VIVA!

FRANÇAIS

FRANCE
 France Facts: French Alps, Arc de Triomphe, Provence
 Population: 67.2 million people live in the country (2018)
 Capital: Paris, with 2.2 million inhabitants
 Motto: 'Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité' (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity)
 Form of Government: Republic
 Language: French
 Name: République Française (French Republic)
 Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 64%)
 Flag: blue, white and red. The French refer to the flag as
'Tricolore' (French for 'three colours')
 CULTURE

 Most people associate French culture with Paris, which is a

center of fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, but life
outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by
region.
 France doesn't just have culture; the word "culture" actually
comes from France. 'Culture' derives from the same French
term, which in turn derives from the Latin colere, meaning to
tend to the earth and grow, cultivation and nurture.
 A traditional French dish is coq au vin — chicken in Burgundy wine, lardons (small strips or
cubes of pork fat), button mushrooms, onions and garlic.
 LANGUAGE
 French is the official language and the first language of 88
percent of the population.
 It is the dominant language of the country's 70 million residents,
but there are a number of variants based on region.
 French is the second most widely learned foreign language in the
world, with almost 120 million students, according to the French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.
 3 percent of the population speaks German dialects.
RELIGION
 Catholicism is the predominant religion of France. In a
survey by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP),
64 percent of the population (about 41.6 million
people) identified themselves as Roman Catholic.
 The other religions in France include Islam, Buddhism
and Judaism. From 23 to 28 percent of people in
France do not subscribe to a religion, according to
the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency.
VALUES
 The French take immense great pride in their nation
and government and are typically offended by any
negative comments about their country. Visitors,
particularly Americans, often interpret their attitude
toward foreigners as rude.
 The French believe in égalité, which means equality,
and is part of the country's motto: "Liberté, Egalité,
Fraternité." Many say they place a higher importance
on equality than liberty and fraternity, the other two
words in the motto.
 The French embody romance and passion, and there is an
open attitude toward sex outside of marriage, according to
a study by France's National Research Agency on AIDS.
 Even the country's top politicians have been known to carry
out extramarital affairs without making an effort to conceal
them. As a reflection of the country's secular nature, it is
not uncommon for children are born to unmarried couples.
 In addition to traditional marriage, French couples also
have the choice of getting a pacte civil de solidarité (PACS).
 Twothirds as many French couples are in a PACS as are
married, according to the Economist.
CLOTHING
 Paris is known as the home to many high-end fashion
houses, such as Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Many French people dress in a sophisticated, professional
and fashionable style, but it is not overly fussy. Typical
outfits include nice dresses, suits, long coats, scarves and
berets.
 The term haute couture is associated with French fashion
and loosely means fancier garments that are handmade or
made to order.
 In France, the term is protected by law and is defined by
the Paris Chamber of Commerce, according to Eva
Domjian, a London-based fashion writer and editor.
France Fashion
 ARTS

 Art is everywhere in France — particularly in Paris and other

major cities — and Gothic, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic
influences can be seen in many churches and other public
buildings.
 The Louvre Museum in Paris is among the world's largest
museums and is home to many famous works of art, including
the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Water Lilies (Nympheas) 1896- 1926

Louvre Museum
 Many of history's most renowned artists, including Claude Monet, Edgar
Degas, and Camille Pissarro, sought inspiration in Paris, and they gave rise
to the Impressionism movement.

The Absinthe Drinker (1876) Boulevard Monmartre, Paris (1897)