France

France is a country in Europe, which thrived especially during the Middle Ages (the Middle Ages roughly cover the period from the 5th century to the beginning of the 16th century). It remains a powerhouse in the European Union, and is consistently at odds with the United Kingdom on issues of EU policy. The capital city is Paris.

France did not support President Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Allied soldiers liberated it during World War II.

It was a founder member of the European Coal and Steel treaty which was lead to the EEC and EU. Its contributions to western culture have been immense if contraversial. It assisted the USA to gain its independence, established universal legal codes in much of the non anglo saxon west. It made a number of philosophical contributions to the world, including Descartes and Sartre, existentialism and post modernism. Its own colonial behaviour and the treatment of non French soldiers has been criticised of late. It maintains the CFA (African France) in much of west and central Africa. It gifted the statue of liberty to the USA in celebration of its independence.