Modern philosophy began France 17th century with philosophy of René Descartes Blaise Pascal Nicolas Malebranche Descartes revitalised Western philosophy which had been declined after Greek Roman eras His Meditations First Philosophy changed primary object of philosophical thought raised some of most fundamental problems foreigners such Spinoza Leibniz Hume Berkeley KantFrans Hals painting of René Descartes facing right black coat white collar.
Since 2016 France mainly divided into 18 administrative regions 13 regions metropolitan France (including territorial collectivity of Corsica), five located overseasregions further subdivided into 101 departments, which numbered mainly alphabetically This number used postal codes was formerly used vehicle number plates Among 101 departments of France five (French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Mayotte Réunion) overseas regions (ROMs) that also simultaneously overseas departments (DOMs) enjoy exactly same status metropolitan departments integral part of European UnionThe 101 departments subdivided into 335 arrondissements which are turn subdivided into 2,054 cantons These cantons then divided into 36,658 communes which municipalities with elected municipal council Three communes—Paris Lyon Marseille—are subdivided into 45 municipal arrondissementsThe regions departments communes all known territorial collectivities meaning they possess local assemblies well executive Arrondissements cantons merely administrative divisions However this was not always case Until 1940 arrondissements were territorial collectivities with elected assembly but these were suspended Vichy regime definitely abolished Fourth Republic 1946Overseas territories collectivities, Sculpture dedicated Rome square Paul Painlevé Paris. ISARA (Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture Rhône Alpes) Medieval philosophy was dominated Scholasticism until emergence of Humanism Renaissance Modern philosophy began France 17th century with philosophy of René Descartes Blaise Pascal Nicolas Malebranche Descartes revitalised Western philosophy which had been declined after Greek Roman eras His Meditations First Philosophy changed primary object of philosophical thought raised some of most fundamental problems foreigners such Spinoza Leibniz Hume Berkeley KantFrans Hals painting of René Descartes facing right black coat white collar. Main article French art 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, 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. Chapelle de la Trinité (1622) first Baroque chapel built Lyon part of former École de la Trinité now Collège-lycée Ampère, Metro tramway network Pays de, With 6 millions tourists year castles of Loire Valley (French châteaux) Loire Valley itself third leading tourist destination France this World Heritage Site noteworthy its architectural heritage its historic towns but particular its castles such Châteaux d'Amboise de Chambord d'Ussé de Villandry Chenonceau Montsoreau Château de Chantilly Versailles Vaux-le-Vicomte all three located near Paris also visitor attractionsUNESCO World Heritage Sites protected areas. Paris its suburbs seen from Spot Satellite Main article Music of France La Défense largest dedicated business district Europe The population of city of Lyon proper was 491,268 January 2011 census, 14% of whom were born outside Metropolitan FranceMain sights.
Steven D. West PC