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Main article Geography of France, Republican Guards parading Bastille Day, Cathedral of St John medieval church with architectural elements of 13th 14th 15th centuries also principal religious structure city seat of Archbishop of Lyon. Urbanism architecture Paris hosts one of largest science museums Europe Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie La Villette attracted 2.4 million visitors 2017National Museum of Natural History Left Bank attracted 1.76 million visitors 2016 famous its dinosaur artefacts mineral collections its Gallery of Evolution military history of France from Middle Ages World War II vividly presented displays Musée de l'Armée Les Invalides near tomb of Napoleon addition national museums run French Ministry of Culture City of Paris operates 14 museums including Carnavalet Museum history of Paris Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris Palais de Tokyo House of Victor Hugo House of Balzac Catacombs of Paris There also notable private museums Contemporary Art museum of Louis Vuitton Foundation designed architect Frank Gehry opened October 2014 Bois de Boulogne received 1.4 million visitors 2017Theatre. 7th arrondissement Guillotière (south) Jean Macé Gerland see description A relief map of Metropolitan France showing cities with over 100,000 inhabitantsPanorama of Mont Blanc mountain range above gray clouds under blue sky.

Prime Minister 4th arrondissement Plateau de la Croix-Rousse Serin, 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. See also Marseille-Provence 2013 Animated map of growth decline of French colonial empireFrance had colonial possessions various forms since beginning of 17th century but 19th 20th centuries its global overseas colonial empire extended greatly became second largest world behind British Empire Including metropolitan France total area of land under French sovereignty almost reached 13 million square kilometres 1920s 1930s 8.6% of world's land Known Belle Époque turn of century was period characterised optimism regional peace economic prosperity technological scientific cultural innovations 1905 state secularism was officially establishedThe French conquest of Morocco was one of longest toughest annals of European colonialism French historian Daniel Rivet puts casualty rate among Moroccans who resisted French occupation 100,000Contemporary period (1914–present), In 2017 Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport was second-busiest airport Europe tenth-busiest airport worldParis major international air transport hub with 5th busiest airport system world city served three commercial international airports Paris-Charles de Gaulle Paris-Orly Beauvais-Tillé Together these three airports recorded traffic of 96.5 million passengers 2014 There also one general aviation airport Paris-Le Bourget historically oldest Parisian airport closest city centre which now used only private business flights air showsOrly Airport located southern suburbs of Paris replaced Le Bourget principal airport of Paris from 1950s 1980s Charles de Gaulle Airport located edge of northern suburbs of Paris opened commercial traffic 1974 became busiest Parisian airport 1993 year 2017 was 5th busiest airport world international traffic hub nation's flag carrier Air France Beauvais-Tillé Airport located 69 kilometres (43 miles) north of Paris's city centre used charter airlines low-cost carriers such RyanairDomestically air travel between Paris some of France's largest cities such Lyon Marseille or Strasbourg has been large measure replaced high-speed rail due opening of several high-speed TGV rail lines from 1980s example after LGV Méditerranée opened 2001 air traffic between Paris Marseille declined from 2,976,793 passengers 2000 1,502,196 passengers 2014 After LGV Est opened 2007 air traffic between Paris Strasbourg declined from 1,006,327 passengers 2006 157,207 passengers 2014Internationally air traffic has increased markedly recent years between Paris Gulf airports emerging nations of Africa Russia Turkey Portugal Italy mainland China whereas noticeable decline has been recorded between Paris British Isles Egypt Tunisia JapanMotorways; For centuries Paris has attracted artists from around world who arrive city educate themselves seek inspiration from its vast pool of artistic resources galleries result Paris has acquired reputation City of Art Italian artists were profound influence development of art Paris 16th 17th centuries particularly sculpture reliefs Painting sculpture became pride of French monarchy French royal family commissioned many Parisian artists adorn their palaces during French Baroque Classicism era Sculptors such Girardon Coysevox Coustou acquired reputations finest artists royal court 17th-century France Pierre Mignard became first painter King Louis XIV during this period 1648 Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture (Royal Academy of Painting Sculpture) was established accommodate dramatic interest art capital This served France's top art school until 1793Auguste Renoir Bal du moulin de la Galette 1876 oil canvas 131 cm × 175 cm (52 × 69 in) Musée d'Orsay. Vélib' Place de la Bastille Hector Berlioz 1863 Palme d'Or award presentation case Montessori School of LyonSupplementary education.