Red represents bravery and strength. White represents honesty and peace of the country.

Blue
represents the country’s truth and loyalty.
NORTH AMERICA
In 1534, Francis I of France sent Jacques Cartier on the first of three voyages to explore the coast of
Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River. He founded New France by planting a cross on the shore of
the Gaspé Peninsula. The French subsequently tried to establish several colonies throughout
North America that failed, due to weather, disease, or conflict with other European powers. Cartier
attempted to create the first permanent European settlement in North America at Cap-Rouge (Quebec
City) in 1541 with 400 settlers but the settlement was abandoned the next year after bad weather
and first nations attacks.
The French were eager to explore North America but New France remained largely unpopulated. Due to
the lack of women, intermarriages between French and Indians were frequent, giving rise to the Métis
people. Relations between the French and Indians were usually peaceful. As the 19th-century historian
Francis Parkman stated:

SOUTH AMERICA
From 1555 to 1567, French Huguenots, under the leadership of vice-admiral Nicolas Durand de
Villegaignon, made an attempt to establish the colony of France Antarctique in what is now Brazil, but
were expelled. From 1612 to 1615, a second failed attempt (France Équinoxiale) was made in present-
day São Luís, Brazil.
The colony did not last long. A Portuguese army assembled in the Captaincy of Pernambuco, under the
command of Alexandre de Moura, was able to mount a military expedition, which defeated and
expelled the French colonists in 1615, less than four years after their arrival in the land.

AFRICA
During the First World War, after France had suffered heavy casualties on the Western Front, they began
to recruit soldiers from their African empire. By 1917, France had recruited 270,000 African
soldiers.[8] Their most decorated regiments came from Morocco, but due to the pacification going on at
the time they were only able to recruit 23,000 Moroccans. African soldiers had success in the battle of
Verdun and failure in the offensive of Nivelle, but in general regardless of their usefulness, French
generals did not think highly of their African troops

BRITAIN
France was one of the leading participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1754 and
1763. France entered the war with the hope of achieving a lasting victory against Prussia, Britain
and their German allies and with the hope of expanding its colonial possessions.
While the first few years of war proved successful for the French, in 1759 the situation reversed and they
suffered defeats on several continents. In an effort to reverse their losses, France concluded an alliance
with their neighbor, Spain, in 1761. In spite of this the French continued to suffer defeats throughout 1762
eventually forcing them to sue for peace. The 1763 Treaty of Paris confirmed the loss of French
possessions in North America and Asia to the British. France also finished the war with very heavy
debts, which they struggled to repay for the remainder of the 18th century.
France and Britain were engaged in an intensifying global rivalry after they superseded Spain as the
leading colonial powers. Hoping to establish supremacy, both countries engaged in several minor wars in
North America. French colonies in Louisiana, Illinois, and Canada had largely surrounded British colonies
strung out in a narrow strip along the coast. All the French needed to totally envelop the British was
control of the Ohio Country. Attempting to gain control of this territory, France built a complex
system of alliances with the area's Native American tribes and brought them into conflict with
Britain.

Napoleon III
He was the first President of France to be elected by a direct popular vote. When he was blocked by the
Constitution and Parliament from running for a second term, he organized a coup d'état in 1851, and
then took the throne as Napoleon III on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of Napoleon I's
coronation. He remains the longest-serving French head of state since the French Revolution.
Napoleon III is best known today for his grand reconstruction of Paris, carried out by his prefect of the
Seine Baron Haussmann. He launched similar public works projects in Marseille, Lyon and other French
cities.
Napoleon III modernized the French banking system, greatly expanded and consolidated the
French railway system, and made the French merchant marine the second largest in the world. He
promoted the building of the Suez Canal, and established modern agriculture, which ended famines in
France and made France an agricultural exporter.

New Caledonians
In 1946, New Caledonia became an overseas territory.[9] By 1953, French citizenship had been granted
to all New Caledonians, regardless of ethnicity

SENEGAL
He built schools, bridges, and systems to supply fresh water to the towns. He also introduced the large-
scale cultivation of Bambara groundnuts and peanuts as a commercial crop. Reaching into the Niger
valley, Senegal became the primary French base in West Africa and a model colony. Dakar became one
of the most important cities of the French Empire and of Africa.

CHINA
The object of his policy was not to take territory, but to assure that the vast and lucrative Chinese
market was open to French commerce, and not the exclusive trading partner of Britain. In January
1858 a combined British and French fleet bombarded and occupied Canton, and landed troops at the
mouth of the Hai River in northern China. In June 1858 the Chinese government in Peking was forced to
sign the Treaty of Tientsin with Britain, France, Russia and the United States. This treaty opened six
additional Chinese ports to European merchant ships, allowed Christian missionary activity, and legalized
the import of opium into China.

Intervention in Syria and Lebanon (1860–61)

protected the Christians there against the Muslim rioters. Napoleon III felt obliged to intervene on
behalf of the Christians, despite the opposition of London, which feared it would lead to a wider French
presence in the Middle East.

Algeria
Napoleon III changed the system of land tenure. While ostensibly well-intentioned, in effect this move
destroyed the traditional system of land management and deprived many Algerians of land. While
Napoleon did renounce state claims to tribal lands, he also began a process of dismantling tribal land
ownership in favour of individual land ownership. This process was corrupted by French officials
sympathetic to the French in Algeria who took much of the land they surveyed into public domain. In
addition, many tribal leaders, chosen for loyalty to the French rather than influence in their tribe,
immediately sold communal land for cash
MEXICO
Napoleon III and the Empress had been intensively lobbied by Mexican émigrés in Europe, who proposed
that France establish a new conservative and Catholic government in Mexico, under a European
monarch. Napoleon III was told that the new monarch would be welcomed by the entire Mexican
population.
The reinforced French army under Forey launched a new offensive from March to June 1863. After bitter
resistance, the defenders of Mexico City surrendered on 7 June 1863. Forey, disregarding Napoleon
III's instructions not to install a monarch without a popular plebiscite, organized an assembly of
Mexican notables who proclaimed the Mexican Empire and invited Maximilian I of Mexico to rule. Ruling
President Benito Juárez and his Republican forces retreated to the countryside and fought against the
French troops and the Mexican monarchists.

Institutional decentralisation

This is the process of transferring power to newly created institutions and is different from the act of
deconcentration of power, which is the transfer of power within the same institution. This decentralisation
is general in nature and affects all policies or powers related to the territory or targeted to specific areas of
public policy and government. A further manifestation of this category is the decentralisation of the
Banque de France and other public bodies (Groupement d'intérêt public).

Territorial decentralisation

This aspect of decentralisation is geared to giving the territorial collectivities in France separate defined
responsibilities and resources and to provide for the election of representatives by the inhabitants of
those territories. Again this is different from deconcentration, which is when the central government aims
to improve efficiency by delegating certain policy and powers to a centrally nominated representative
(Prefect).
The decentralisation laws passed on 10 August 1871 and 5 April 1884 saw the attribution of powers to
departmental councils and municipal councils. Until the 1982 laws the departmental councils had very
limited powers and were effectively under the stewardship of the departments prefect.

Functional decentralization

This aspect of decentralization takes place when central of local government decides not to directly carry
out one of its powers but to transfer the power to a public body or quango.

In such a case the body has a clearly defined function and budget to carry out the function. Examples
could be Universities or the RATP transport authority in Paris.

POLITICAL CULTURE
The French enjoy a wide range of sports and recreational activities. Millions of people belong to
sports clubs, the most common of which are devoted to soccer, tennis, a bowling game called
boules, and basketball. The most popular professional sports are soccer and bicycle racing. The month
long Tour de France, the world's most famous and prestigious bicycle race, has been held annually since
1903. Horse racing at Long champs and Auteuil in Paris and automobile racing at Le Mans also draw
large crowds. The French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris attracts
international attention.
The traditional French meal pattern is to eat a light breakfast, a large lunch, and a somewhat
lighter dinner. French wines are often served with lunch or dinner. In recent decades fast food has
grown in popularity, especially among young people, and elaborate meals are increasingly reserved for
special occasions. The movement toward convenience in eating is also evident in the growing
consumption of frozen and pre-packaged foods.
http://www.countriesquest.com/europe/france/people_and_society/way_of_life.htm
The French have two words for ‘you’. ‘Tu’ is the informal version which is used for family members and
friends and colleagues that you know well. ‘Vous’ is the formal version which is reserved for older people
and those you have only just met. This is a grammar rule which is strictly observed in France, while other
countries are much more relaxed about this. http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-france-culture-society-
religion
French people will greet each other in the street with a cheery ‘Bonjour’ even if they do not know each
other, particularly in rural areas. This is a custom which is much harder to do in a busy town but people
will do this with their neighbours when they see them.
There are all sorts of reasons to be proud of our country. Rather than speaking of modesty, I’d speak of
simplicity. Let’s take care, as French people, to avoid the arrogance that we’re sometimes criticized for —
sometimes without good reason, though not always.

Let’s not go around acting like the “Great Nation” that the German-language press always makes fun of.
France is no longer an empire, and it should not mistake itself for a hyper power.

Still, France is a great country — and there is no reason for the French to underestimate themselves
either. France is almost always a major player, as you can see when you consider just about any of the
big global issues. We’ve just got to find the right tone. http://www.theglobalist.com/france-and-
globalization/
A French political thinker named Montesquieu thought of the political idea of separation of powers. He
believed that there should be two forms of governmental powers, Administrative and sovereign.
http://frenchrevolutionbales.weebly.com/separation-of-powers-checks-and-balances.html

The exception of Alsace

In spite of France's asserted republican unity, the relationship between the state and the church is
different in the region of Alsace and the department of the Moselle. Here, priests are paid by the state,
and religious education is part of the curriculum in state primary schools and middle schools
(collèges). Paradoxically, or perhaps because of this, Alsace is now the region of France with the
lowest proportion of schoolchildren educated in the private (confessional) sector. There is also a
faculty of theology at the University of Strasbourg - the only French state university to have one.
When in 1882 Jules Ferry took religion out of the school curriculum in France, Alsace and the Moselle
were at the time attached to Germany. These areas became French again in 1918, but kept some of their
own laws, including the concordat between the state and the church, dating back to the early nineteenth
century.
Alsace is a cultural and historical region in eastern France, now located in the administrative region of
Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine. Alsace is located on France's eastern border and on the west
bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland.
Political Institution
National Assembly
The National Assembly is the principal legislative body. Its 577 deputies are directly elected for five-year
terms in local majority votes, and all seats are voted on in each election.
The National Assembly may force the resignation of the government by voting a motion of censure. For
this reason, the Prime Minister and their government are necessarily from the dominant party or coalition
in the assembly. In the case of a president and assembly from opposing parties, this leads to the situation
known ascohabitation. While motions of censure are periodically proposed by the opposition following
government actions that it deems highly inappropriate, they are purely rhetorical; party discipline ensures
that, throughout a parliamentary term, the government is never overthrown by the Assembly.
Senate
Senators are chosen by an electoral college of about 145,000 local elected officials for six-year terms,
and half of the Senate is renewed every three years. Before the law of 30 July 2004, senators were
elected for nine years, renewed by thirds every three years. There are currently 321 senators, but there
will be 346 in 2010; 304 represent the metropolitan and overseas départements, five the other
dependencies and 12 the French established abroad.
The Senate's legislative powers are limited; on most matters of legislation, the National Assembly has the
last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses.
Since the beginning of the Fifth Republic, the Senate has always had a right-wing majority. This is mostly
due to the over-representation of small villages compared to big cities. This, and the indirect mode of
election, prompted socialist Lionel Jospin, who was Prime Minister at the time, to declare the Senate an
"anomaly".
Judicial courts
The judicial stream of courts adjudicates civil and criminal cases. The judicial court stream consists of
inferior courts, intermediate appellate courts, and the French Supreme Court.
Judges are government employees but are granted special statutory protection from the executive.
Judges have security of tenure and may not be promoted (or demoted) without their consent. Their
careers are overseen by the Judicial Council of France.
The public prosecutors, on the other hand, take orders from the Minister of Justice. In the past, this has
bred suspiscion of undue political pressure to dismiss suits or claims against government officials
charged with corruption, and the status of public prosecutors and their ties to government are frequently
topics of debate..
Administrative courts
Courts of administrative law adjudicate on claims and suits against government offices and agencies. The
administrative stream is made up of administrative courts, courts of administrative appeal, and the
Council of State as the court of last resort.
The Council of State hears cases against executive branch decisions and has the power to quash or set
aside executive-issued statutory instruments such as orders and regulations when they violate
constitutional law, enacted legislation, or codified law.
Any jurisdictional dispute between the judicial and administrative streams are settled by a special court
called Tribunal des conflits, or "Court of Jurisdictional Dispute", composed of an equal number of
Supreme Court justices and councillors of State.
Constitutional Council
Neither judicial nor administrative courts are empowered to rule on the constitutionality of acts of
Parliament. While technically not part of the judicial branch, the Constitutional Council examines
legislation and decides whether or not it violates the Constitution. This applies, prior to their enactment, to
all forms of organic laws, but only by referral from the French President, President of the Senate,
President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, or any of the 60 senators or 60 assembly
members of the other types of laws or treaties. After their enactment, laws can all be reviewed by referral
from the highest administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat, or by the highest judicial court, the Cour de
Cassation. The Constitutional Council may declare acts to be unconstitutional, even if they contradict the
principles of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (cited in the Preamble of the
Constitution).
Council members to the Constitutional Council are appointed for nine years (three every three years);
three are appointed by the President, three by the President of the National Assembly, and three by the
President of the Senate. The former presidents are also members for life of the Constitutional Council.
Financial courts
France's main Court of Audit (Cour des Comptes) and regional audit courts audit government finances,
public institutions (including other courts), and public entities. The court publishes an annual report and
can refer criminal matters to public prosecutors. It can also directly fine public accountants for
mishandling funds, and refer civil servants who misused funds to the Court of Financial and Budgetary
Discipline.
 The main and regional audit courts do not judge the accountants of private organizations. However, in
some circumstances, they may audit their accounting, especially when an organization has been awarded
a government contract over a public utility or a service requiring the permanent use of the public domain
or if an organization is a bidder on a government contract. The Court is often solicitated by various state
agencies, parliamentary commissions, and public regulators, but it can also petitioned to act by any
French citizen or organization operating in France.
The Court's finances are overseen by financial commissions of the two Houses of the French Parliament
which also set the Court's working budget in the annual Act of finances.
PRESIDENT
The French president is also largely in charge of the other portions of the executive branch as well. For
example, the French president names the prime minister. The French president is not constrained by the
composition of the French government in his choice, and the president often appoints a member of his
own party as prime minister. Though it's customary to appoint a member of the legislative body, the
National Assembly, the president may choose whomever he/she pleases - a politician, judge, his mother-
in-law - whomever!
The president possesses an enormous amount of power over the rest of the French government as well.
The president may dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections whenever it satisfies him,
though in the interest of sound government this is not often done. In times of emergency, it's possible for
the French president to become a virtual dictator, assuming comprehensive control over the French
government and armed forces. In this time he/she is even allowed to intervene in National Assembly
legislation and introduce his/her own; something the president is prohibited from doing in normal time.
PRIME MINISTER
The Prime Minister represents in the French Executive Power, with the President of the Republic, the
executive power of the French State. However, it is him, and not the President of the Republic, who

 Directs the action of the Government,

 Determines and leads the general policy of the Nation,

 He has the possibility of imposing his views on the Government and the public administration,
LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Traditionally, decision-making in France is highly centralized, with each of France's departments headed
by a prefect appointed by the central government, in addition to the conseil général, a locally elected
council. However, in 1982, the national government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving
a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional
councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization has continued, albeit
at a slow pace. In March 2003, a constitutional revision has changed very significantly the legal
framework towards a more decentralized system and has increased the powers of local governments.
Albeit France is still one of the most centralized major countries in Europe and the world.

Administrative units with a local government in Metropolitan France (that is, the parts of France lying in
Europe) consist of:

 about 36,000 communes, headed by a municipal council and a mayor, grouped in

 96 départements, headed by a conseil général (general council) and its president, grouped in
  22 régions, headed by a regional council and its president.
France has one official language, the French language. The French government does not regulate the
choice of language in publications by individuals but the use of French is required by law in commercial
and workplace communications. In addition to mandating the use of French in the territory of the
Republic, the French government tries to promote French in the European Union and globally through
institutions such as La Francophonie. The perceived threat from anglicisation has prompted efforts
to safeguard the position of the French language in France.
The non-French Oïl languages and Franco-Provençal are highly endangered; because of their
similarity to standard French, their speakers conformed much more readily. The other languages
are still spoken but are all considered endangered. Accurate information on the state of language use
is complicated by the inability (due to constitutional provisions) of the state to ask language use
questions in the census.