French Republic, is a state in Western Europe with

several overseas territories and islands located on

other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and
Atlantic oceans.

In January 2010, the International Living ranked

France as "best country to live in", ahead of 193
other countries surveyed, for the fifth year running,
according to a survey taking in account 9 criteria of
quality of life: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure,
Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health,
Infrastructure, Safety and Risk and Climate.

A common and traditional symbol of the French

people is the Gallic rooster. Its origins date back to
Antiquity, since the Latin word Gallus meant both
"rooster" and "inhabitant of Gaul". Then this figure
gradually became the most widely shared
representation of the French, used by French
monarchs, then by the Revolution and under the
successive republican regimes as representation of
the national identity, used for some stamps and
coins.
French cuisine is renowned for being one of the
finest in the world. French cuisine is extremely
diverse and has exerted a major influence on other
western cuisines. According to the regions,
traditional recipes are different, the North of the
country prefers to use butter as the preferred fat for
cooking, whereas olive oil is more commonly used in
the South.

Moreover, each region of France has iconic

traditional specialities : Cassoulet in the Southwest,
Choucroute in Alsace, Quiche in the Lorraine region,
Beef bourguignon in the Bourgogne, provençal
Tapenade, etc. France's most renowned products
are wines, including Champagne, Bordeaux,
Bourgogne, and Beaujolais as well as a large variety
of different cheeses, such as Camembert, Roquefort
and Brie. There are more than 400 different
varieties.

French cuisine is also regarded as a key element of

the quality of life and the attractiveness of France.

Popular sports played in France include football,

judo and tennis

HOLIDAYS!

January 1st: First day of the year

January 6th: The epiphany (Magi)

February 2nd: Candlemas day

February 14th: Valentines day

April 17th-24th : Holy week

May 1st: Labor day

May 8th: Victory day

June 12th-13th: Pentecost day

June 21st : Music day

July 14th: Feast of the bastille

November 1st: All saints day

November 11th: Armstice day

December 25th: Christmas

The eiffel tower is the most tall tower in France,

named like this beacuse the designer Gustave Eiffel,
is located in Champs du Mars in Paris. As a global
landmark, the Eiffel Tower is featured in media
including films, video games, and television shows