Jaessing & Conklin, S.C.

Painting sculpture Main article French architecture, A TGV Duplex crossing Cize–Bolozon viaduct train can reach maximum speed of 360 kilometres per hour (220 mph)The railway network of France which of 2008 stretches 29,473 kilometres (18,314 mi) second most extensive Western Europe after that of Germany operated SNCF high-speed trains include Thalys Eurostar TGV which travels 320 km/h (199 mph) commercial useEurostar along with Eurotunnel Shuttle connects with United Kingdom through Channel Tunnel Rail connections exist all other neighbouring countries Europe except Andorra Intra-urban connections also well developed with both underground services (Paris Lyon Lille Marseille Toulouse Rennes) tramway services (Nantes Strasbourg Bordeaux Grenoble Montpellier...) complementing bus servicesThere approximately 1,027,183 kilometres (638,262 mi) of serviceable roadway France ranking most extensive network of European continentParis region enveloped with most dense network of roads highways that connect with virtually all parts of country French roads also handle substantial international traffic connecting with cities neighbouring Belgium Luxembourg Germany Switzerland Italy Spain Andorra Monaco There no annual registration fee or road tax however usage of mostly privately owned motorways through tolls except vicinity of large communes new car market dominated domestic brands such Renault (27% of cars sold France 2003) Peugeot (20.1%) Citroën (13.5%) Over 70% of new cars sold 2004 had diesel engines far more than contained petrol or LPG engines France possesses Millau Viaduct world's tallest bridge, has built many important bridges such Pont de NormandieAir France one of biggest airlines worldThere 464 airports France Charles de Gaulle Airport located vicinity of Paris largest busiest airport country handling vast majority of popular commercial traffic connecting Paris with virtually all major cities across world Air France national carrier airline although numerous private airline companies provide domestic international travel services There ten major ports France largest of which Marseille, which also largest bordering Mediterranean Sea 12,261 kilometres (7,619 mi) of waterways traverse France including Canal du Midi which connects Mediterranean Sea Atlantic Ocean through Garonne riverScience technology, Bibliothèque nationale et universitaire Strasbourg stone building with portico park. Cathedral of St John medieval church with architectural elements of 13th 14th 15th centuries also principal religious structure city seat of Archbishop of Lyon. European map of Eurozone monetary union, Ambox current red.svg, The basic principles that French Republic must respect found 1789 Declaration of Rights of Man of CitizenFrench law divided into two principal areas private law public law Private law includes particular civil law criminal law Public law includes particular administrative law constitutional law However practical terms French law comprises three principal areas of law civil law criminal law administrative law Criminal laws can only address future not past (criminal ex post facto laws prohibited) While administrative law often subcategory of civil law many countries completely separated France each body of law headed specific supreme court ordinary courts (which handle criminal civil litigation) headed Court of Cassation administrative courts headed Council of StateTo be applicable every law must be officially published Journal officiel de la République françaiseFrance does not recognise religious law motivation enactment of prohibitions France has long had neither blasphemy laws nor sodomy laws (the latter being abolished 1791) However offences against public decency (contraires aux bonnes mœurs) or disturbing public order (trouble à l'ordre public) have been used repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution Since 1999 civil unions homosexual couples permitted since May 2013 same-sex marriage LGBT adoption legal France Laws prohibiting discriminatory speech press old 1881 Some consider however that hate speech laws France too broad or severe damage freedom of speech France has laws against racism antisemitism Since 1990 Gayssot Act prohibits Holocaust denialFreedom of religion constitutionally guaranteed 1789 Declaration of Rights of Man of Citizen 1905 French law Separation of Churches State basis laïcité (state secularism) state does not formally recognize any religion except Alsace-Moselle Nonetheless does recognize religious associations Parliament has listed many religious movements dangerous cults since 1995 has banned wearing conspicuous religious symbols schools since 2004 2010 banned wearing of face-covering Islamic veils public human rights groups such Amnesty International Human Rights Watch described law discriminatory towards Muslims However supported most of populationForeign relations.

Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs decorative arts textile museum holds one of world's largest textile collections with 2,500,000 works. French President François Mitterrand West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl 1987France founding member of United Nations serves one of permanent members of UN Security Council with veto rights2015 France was described being the best networked state world because country that is member of more multi-lateral organisations than any other countryFrance member of G8 World Trade Organization (WTO), Secretariat of Pacific Community (SPC) Indian Ocean Commission (COI)associate member of Association of Caribbean States (ACS) leading member of International Francophone Organisation (OIF) of 84 fully or partly French-speaking countriesAs significant hub international relations France hosts second largest assembly of diplomatic missions world headquarters of international organisations including OECD UNESCO Interpol International Bureau of Weights Measures la FrancophoniePostwar French foreign policy has been largely shaped membership of European Union of which was founding member Since 1960s France has developed close ties with reunified Germany become most influential driving force of EU 1960s France sought exclude British from European unification process, seeking build its own standing continental Europe However since 1904 France has maintained Entente cordiale with United Kingdom there has been strengthening of links between countries especially militarilyEuropean Parliament opening Strasbourg with crowd many countries' flags flagpoles. Examples of France's military Clockwise from top left nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft French Chasseurs Alpins patrolling valleys of Kapisa province Afghanistan Leclerc tankThe French Armed Forces (Forces armées françaises) military paramilitary forces of France under President of Republic supreme commander They consist of French Army (Armée de Terre) French Navy (Marine Nationale formerly called Armée de Mer) French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) French Strategic Nuclear Force (Force Nucléaire Stratégique nicknamed Force de Frappe or Strike Force) Military Police called National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie nationale) which also fulfils civil police duties rural areas of France Together they among largest armed forces world largest EUWhile Gendarmerie integral part of French armed forces (gendarmes career soldiers) therefore under purview of Ministry of Armed Forces operationally attached Ministry of Interior far its civil police duties concernedWhen acting general purpose police force Gendarmerie encompasses counter terrorist units of Parachute Intervention Squadron of National Gendarmerie (Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale) Search Sections of National Gendarmerie (Sections de Recherche de la Gendarmerie Nationale) responsible criminal enquiries Mobile Brigades of National Gendarmerie (Brigades mobiles de la Gendarmerie Nationale or short Gendarmerie mobile) which have task maintain public orderThe following special units also part of Gendarmerie Republican Guard (Garde républicaine) which protects public buildings hosting major French institutions Maritime Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie maritime) serving Coast Guard Provost Service (Prévôté) acting Military Police branch of GendarmerieBastille Day Paris, See also French cuisine, Main article Telecommunications France Île-de- Sculpture of Marianne common national personification of French RepublicAccording BBC poll 2010 based 29,977 responses 28 countries France globally seen positive influence world's affairs 49% have positive view of country's influence whereas 19% have negative viewNation Brand Index of 2008 suggested that France has second best international reputation only behind Germanyglobal opinion poll BBC saw France ranked fourth most positively viewed nation world (behind Germany Canada United Kingdom) 2014According poll 2011 French were found have highest level of religious tolerance be country where highest proportion of population defines its identity primarily term of nationality not religionof 2011 75% of French had favourable view of United States making France one of most pro-American countries worldof 2017 favourable view of United States had dropped 46%January 2010 magazine International Living ranked France best country live in ahead of 193 other countries fifth year runningThe French Revolution continues permeate country's collective memory tricolour flag of France, anthem La Marseillaise motto Liberté égalité fraternité defined Title 1 of Constitution national symbols all emerged during cultural ferment of early revolution along with Marianne common national personification addition Bastille Day national holiday commemorates storming of Bastille 14 July 1789A common traditional symbol of French people Gallic rooster Its origins date back Antiquity since Latin word Gallus meant both rooster inhabitant of Gaul Then this figure gradually became most widely shared representation of French used French monarchs then Revolution under successive republican regimes representation of national identity used some stamps coinsCuisine. Chanel's headquarters Place Vendôme ParisFashion has been important industry cultural export of France since 17th century modern haute couture originated Paris 1860s Today Paris along with London Milan New York City considered one of world's fashion capitals city home or headquarters many of premier fashion houses expression Haute couture is France legally protected name guaranteeing certain quality standardsThe association of France with fashion style (French la mode) dates largely reign of Louis XIV when luxury goods industries France came increasingly under royal control French royal court became arguably arbiter of taste style Europe But France renewed its dominance of high fashion (French couture or haute couture) industry years 1860–1960 through establishing of great couturier houses such Chanel Dior Givenchy French perfume industry world leader its sector centered town of GrasseIn 1960s elitist Haute couture came under criticism from France's youth culture 1966 designer Yves Saint Laurent broke with established Haute Couture norms launching prêt-à-porter (ready wear) line expanding French fashion into mass manufacturing With greater focus marketing manufacturing new trends were established Sonia Rykiel Thierry Mugler Claude Montana Jean-Paul Gaultier Christian Lacroix 1970s 1980s 1990s saw conglomeration of many French couture houses under luxury giants multinationals such LVMHMedia, Transport The European Parliament Strasbourg near border with Germany France founding member of all EU institutionsFrance member of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but under President de Gaulle excluded itself from joint military command protest special relationship between United States Britain preserve independence of French foreign security policies However result of Nicolas Sarkozy's pro-American politics (much criticised France leftists part of right) France rejoined NATO joint military command 4 April 2009In early 1990s country drew considerable criticism from other nations its underground nuclear tests French Polynesia France vigorously opposed 2003 invasion of Iraq, straining bilateral relations with United States United KingdomFrance retains strong political economic influence its former African colonies (Françafrique) has supplied economic aid troops peace-keeping missions Ivory Coast Chad Recently after unilateral declaration of independence of northern Mali Tuareg MNLA subsequent regional Northern Mali conflict with several Islamist groups including Ansar Dine MOJWA France other African states intervened help Malian Army retake controlIn 2013 France was fourth-largest (in absolute terms) donor of development aid world behind United States United Kingdom Germany This represents 0.36% of its GDP this regard rating France twelfth largest donor listorganisation managing French help French Development Agency which finances primarily humanitarian projects sub-Saharan Africamain goals of this support developing infrastructure access health care education implementation of appropriate economic policies consolidation of rule of law democracyMilitary, The official population of city of Paris was 2,206,488 of January 1 2018 according INSEE official French statistical agency This decline of 37,345 (- 1,66 %) from 2014 This drop was attributed partly lower birth rate partly possible loss of housing city due short-term rentals tourismParis fifth largest municipality European Union following London Berlin Madrid Rome Eurostat statistical agency of EU places Paris (6.5 million people) second behind London (8 million) ahead of Berlin (3.5 million) based 2012 populations of what Eurostat calls urban audit core citiesParis Urban Area or unité urbaine statistical area created French statistical agency INSEE measure population of built-up areas around city slightly smaller than Paris Region According INSEE Paris Urban Area had population of 10,550,350 January 2012 census,[not citation given] most populous European Union third most populous Europe behind Istanbul MoscowParis Metropolitan Area second most populous European Union after London with population of 12,341,418 Jan 2012 censusCity proper urban area metropolitan area population from 1800 2010. Main article Parks Lyon Main article French fashion. See also France 19th century France 20th century, Saint-Bruno des Chartreux (17th 18th century) church masterpiece of Baroque architecture, Bellecour Ecoles D'ArtsPrimary secondary schools See also Transportation Marseille. Main article Parks Lyon, The population of Paris today lower than its historical peak of 2.9 million 1921 principal reasons were significant decline household size dramatic migration of residents suburbs between 1962 1975 Factors migration included de-industrialisation high rent gentrification of many inner quarters transformation of living space into offices greater affluence among working families city's population loss came end 21st century population estimate of July 2004 showed population increase first time since 1954 population reached 2,234,000 2009According Eurostat EU statistical agency 2012 Commune of Paris was most densely populated city European Union with 21,616 people per square kilometre within city limits (the NUTS-3 statistical area) ahead of Inner London West which had 10,374 people per square kilometre According same census three departments bordering Paris Hauts-de-Seine Seine-Saint-Denis Val-de-Marne had population densities of over 10,000 people per square kilometre ranking among 10 most densely populated areas of EUMigration, Le Grand Rex tower Marseille Provence Airport fifth busiest FranceThe city served international airport Marseille Provence Airport located Marignane airport fifth busiest French airport known 4th most important European traffic growth 2012extensive network of motorways connects Marseille north west (A7) Aix-en-Provence north (A51) Toulon (A50) French Riviera (A8) eastGare de Marseille Saint-Charles Marseille's main railway station operates direct regional services Aix-en-Provence Briançon Toulon Avignon Nice Montpellier Toulouse Bordeaux Nantes etc Gare Saint-Charles also one of main terminal stations TGV south of France making Marseille reachable three hours from Paris (a distance of over 750 km) just over one half hours from Lyon There also direct TGV lines Lille Brussels Nantes Geneva Strasbourg Frankfurt well Eurostar services London addition night train (Intercités de Nuit) from Luxembourg Strasbourg stops here its way Nice whereas night train from Paris Nice serves Gare de Marseille-Blancarde (fr)There new long distance bus station adjacent new modern extension Gare Saint-Charles with destinations mostly other Bouches-du-Rhône towns including buses Aix-en-Provence Cassis La Ciotat Aubagne city also served with 11 other regional trains stations east north of cityMarseille has large ferry terminal Gare Maritime with services Corsica Sardinia Algeria TunisiaPublic transport.