1. The first documented French king was Clovis I, who ruled from 486-511.
2. France has been ruled by a monarchy for most of its history. The last French king was Louis XVI, who was overthrown in the French Revolution and executed in 1793.
3. France became a republic in 1792, but was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. Napoleon made himself emperor in 1804, and ruled until his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
4. France has been a republic since 1815, except for two brief periods when it was governed by Napoleon III (1852-1870) and Vichy France (1940-1944), a puppet state of Nazi Germany during World War II.
5. France is the largest country in the EU, and sometimes called “the hexagon” because of its shape.
6. France is the world’s most popular tourist destination, with over 89 million visitors in 2017.
7. Paris, the capital of France, is sometimes called “the City of Light” because of its leading role in the Age of Enlightenment.
8. Some of the most famous French people include Hugh Jackman (actor), Coco Chanel (fashion designer), Alexis de Tocqueville (philosopher), Marie Curie (scientist), and Jules Verne (writer).
9. French is the official language of France, and is spoken by over 220 million people worldwide.
10. France is known for its food, wine, fashion, art, historz, and Descartes (philosopher).
