FRANCEBy Ryan Dube

Current flag of France

• The French flag was designed by Jacques- Louis David in 1790.

• The flag design came from the Paris militia that played a role in the storm of Bastille. The colors of their uniforms were red and blue and the white was later added to create a tricolored flag.

Outline of France

• France is bordered by Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Switzerland, the English Channel, and the Atlantic Ocean.

• France is divided into 22 different regions.

• France is a member of the European Union along with many of it’s neighbors.

The Eiffel Tower at night

• The Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World’s Fair and was supposed to be taken down shortly afterwards.

• The Eiffel Tower is a lattice work of iron that stands 1063 feet high.

• The top of the tower contains a weather station and radio broadcast stations.

The Notre Dame Cathedral

• Construction of the cathedral concluded in 1345.

• The exterior arch supports were included because of interior stress fractures.

• The cathedral was vandalized in the French Revolution and most religious imagery was lost.

The Champs Elysees

• The arch was created by Napoleon Bonaparte I.

• The arch was to signify many of Napoleon’s victories during his rule as emperor of France.

• The avenue of Champs Elysees runs for 2 kilometers and shops rent for 1.5 million dollars for 1100 sq. feet of space.

The Normandy American Cemetery

• The cemetery contains almost 10,000 American solders who died on D-Day and the ensuing campaigns.

• The cemetery is maintained by the US and is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach.

• A plaque containing the names of over 1500 Americans who died but were never recovered is located here.

Le Louvre Museum

• The museum opened in 1793 with 537 paintings. It is now one of the largest museums in the world.

• Le Louvre is home to Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting.

• The building is part of an ancient fortified palace. The museum has been remodeled and expanded many times.

• The palace has over 67,000 square meters of floor space.

• Versailles has 700 rooms and 2153 windows.

• Before Versailles was a palace it was a small country village.

• Court was established in Versailles in 1682.

• The palace was home to the French leadership from 1682 until 1789.

• Versailles has over 700 separate staircases.

• The collection of paintings in the chateau is over 6000.

Versailles Chateau

Mont St. Michael Castle

• The castle was constructed before the 8th century A.D. and is still standing.

• The population of the island is 41 people.

• The castle is located off the coast of Normandy and is currently connected to the mainland through a narrow land bridge that is soon to be demolished and replaced with a bridge.

The French National Soccer Team

• The team played it’s first match in 1904.

• France is one of 8 countries to have earned a World Cup which they did in 1998.

• The French team is rivals with Italy, who beat them in the 2006 finals, and occasionally England and Germany.

• The team is the only other team besides Argentina to have won all three major FIFA titles.

Le Tour de France Logo

• Le Tour de France was first staged in 1903.

• The course changes every year and ends in Paris, France.

• Lance Armstrong has won 7 tours all in a row.

• The race is broken down into daily stages.

• The winner after each stage must wear a yellow jersey.

• The course spans 3600 kilometers and lasts three weeks.

French Bull Fighting

• Bull fighters train from when they are in their teens.

• There are two different types in France.

• One style is corridas.

• The other style is course landaise.

• The French government attempted to ban bull fighting do to the number of fatalities.

Napoleon Bonaparte

• Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769 and died on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51.

• Napoleon was the only emperor of France and ruled from 1804 to 1815.

• He introduced the Napoleonic Code which is still being partially used today.

• Napoleon was one of the world’s most recognized military tactician.

• Many of his battle strategies are still in use today.

• Napoleon was not only a great military strategist but was a brilliant civil planner. He erected the French school system and did many other things to help modernize France.

• Napoleon was exiled twice by foreign forces.

• His final defeat was at the Battle of Waterloo.

Mona Lisa painting

• The painting was created sometime in the 14th to 15th century by Leonardo da Vinci.

• Mona Lisa is a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.

• The portrait is constructed of oil on poplar.

• Mona Lisa is considered the most famous painting in the world by most experts.

• France is second only to Spain in total vineyard area.

• France competes with Italy as the world’s largest wine producer.

• French wine is quite expensive internationally but is very affordable in France.

• French wine originated in the 6th century BC.

• Over 8 billion bottles of wine are produced in France alone.

French Wine

Bibliography

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