WHY WE CHOSE FRANCE

Most French people speak the French language as their mother tongue, but certain languages like Norman, Occitan, Corsican, Basque, French Flemish and Breton remain spoken in certain regions. There have also been periods of history when a majority of French people had other first languages (local languages such as Occitan, Catalan, Alsatian, West Flemish, Lorraine Franconian, Gallo, Picard or Ch'timi and Arpitan). Today, many immigrants speak another tongue at home.
According to historian Eric Hobsbawm, "the French language has been essential to the concept of 'France'", although in 1789, 50 percent of the French people did not speak it at all, and only 12 to 13 percent spoke it fairly well.
English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a "world language", the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a foreign language.
Some linguists believe that it is no longer the exclusive cultural property of "native English speakers", but is rather a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it continues to grow. It is, by international treaty, the official language for aerial and maritime communications.
English is an official language of the United Nations and many other international organizations, including the International Olympic Committee.
English is the language most often studied as a foreign language in the European Union, by 89% of schoolchildren, ahead of French at 32%, while the perception of the usefulness of foreign languages amongst Europeans is 68% in favour of English ahead of 25% for French.

France Society and Culture

There are many aspects why we consider France is one of the most interesting countries in the world.

BON APPETIT
Cuisine
. Food is one of the great passions of the French people. . French cooking is highly refined and involves careful preparation, attention to detail, and the use of fresh ingredients. . It varies by region and is heavily influenced by what is grown locally.


French Family Values
. The family is the social adhesive of the country and each member has certain duties and responsibilities.. The extended family provides both emotional and financial support. . Despite their reputation as romantics, the French have a practical approach towards marriage. . Families have few children, but parents take their role as guardians and providers very seriously.


Relationships - Public vs. Private
. The French are private people and have different rules of behaviour for people within their social circle and those who are not.. Although the French are generally polite in all dealings, it is only with their close friends and family that they are free to be themselves.. Friendship brings with it a set of roles and responsibilities, including being available should you be needed. Friendship involves frequent, if not daily, contact.


Etiquette & Customs in France

Meeting Etiquette
. The handshake is a common form of greeting. . Friends may greet each other by lightly kissing on the cheeks, once on the left cheek and once on the right cheek. . First names are reserved for family and close friends. Wait until invited before using someone's first name. . You are expected to say 'bonjour' or 'bonsoir' (good morning and good evening) with the honorific title Monsieur or Madame when entering a shop and 'au revoir' (good-bye) when leaving. . If you live in an apartment building, it is polite to greet your neighbours with the same appellation.

Dining Etiquette
If you are invited to a French house for dinner:. Arrive on time. Under no circumstances should you arrive more than 10 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained. . The further south you go in the country, the more flexible time is. . If invited to a large dinner party, especially in Paris, send flowers the morning of the occasion so that they may be displayed that evening. . Dress well. The French are fashion conscious and their version of casual is not as relaxed as in many western countries.

FRANCE

France (officially the French Republic) is the largest country in the European Union, stretching from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. The landscape is diverse, with mountains in the east and south, including the Alpine peak of Mont Blanc (4810 m) which is western Europe´s highest point. Lowland France consist of four rivers basins, the Seine in the north, the Loire and the Garonne Flowing westwards and the Rhone, which flows from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea.

France´s capital and the largest city is Paris with a population of 64,057,792 people.
France´s currency is the euro. It toal area is 555 000 km2 and it have 64.3 million of population with a birth rate of 12.4/1000, infant mortality rate 3.3/1000 and life expectancy of 81.1 years. The official language is French and it is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourist annually.

France has a political system republican and the President (currenly Nicolas Sarkozy) has an important political role. He chairs the meetings of the Council of Ministers (cabinet), and retain overall responsability in key areas of foreing affairs and defense. The day-to-day running of the country is in the hands of the primer minister (Francois Fillon). The president is elected by direct popular vote for a period of five years. The parliament consist on a National Assembly, directly elected every five years, and a Senate whose members are chosen by lectoral college.

The Eiffel Tower is one of France´s national landmarks. At 1,050 feet tall, it is also one of the world´s most recognizable structures.

Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and oround the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized great parts of North AMerica and Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Island.

France has produced some continent´s most influential writers and thinkers fron Decartes and Pascal in the century 17th, to Rousseau and Voltaire in the 18th, Balzac, Baudelaire and Flaubert in the 19th and Sartre and Camus in the 20th. In the last two centuries it has given the art world the works of Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Matisse and Braque, to name but a few.

French cuisine is one of the finest in Europe, cooking and eating are part of French Culture and lifestyle.