A Look at France

Omer Yousuf, Gordon Holley, 6th grade geography, Randolph

School

The land in France

• Area: 211,207 square miles.

• One of the largest countries in western Europe.

Waterways in France

• The Rhône River starts in Switzerland and flows southwest through Lyon, France and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

• The Loire River is the longest river in France, 625 miles. It flows north towards Paris but arcs at Orléans and goes through Nantes and flows into the Bay of Biscay.

• The Seine River is a 482 mile long river that flows through the heart of Paris.

Mountains of France

• Only three major places

• French Alps, and Jura mountains

• Pyrenees mountains to the southwest

• In between are the Central highlands

Government in France

• The French government is based on 2 legislative chambers.

• The President is elected for 7 year terms by popular vote as head of the state.

• The prime minister is chosen by the president as head of the government.

Culture of France

• The main religion in France is roman catholic, but there are other religions such as Muslim, protestant, and Jewish.

• Almost every region of France has a special festival unique to that region.

Population facts

• France has a birth rate of 12.73 in the 2008 estimate and a death rate of 8.48 in the 2008 estimate.

• France has a life expectancy of 75.31 years for males and 82.46 years for females in the 2008 estimate.

Problems in France

• Immigrants are packed in small areas

• High unemployment rate

• Older people on fixed incomes are in financial trouble

• Old fashioned farms too poor to modernize are suffering the economy

• Riots for employment

• France turning to socialism

Bibliography

• Picture a country: France by Henry Pluckrose pp.:6, 8, 27

• Guide to France by Highlights pp.: 4-5• People and places, Denmark to Hungary pp.:

118• www.cia.gov• www.discoverfrance.com• www.answers.com• http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi