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France, [IX] officially the French Republic, [X] is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world.
The culture of France has been shaped by geography, by historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture since the 17th century and from the 19th century on, worldwide.
The first written records for the history of France appeared in the Iron Age.. What is now France made up the bulk of the region known to the Romans as Gaul.Greek writers noted the presence of three main ethno-linguistic groups in the area: the Gauls, Aquitani and Belgae.
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, [a] often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the étoile or "star" of the juncture formed by its twelve radiating avenues.
A second form of legend in France during the Middle Ages was epic poetry, partly historical and partly legend with themes covering the formation of France, war, kingship, and important battles. This genre was known as chansons de geste which is Old French for "songs of heroic deeds." It is also called the epics of the "Matter of France":
The Eiffel Tower seen from the Place du Trocadéro. Paris, the capital city of France, is the third most visited city in the world. [5]It has some of the world's largest and renowned museums, including the Louvre, which is the most visited art museum in the world, but also the Musée d'Orsay which, like the nearby Musée de l'Orangerie, is mostly devoted to impressionism, and Centre Georges ...
The Louvre (English: / ˈ l uː v (r ə)/ LOOV(-rə)), [4] or the Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre [myze dy luvʁ] ⓘ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world.
The Palace of Versailles (/ v ɛər ˈ s aɪ, v ɜːr ˈ s aɪ / vair-SY, vur-SY; [1] French: château de Versailles [ʃɑto d(ə) vɛʁsɑj] ⓘ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Paris, in the Yvelines Department of Île-de-France region in France.