\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrench regional cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity and style as ingredients and dishes can vary greatly. Cheese and wine<\/b> are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) laws. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBelow is a list of some of the most national and regional dishes<\/b>:
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Cassoulet (south west): Beans, duck, pork & sausages
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Choucroute, or sauerkraut (Alsace): stripped fermented cabbage + pork
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Fondue Savoyarde (central Alps): Melted\/hot cheese with alcohol
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Fondue Bourguignonne (Burgundy): Pieces of beef in boiled oil
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Raclette (central Alps): melted cheese & potatoes\/meat
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Pot-au-feu boiled beef with vegetables
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Boeuf Bourguignon (Burgundy): slow cooked beef with gravy
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Gratin dauphinois (Rhone-Alpes): oven roasted slices of potatoes
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Aligot (Auvergne): melted cheese mixed with a puree of potatoes
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Bouillabaisse (south east): A real bouillabaisse is a really expensive dish due to the amount of fresh fish it requires
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Tartiflette (Savoie): Reblochon cheese, potatoes and pork or bacon
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Confit de Canard (Landes): Duck legs and wings bathing in grease
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– Foie Gras (Landes): The liver of a duck or goose <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tCommon desserts and pastries<\/b> include : Chocolate Mousse, Crème Brûlée, Mille-feuilles, Choux à la Crème, Madeleines, Tarte Tatin, Éclairs, and Profiteroles. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrance is one of the oldest wine-producing regions of Europe. France is the source of more well-known grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah<\/b>) and winemaking practices than any other country. Beer and liqueurs<\/b> are also extremely popular.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tCulture<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe names of the historical French provinces (such as Normandy, Languedoc, Lyonnais, Champagne, Burgundy, Provence, Brittany, Auvergne, Alsace, Savoy) are still used to designate natural, historical, cultural regions and governmental départements. The culture could be divided into two groups: Paris and "la France profonde", designating provincial towns, village life and rural agricultural culture. Another expression, "terroir", today used to describe regional food products. In the twentieth century, France exhibited a high rate of immigration from southern and Eastern European. One million European pieds noirs also migrated from Algeria in 1962 and the following years, due to the chaotic independence of Algeria. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrench is the sole official language of France since 1992, making metropolitan France the only Western European nation to have only one officially recognised language. Of this excludes the 77 regional languages. The Académie française is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. The body has the task of acting as an official authority on the language; it is charged with publishing an official dictionary of the language. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe association of France with fashion dates largely to the reign of Louis XIV when the French royal court became, arguably, the arbiter of taste and style in Europe. Haute couture began in the 1860s with the establishment of great couturier houses such as Charles Frederick Worth, Chanel, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe importance of fine arts is best represented by The Louvre in Paris, which was created by the new revolutionary regime in 1793 in the former royal palace. Famous French painters include Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain, Antoine Watteau, Jacques-Louis David and Honoré Daumier, each specializing in various art mouvements. Impressionism was developed in France by artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro. Innovative art was born with Pablo Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin and Cézanne. The Cubism movement was born in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrance boasts a wide variety of indigenous folk music. In the field of classical music, France has produced a number of legendary composers (Perotin, Machaut, Couperin, Debussy, Milhaud and Poulenc), while modern pop music has seen the rise of popular French hip hop, French rock and techno\/funk.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGeography<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrance also includes: \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 4 overseas regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, and Réunion. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 3 overseas collectivities: Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, and Mayotte. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 1 sui generis collectivity: New Caledonia. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 1 overseas "country": French Polynesia. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 1 overseas territory: the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 5 islands in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and Tromelin. \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t– 1 uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean: Clipperton<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tHistory<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe first King of the Francs, Clovis, is regarded as the forefather of the French kings. Charlemagne, who was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in 800, was the first strong ruler. He united under his rule territories which extend today in Belgium, Germany and Italy. A new society started to settle, based on the personal links of feudalism. This era is named middle age. In 987, Hughes Capet was crowned as king of France; he is the root of the royal families who later governed France. In 1154 much of the western part of France went under English rule. The struggle between the English and French kings between 1337 and 1435 is known as the Hundred Years War and the most famous figure, considered as a national heroine, is Joan of Arc. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe beginning of the 16th century saw the end of the feudal system and the emergence of France as a modern state. Louis XIV who was king from 1643 to 1715 was probably the most powerful monarch of his time. 1789 saw the start of the French Revolution which led to the creation of the Republic. Napoléon reunited the country but his militaristic ambition was finally his downfall as he was defeated in Waterloo in 1815. France went back to monarchy and another revolution in 1848 which allowed a nephew of Napoleon to be elected president and then become emperor under the name of Napoléon III. The end of the 19century was the start of the industrialization of the country and the development of the railways. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tWorld War I was a disaster for France as a significant part of the male workforce had been killed and disabled and a large part of the country and industry destroyed. World War II also destroyed a number of areas. Since then France went through a period of reconstruction and prosperity. France and Germany were at the start of the Treaties which eventually became the European Union and the introduction of the Euro (€).<\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tNature<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Pyrenees and the Alps are the home of the brown bear, chamois, marmot, and alpine hare. In the forests are polecat and marten, wild boar, and various deer. Hedgehog and shrew are common, as are fox, weasel, bat, squirrel, badger, rabbit, mouse, otter, and beaver. The birds of France are largely migratory; warblers, thrushes, magpies, owls, buzzards, and gulls are common. There are storks in Alsace and elsewhere, eagles and falcons in the mountains, pheasants and partridge in the south. Flamingos, terns, buntings, herons, and egrets are found in the Mediterranean zone. The rivers hold eels, pike, perch, carp, roach, salmon, and trout; lobster and crayfish are found in the Mediterranean.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSports<\/div>\n \n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Professional sailing<\/b> in France is centred on ocean. Significant events include the Vendee Globe, Solitaire du Figaro, Mini Transat 6.50, Tour de France à Voile, and Route de Rhum transatlantic race. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOther important sports include Grand Prix Racing<\/b> (Formula 1), Pétanque, Fencing, Parkour<\/b> (resembling martial arts), and Babyfoot<\/b>.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\t\t\t <\/p>\n | | | | | |
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