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|currency      =euro

|currency      =euro

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'''France''' is a major country in Western [[Europe]]. In ancient times, the area that is today France was included in the Roman province of Gaul. The French nation can be traced back to 481, when Clovis I ascended as the country's first king. France has played a significant role in world events since the era of Cardinal Richelieu in the mid-seventeenth century. The monarchy founded by Clovis lasted until the [[French Revolution]] of 1789-1799. France has been a republic since 1870 with the motto "liberty, equality, fraternity."

'''France''' is a major country in Western [[Europe]]. In ancient times, the area that is today France was included in the Roman province of Gaul. The French nation can be traced back to 481, when Clovis I ascended as the country's first king. France has played a significant role in world events since the era of Cardinal Richelieu in the mid-seventeenth century. The monarchy founded by Clovis lasted until the [[French Revolution]] of 1789-1799. Since 1870 (with the exception of a four-year period from 1940 to 1944 during which it was controlled by [[Nazi Germany]]), France has been a republic with the motto "liberty, equality, fraternity."

France is a leading member of the [[European Union]], an economic and political union founded in 1952 as the European Coal and Steel Community. France's current constitutional structure, called the Fifth Republic, was introduced in 1958. It features a strong president elected to a five-year term of office. The French national currency, or franc, was phased out in 1999-2002 and replaced by the euro. France is the world's most popular tourist destination with 80 million visitors in 2011.<ref>[http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/20-Most-Popular-Countries-As-Tourist-Destinations.htm 20 Most Popular Countries as Tourist Destinations]".</ref>  

France is a leading member of the [[European Union]], an economic and political union founded in 1952 as the European Coal and Steel Community. France's current constitutional structure, called the Fifth Republic, was introduced in 1958. It features a strong president elected to a five-year term of office. The French national currency, or franc, was phased out in 1999-2002 and replaced by the euro. France is the world's most popular tourist destination with 80 million visitors in 2011.<ref>[http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/20-Most-Popular-Countries-As-Tourist-Destinations.htm 20 Most Popular Countries as Tourist Destinations]".</ref>