“Bonjour!”
This may be the most famous French word ever
But did you know that French is spoken
in more than 29 countries around the world?
So here it is - Learn about FRANCE in 3 minutes
FRANCOPHONIE
The French-speaking world is called “Francophonie”
Many are in Africa: Niger, Rwanda, Burundi, Ivory Coast...
There are parts of Canada like Quebec, also Belgium and Switzerland
Siri features all these different versions of French
The international distress code “Mayday” originally comes from
French, which is “M'aidez” meaning “Help Me”
Paris
Many of you must dream walking down the streets in Paris
It is a romantic city so visit when you have the chance
Paris is called “The city of Lights”
It was one of the first cities in Europe to adopt gas street lighting
Beneath the shining lights are shadows underground
Like the catacombs with remains of more than six million people
Either light or dark
It attracts more than 15.6 million people every year
The Louvre
The Louvre - the world’s largest paradise for art-lovers
It houses 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art!
You can see all in 100 days if only you put 30 seconds per piece,
No sleeping and doing nothing else - only viewing
Many people come to check out Mona Lisa
But it is small and the crowd is heavy so don’t expect peacefulness
There are more like Venus or Nike, but honestly, everything is famous
As long as you know what it is - so do your studies ahead!
History & Religion
One of the most famous historical figures in France is Napoleon
He championed himself over many parts of Europe
He was also exiled, escaped, came back to power
After the battle of Waterloo, he was exiled for good...what a life!
You should’ve also heard about Louis XIV - the “Sun King”
He wore 10cm (4in) heels to cover his height - 1.63m or 5’4’’
He reigned for more than 72 years since 5 years old
The longest of any monarch in a sovereign country in Europe
He originally built Versailles to keep the nobles within his reach
Check out the TV series “Versailles” for more, also on Netflix
In a survey in 2016, 50% are Christians in France
For more than a millennium, Catholicism has been predominant
Naturally, there are many churches like Notre-dame
Mont Saint Michel, an island monastery in Normandy is cool too
It has been a monastery since 8th century
The triangular figure shows the feudal society: God on top, to fishermen below
French Food
There is just too much to talk about French food...
Baguettes, Foie gras, escargots, quiche, crêpes, macarons…
French are also serious about cheese, tracking its origin
Try Fromage de Meaux, Le Châtelain Camembert, Comte, or Langres
So this is it for our second delivery
Tell us which country you’d like to learn next in the comments!