France

FRANCE

France is the largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the third-largest in Europe as a whole. With a total population of around 66 million, it is the third most-populous European country. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the nation's largest city and the main cultural and commercial centre.

Symbols of the French Republic

Le coq is one of the most identifiable symbols of France. Inspired by a play on words between the Latin word for rooster, “Gaullus,” and France, “Gaul,” le coq has now become an unofficial national symbol and mascot of France. It has been used intermittently since medieval times on France engravings and coins. Le coq saw its popularity rise during the French Revolution as a sign of France’s identity, and today is one of the most widely recognized symbols, especially in the realm of sports. It is also used by French companies such as Le Coq Sportif and Pathé in their logos.

Le drapeau tricolore is the French national flag, comprised of three vertical bands of blue, white, and red. Le drapeau tricolore is a modification of la cocarde tricolore. Although the flag has been altered many times throughout the past 200 years of French history, the current drapeau tricolore was established as the official flag of the Republic of France under the constitutions of 1946 and 1958.

The national motto of France is liberté, egalité, fraternité. The origin of the phrase is ambiguous and heavily disputed, but it is believed to have surfaced during the French Revolution as an amalgamation of slogans used at the time. It was officially institutionalized under the Third Republic at the end of the 19th century, and could be seen inscribed on buildings in France as early as the 1880s. The phrase was enshrined in the 1946 constitution and in Article 2 of the 1958 constitution, where it remains today. The phrase is displayed on the current logo of the French Republic under a tricolor profile of the Marianne, as well as on some French stamps and euro coins. The official slogan of France, like the French flag and the national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” is protected under the French Constitution.

Best Lyon and only Lyon!Lyon is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Etymologically it relates to the Celtic God Lugoves, Lugh as do Laon andLeiden. Lyon is located approximately 470 kilometres (292 miles) from Paris, 320 km (199 mi) from Marseille, 420 km (261 mi) from Strasbourg, 160 km (99 mi) from Geneva, 280 km (174 mi) from Turin. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais.

Paris as the World’s Fashion Centre

The term fashion usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression. Fashion has been invented in Europe since the 14th century. In France, the fashion style was influenced for the first time by a designer named Rose Bertin, a millionaire and a dressmaker to Marie Antoinette. Fashions among upper-class Europeans began to move in synchronicity in the 18th century especially in France. Colors and patterns of textiles changed from year to year.