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FRANCE 
Geography
- Capital of France - Paris (population - 2.2 million). Territory of France - 549000 thousand sq. km. France borders on Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Spain. In east the country is washed by the Atlantic ocean, in the south - Mediterranean sea, in north - Strait La Mancha. France posesses many islands in the Mediterranean sea. The largest of of them is Corsica. Other Territories that also concern the French possession are the so-called Foreign-made Departments. It is islands Guadeloupe and Martinique, New Caledonia, French Polynesia etc. These are worldwide but share the merits and sophistication of the French culture.
The population
- total is 58 million people.
The climate
- Climate is moderate and seasonable. In the north of the country the
weather has high humidity and is rather cool. The south has more sun, and the
climate is much softer. In mountainous areas the climate is rather dry, and rains are typical for western parts of the country . In the summer, temperature reaches up to 30 C and above, and many feel that it becomes very damp and is stuffy. Autumn (October - November) the weather is soft and most accommodating. In November the fogs and strong rains begin. Winter nonetheless is warm: on the average it is from -2 up to +5 degrees on Celsius. Light snow sometimes falls. More often - on the contrary, air gets warm up to +15C. Winters, however, can be rather cold because of high humidity.
Government
- France parliamentary republic.
Religion
- Prevailing religion in France - Christianity (Catholics - 45
millions. 80% overall). Second by quantity of the followers of religion is Islam (estimated at 4 million).
Language
- Official language - French. It has many local idioms and phrases.
Tourism
- is very much modern and well organized if desired. All sights of France simply cannot be described - they are so wopnderful and diverse. In France History appears everywhere you look, the French culture is so central to the development of Western civilization as we know it.
Currency
- Euro.
1 US dollar is approximately equal 1.21 Euro.
Transport
- advanced network of trains, highways (busses) and air transportation.
Souvenirs
- The most frequent purchases of tourists in France - high fashion clothes, cosmetics, and ornament. It is recommended to buy some rare grades of cheese and bottles of wine and perfumes. There are lots of sales during the holidays - the French are some of the world's most successful marketeers and promoteurs.
Electricity
- Electric power voltage is 220 volts, but in bathrooms it is sometimes 110 volts.
The tips
- Similar to the majority of the countries of the world, the tip in restaurants and cafe is expected to be a minimum 10 % from cost of the order. Watch the bottom of the bill because sometimes the tip is already calculated by the establishment. It is permissable to reduce or increase the tip if the establishment has included it on your bill, but usually tourists simply pay what is indicated without any debate. The tip ultimately should depend on quality of service, but if you reduce the tip, expect snooty attitudes on the part of service people.
The clothes
- Winter at +3C to +5C seem to be very cold because of high humidity. It is recommended to carry a warm jacket and sweater. The summer because of the same humidity seems to have intolerable heat, even at the night. The summer simply is warm. In the evening it can be rather stuffy. In the autumn it is necessary to take an umbrella or parasol. The same applies for the winter. In the winter it is necessary to have with itself a thick sweater and jacket: because the wind is cool even at positive temperatures.
Rules of behaviour
- France generally very liberal, youthful and democratic with some exceptions with certain very conservative groups particularly Islamic. Authorities have recently gotten very strict about civil rule compliance of youth at night with imposition of curfews in certain urban areas due to troubles and unrest in the streets. However, overall the country is very safe and friendly despite current news reports that overemphasize the troubles of certain unruly minorities.
Emergency telephone numbers
- Fire protection - 18, Police - 17, Urgent call to the doctor - 01-47-07-77-77, First Aid (Ambulance) - 15.
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