France

The Tour de France is a well-recognized sport and one of the most popular bicycle races in the world. Over 2,200 miles of road is covered as cyclists race over a 21-day period. Until 1985, France and Belgium dominated the race. From then on, the United States and Spain have won most of the Tours. France has the most wins, with 36.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognized structures in the world. With a height of over 950 feet, the Eiffel Tower houses two restaurants a post office and an observation deck. The tower contains elevators that carry people to the first three platforms.

One-fifth of France sits outside the boundaries of what is Europe. About 2.5 million citizens live in this area called "Dom-Tom," which is considered overseas.



One of the Unites States' famous structures was built in France. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to celebrate the U.S.'s centennial.

On average, 70 to 90 million tourists visit France, which his much more than the population of France, which is about 55 million.

Jeans and clothing made from denim actually came from the city of Nimes. Levi Strauss saw the value and imported the concept to California so that gold diggers could wear sturdy clothing.

In France, beer is considered a luxury and expensive to purchase. However, wine is usually given free at most restaurants for lunch and dinner. The French love cheese with their wine. The country produces over 400 types of cheese, but you can find over 1,000 different varieties of cheeses in grocery stores.

Hot Chocolate is a popular drink in France, though they like to drink it from bowls and dip various types of bread into the liquid.

France is the most visited destinations in the world. Popular attractions are the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, which can be seen from the Seine River. The Louvre museum contains one of the largest art collections in the world. You can find the Mona Lisa and other works by Money and Renoir. Gothic art is said to have been born in France, and some consider it an offshoot of French Art. The Baroque style of architecture also came from France and you can see much of the influence in cathedrals around the world.

England and France are connected. This underwater tunnel is called the Eurotunnel. You can get from Great Britain to France in about 30-40 minutes. The tunnel railway carries passengers and freight with diesel and electric cars.

Depending on where you go for wines, you will find that different regions use different amounts and types of grapes. For example, the Northern part of France uses one type of grape while wines from the South use multiple blends of grapes. The types and techniques are never mentioned on the wine labels of French wines.

April Fool's Day began in France in the mid-1500's, when France started to follow the Gregorian calendar. The change was not communicated very well because normally, April 1st was the first day of the French New Year, but the Gregorian calendar moves the day around. Those in the know made fun of those who still thought the French New Year was on April 1st…according to their previous calendar.