General Information about France
France is one of the largest and most populous countries in Western Europe and is a very varied country, from the large coastal plains in the north and west, to the mountainous regions around the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the south-east.
Between these is the Massif Central a huge low range of mountains which occupies much of central France, with running through it all the Loire, the Rhône, the Garonne and Seine rivers.
An Overview of France
Capital: Paris
Official language: French
Population: 63 million
Currency: Euro
Calling code: +33
Climate
The climate is very varied but generally temperate. Paris has cool winters and warm summers, while along the Mediterranean and in the South West hot summers and mild winters are the norm.
In the North and North-West it can be very cold in Winter, which of course is also the case in the mountainous regions of the Alps and Pyrenees. The famous Mistral is a strong, dry and very cold wind which blows along the Rhône Valley sporadically during the Winter.
Religion
Although traditionally a Roman Catholic country, France is actually a very secular country, to the point where it does not even maintain statistics about the religion of its citizens. However the next most important religion is Islam, followed by Protestantism and Judaism.