551,500 sq km (212,935 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).
Population:62.8 million (2014, metropolitan France only).
Population density:113.9 per sq km.
Capital:Paris.
Government:Republic.
Head of state:President François Hollande since 2012.
Head of government:Prime Minister Manuel Valls since 2014.
Electricity:230 volts AC, 50Hz. European plugs with two round pins are used.
You could spend a lifetime’s worth of holidays in France and still not feel you’d done the country justice. It remains the planet’s most visited tourist destination, meriting its standing with an almost overwhelming mass of historical treasures, storybook landscapes and cultural idiosyncrasies.
The teeming glam of Paris makes for one hell of a centrepiece, matching any city on the planet for ambiance, individuality and set-piece sights. But the real beauty of France, in many ways, lies elsewhere. The country’s natural gifts are striking, with white sands, hulking mountains and swathes of rolling countryside. It’s a land that has inspired dreamers and drinkers, revolutionaries and artists. Little wonder that Francophiles (and it’s telling that even the country’s devotees have a given word to describe them) are found the world over.
You can soak up the A-list beaches of the Cote d’Azur, drowse in the timeless greenery of the Loire Valley or gaze up at the monumental peaks of the Alps. Wander the lavender fields of Provence, eat your way round the legendary bistros of Lyon or sample the rugged charm of Corsica. France’s cities, coastline and countryside all have their own ooh-la-la rewards, and when taken as a whole, they present a near-perfect visitor package.
That’s not to say that it’s somewhere easily bracketed. When you’re walking the moody portside backstreets of Marseille or delving among the sprawling flea markets of Paris, it can be a job to remember that they’re a part of the same country as the vineyards of Alsace or the sand dunes of the Atlantic coast.
This diversity, in many ways, is the magic of France. It’s why it has endless magazines, books and texts dedicated to the joys of its lifestyle. It’s why the national spirit remains such a bold, many-hued thing. And it’s one reason why, in a continent full of historical wonder and natural beauty, France still draws more tourist attention than anywhere else.
“How can one describe a country which has 365 kinds of cheese?” once asked former French president Charles De Gaulle. Even today, it's a very good question.
