| Country Name | France |
| Full Country Name | French Republic |
| Local - Long | Republique francaise |
| Local - Short | France |
| Etymology- history of name | name derives from the Latin "Francia" meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D. who merged with Gallic-Roman populations in succeeding centuries and to whom they passed on their name |
| Government Type | semi-presidential republic |
| Capital Name | Paris |
| Capital - geographic coordinate | 48 52 N, 2 20 E |
| Capital Time Difference |
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: applies to metropolitan France only, not to its overseas departments, collectivities, or territories |
| Daylight Savings Time | +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Independence | no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established) |
| National Holiday | Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July) |
| Constitution |
history: many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly; amended many times, last in 2008; note - in April 2018, the prime minister announced the government's plans to reform the constitution |
Use mouse to move or zoom in.