France Country & Tourist Information

Location
Western Europe.

Area
545,630 sq km (339,054 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).

Population
60.9 million (2006 estimate).

Population Density
111 per sq km.

Capital
Paris.
Population: 12.7 million (2.2 million in the city; 10.5 million in the suburbs) (2006).

Government
Republic since 1792.

Language
French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany. Many people, particularly those connected with tourism in the major areas, speak at least some English.

Religion
Approximately 83% Roman Catholic; Protestant 2%; Muslim 5%; Jewish 1%; unaffiliated 9%.

Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin since May 2005.

Head of State
President Jacques Chirac since 1995.

Telephone
Country code: 33. Card-only telephones are common, with pre-paid cards bought from post offices and tabacs; coin boxes are being phased out throughout the country. International calls are cheaper between Mon-Fri 1900-0800 and all day Sat-Sun. Calls can be received at all phone boxes showing the sign of a blue bell.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is excellent.

Internet
Public access is available at Internet cafes in most cities.

Media
France enjoys a free press and has more than 100 daily newspapers. Most newspapers are in private hands and are not linked to political parties. State-run Radio France runs services for the domestic audience, French overseas territories and foreign audiences. France’s international broadcasters have a significant audience abroad. Radio France Internationale is one of the world’s leading international stations and its Arabic-language Radio Monte Carlo Moyen Orient service, available on mediumwave (AM) and FM in many Middle East countries, has a large audience.


Post
Stamps can be purchased at post offices and tabacs. Post normally takes a couple of days to reach its destination within Europe. The main post office is the PTT, 52 rue du Louvre, Paris.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1900, Sat 0900-1200. In smaller towns and villages, post offices may close earlier and for lunch, while in Paris the main office is open 24 hours, but only to send mail in the evenings.

Press
• Daily newspapers include Le Monde, Libération, France-Soir and Le Figaro.
• The main English-language daily is the International Herald Tribune.
• Outside the Ile-de-France, however, these newspapers are not as popular as the provincial press.
• International newspapers and magazines are widely available, particularly in the larger cities.

Radio
• Radio France Internationale (RFI) is an international broadcaster, available via shortwave and numerous FM relays worldwide.
• Europe 1 is a major commercial, news and entertainment station.
• RTL is a major commercial station, with a mix of speech and music programs.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
8 May 1945 Victory Day.
17 May Ascension.
28 May Whit Monday.
14 Jul Bastile Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
11 Nov Remembrance Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
24 Mar Easter Monday.
1 May Labor Day.
1 May Ascension. 
8 May 1945 Victory Day. 
12 May Whit Monday.
14 Jul Bastile Day.
15 Aug Assumption.
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
11 Nov Remembrance Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Note
In France, the months of July and August are traditionally when the French take their holidays. For this reason, the less tourist parts of France are quiet during these months, while coastal resorts, especially in the south, are very crowded.

Contact Information:

Note
For information on French Overseas Departments, Overseas Territories and Overseas Collectivités Territoriales, consult the French Overseas Possessions section. See also the individual sections on French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion and Tahiti and her Islands.

Embassy of the French Republic in the UK
58 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7JT, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1000.
Website: www.ambafrance-uk.org

French Consulate General in the UK
21 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2EN, UK
Visa section: 6A Cromwell Place, London SW7 2EW, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1200 (consular section) or 1250 (visa section) or 1295 (visa applications in progress; 1500-1700 only) or 09065 508 940 (visa information service; calls cost £1 per minute) or 266 654 (24-hour visa application form request service; calls cost £1.50 per minute) or 540 700 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service).
Website: www.consulfrance-londres.org
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0845-1200 and Fri 0845-1130.

Maison de la France (French Government Tourist Office) in the UK
178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL, UK
Tel: 09068 244 123 (calls cost 60p per minute).
Website: www.franceguide.com

Embassy of the French Republic in the USA
4101 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 944 6195.
Website: www.ambafrance-us.org

French Government Tourist Office in the USA
444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (514) 288 1904.
Website: www.franceguide.com


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