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France is the third largest country in
Europe. It borders with Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast;
Germany, Switzerland and Italy to the east; and Spain and Andorra
to the southwest. |
 The country occupies
an area of 543,965 km2 and its population is
estimated in more than 58,333,000 people (1998).
The language
is the French and the currency was the French franc (FRF) until
the beginning of 2002, now it is the Euro. Twelve Member States
of the European Union are participating in the common currency.
They are: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland.
Paris,
in north central France, is the capital and largest city of the
country. It is located in the Île-de-France region, on
the Seine River, 370 km (230 mi) upstream from the river's outlet
on the English Channel.
It is
the political, cultural and economic center of France as well
as one of the most vibrant metropolises in the world. About 15
percent of France's inhabitants live in the Paris metropolitan
area.
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Paris
is named after the Parisii, a Celtic people who settled on the
city's central island - the Île de la Cité - in
the 3rd century BC. The city has since spread north and south
of the Seine. The city lies in a depression. The highest elevation
is 129 m (423 ft) at the summit of Montmartre in northern Paris. |
Paris
is known as the “City of Lights” for its world-renowned
beauty and charm. People from around the world visit Paris every
year to see its beautiful monuments and museums, savor its cuisine
and relax in its sidewalk and cafes.
Since
I was a little kid, France was, from all countries of the world,
the one I had more curiosity to visit. I have always loved the
French language, which I learned when I was 14 years old, and
going to Paris was one of my greatest dreams and it came true
in 1999.
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As a
big and ancient city, Paris has a large number of interesting
places to visit, beautiful things to see and lots of things to
learn. I spent a whole week in Paris and I must say that it was
far from being enough to see everything. There are so many monuments,
museums etc and when you think you have seen a lot, there is
still more to see. |
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Some
monuments and nice places to visit at Paris are: Tour Eiffel,
Parc du Champs-de-Mars, Trocadéro, Arc-de-Triomphe, Cathédrale
Notre-Dame, Tour Montparnasse, Centre Georges Pompidou, Panthéon,
Concièrgérie, Hotel des Invalides, Hôtel
de Ville, Assemblée Nationale, Opéra Garnier, Opéra
de la Bastille, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Musée du Louvre,
Jardin des Tuileries, Sacré-Coeur, Place de la Bastille,
Place de la Concorde, Place Vendôme and Bois de Boulogne
among many others.
During
the many days I spent in France in July 1999, I visited many
beautiful places that will be in my mind and my heart forever.
Visiting France was a childhood dream that came true. I had the
opportunity to learn more about the country, its culture and
practice my French.
Use the
menu below to choose the places you want to know about and see
some of the many pictures I took during my visit to France. |
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This
page was created on: February 28, 2002.
Last updated on: December 8, 2008.
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These
pictures are copyrighted and may not be used for any purpose.
I took them myself or scanned them from postcards.
~ Graphics by: Sweet Room ~ Graphics by Irene ~ Comet Creations (www.cometcreations.com)
~
Information about France from Encarta and "Atlas Geográfico
Mundial - O Globo" Empresa Folha da Manhã S.A., 1998,
originally published by the Times Books Ltda under the
name "The Times Altas of the World - Family Edition"
(1994). French currency and postcards with paintings of the Tour
Eiffel and the Arc de Triomphe scanned by me.
For information and pictures about Paris, visit Paris
- The Channels. |
