Here you will find the most important informations
about France
| France most important informations |
GENERAL INFORMATION
Area
543,965 sq km (210,025 sq miles).
Population
59,481,919 (official estimate 2002).
Population Density
109.3 per sq km.
Capital
Paris.
Population: 2,125,246 (1999).
Government
Republic since 1792.
Head of State: President Jacques Chirac since 1995.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin since 2002.
Language
French is the official language, but there are many regional dialects. Basque is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton by some in Brittany. Many people, particularly those connected with tourism in the major areas, will speak at least some English.
Religion
Approximately 77 per cent Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority.
Time
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs are widely used; adaptors recommended.
Communications
Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 33. Outgoing international code: 00. Card-only telephones are common, with pre-paid cards bought from post offices and tabacs; coin boxes are being phased out throughout the country. International calls are cheaper between Mon-Fri 1900-0800 and all day from Sat-Sun. Calls can be received from all phone boxes showing the sign of a blue bell.
Mobile telephones
GSM 900 and 1800 networks cover most areas. The use of mobile telephones is prohibited at petrol stations.
Fax
Services are widely available; many hotels and all post offices have facilities.
Internet
Public access is available at Internet cafes. There are numerous local ISPs including wanadoo.
Post
Stamps can be purchased at post offices and tabacs. Post normally takes a couple of days to reach its destination within Europe. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1900, Sat 0800-1200.
Press
There are many daily newspapers, the most prominent being Le Monde, Libération, France-Soir and Le Figaro. The main English language daily is the International Herald Tribune. Outside the Ile-de-France, however, these newspapers are not as popular as the provincial press. International newspapers and magazines are widely available, particularly in the larger cities.
Radio
BBC World Service and Voice of America can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Public Holidays
Jan 1 2005: New Year’s Day.
Mar 28: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 5: Ascension.
May 8: 1945 Victory Day.
May 16: Whit Monday.
Jul 14: Bastille Day.
Aug 15: Assumption.
Nov 1: All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11: Remembrance Day.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Jan 1 2006: New Year’s Day.
Apr 17: Easter Monday.
May 1: Labor Day.
May 8: 1945 Victory Day.
May 25: Ascension.
Jun 5: Whit Monday.
Jul 14: Bastille Day.
Aug 15: Assumption.
Nov 1: All Saints’ Day.
Nov 11: Remembrance Day.
Dec 25: Christmas Day.
Note
In France, the months of July and August are traditionally when the French take their holidays. For this reason, the less tourist parts of France are quiet during these months, while coastal resorts, especially in the south, are very crowded.
Special Events
For details of events and festivals throughout France, contact the French Tourist Office. The following is a selection of special events occurring in France in 2005:
Until Feb 3: Nativity, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris.
Jan 8-9: Kandahar - Alpine Skiing World Cup.
Jan 15-Mar 8: Dunkerque Carnival.
Jan 28-Feb 5: International Film Festival.
Feb 12-27: Nice Carnival.
Apr 10: Marathon, Paris.
May: Jazz Under the Apple Trees (one of Normandy’s most important annual music events), Coutances.
May 21-22: Monaco Grand Prix.
Jun 21: Summer Solstice and Music Festivals, countrywide.
Jul: Tour de France.
Jul 13-14: Bastille Day Celebrations.
Sep 27-Oct 10: International Festival of Theater, Music and Literature, Limosin.
Contact Information:
Location
Western Europe.
Country dialing code
33.
Note
For information on French Overseas Departments, Overseas Territories and Overseas Collectivités Territoriales, consult the French Overseas Possessions section. See also the individual sections on French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, New Caledonia, Réunion and Tahiti and her Islands.
Direction du Tourisme (Department of Tourism)
23 Place Catalogne, 75014 Paris, France
Tel: (1) 4437 3600. Fax: (1) 4437 3636.
Maison de la France (French Government Tourist Office)
20 avenue de l’Opéra, 75001 Paris, France
Tel: (1) 4296 7000. Fax: (1) 4292 7011.
Embassy of the French Republic
58 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7JT, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1000. Fax: (020) 7073 1059.
French Consulate General
21 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2EN, UK
Visa section: 6A Cromwell Place, London SW7 2EW, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1200 (consular section) or 1250 (visa section) or 7073 1295 (visa applications in progress; 1500-1700 only) or (09065) 508 940 (visa information service; calls cost £1 per minute) or 266 654 (24-hour visa application form request service; calls cost £1.50 per minute) or 540 700 (24-hour automated visa appointment booking service). Fax: (020) 7073 1201 or (09001) 669 932 (visa application forms by fax; calls cost 60p per minute).
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 0845-1500, Thurs and Fri 0845-1200 (general enquiries); Mon-Fri 0845-1130 (visa applications).
Consulate General in: Edinburgh.
French Embassy (Cultural Section)
23 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2EL, UK
Tel: (020) 7073 1300. Fax: (020) 7073 1326.
Opening hours: Mon-Thur 0900-1300, 1400-1730; Fri 0900-1400.
Maison de la France (French Government Tourist Office)
178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL, UK
Tel: (09068) 244 123 (information line; calls cost 60p per minute) or (020) 7399 3520 (travel trade only). Fax: (020) 7493 6594.
British Embassy
35 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75383 Paris, France
Consular section: 18 rue d’Anjou, 75008 Paris, France
Tel: (1) 4451 3100 or 3301/3 (visa section). Fax: (1) 4451 3234 or 3128 (visa section) or 3127 (consular section).
Consulates General in: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon and Marseille.
All post should be addressed to the main British Embassy.
Embassy of the French Republic
4101 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 944 6000. Fax: (202) 944 6166.
Consulates General in: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco.
French Government Tourist Office
444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: (212) 838 7800 or (514) 288 6989 (travel trade only) or 288 1904 (public information service). Fax: (212) 838 7855.
Embassy of the United States of America
2 avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08, France
Consular section: 2 rue St Florentin, 75382 Paris Cedex 01, France
Tel: (1) 4312 2222. Fax: (1) 4266 9783.
Consulates General in: Marseille and Strasbourg.
Embassy of the French Republic
42 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1M 2C9, Canada
Tel: (613) 789 1795. Fax: (613) 562 3735.
Consulates General in: Moncton, Montréal, Québec, Toronto and Vancouver.
French Government Tourist Office
1981 Avenue McGill College, Suite 490, Montréal, Québec H3A 2W9, Canada
Tel: (514) 876 9881. Fax: (514) 845 4868.
Canadian Embassy
35 avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris, France
Tel: (1) 4443 2900 or 2916 (immigration and visas). Fax: (1) 4443 2999 or 2993 (immigration and visas).
Honorary Consulates in: Lyon, Nice, St-Pierre (St-Pierre et Miquelon) and Toulouse. |
