FRANCE

France is the largest country in Western Europe and the European Union, and the third-largest in Europe as a whole. With a total population of around 66 million, it is the third most-populous European country. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the nation’s largest city and the main cultural and commercial Centre. The current Constitution of France, adopted by referendum on 4 October 1958, establishes the country as secular and democratic, with its sovereignty derived from the people. The nation’s ideals are expressed in the foundational Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, one of the world’s earliest documents on human rights, which was formulated during the seminal French Revolution of the late 18th century. France attracted 83 million foreign tourists in 2012, making it the most popular tourist destination in the world.  It is third in income from tourism due to briefer visits. 20% more tourists spent less than half as much as they did in the United States. France has 37 sites inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List and features cities of high cultural interest (Paris being the foremost, but also Toulouse, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lyon, and others), beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquility (green tourism). Small and picturesque French villages of quality heritage (such as Collonges-la-Rouge or Locronan) are promoted through the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (lilt. “The Most Beautiful Villages of France”).