France ( in French), officially the French Republic (, ), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that also comprises a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents.For more information, see Category:French overseas departments, territories and collectivities Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and North Sea, and from the Rhine River to the Atlantic Ocean. French people often refer to Metropolitan France as l'Hexagone (the "Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory.

France is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. In some of its overseas departments, France also shares land borders with Brazil, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. France is also linked to the United Kingdom via the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel(La Manche in French).

The French Republic is a democracy which is organised as a unitary semi-presidential republic. It is a highly developed country with the sixth-largest economy in the world.Rank by nominal GDP: 6 (2006); Rank by GDP per capita: 17 (2005); Rank by GDP at purchasing power parity per capita: 21 (2005). Its main ideals are expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members. France is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of La Francophonie, the G8, and the Latin Union. It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council wielding veto power, and it is also one of eight acknowledged nuclear powers. With almost 75 million foreign tourists each year,France is the most popular tourist destination in the world above Spain (52 millions) and USA (41 millions} .

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NPR Topics: Visual Arts

Ombre Is The New Tie-Dye
Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0400
Once a cheap way to make colorful clothes, high-end designers have brought back tie-dye and even given it a new name.
'Great Outdoor Fight' Flows From Web To Page
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:39:00 -0400
Chris Onstad's web-comic Achewood may be modeled on stuffed animals, but it's anything but cuddly. The new print compilation of the strip highlights The Great Outdoor Fight — featuring three days, three acres and 3,000 men.
Sandbag House Wins Humanitarian Award
Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:08:00 -0400
This week, the Curry Stone Design Prize was awarded to a South African architecture firm that figured out how to make a cheap house with a timber frame and a whole lot of sandbags. The houses are energy efficient and easily assembled, and could replace more hazardous structures in the shantytowns around Cape Town.
Howard Bingham: Photographing Ali And America
Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:20:00 -0400
Howard Bingham describes himself as the "Forrest Gump of photojournalism" — frequently "popping up" at just the right time to document some of the greatest moments in U.S. history. He is best known for his portraits of boxing great Muhammad Ali.
Artist Taps Into Anger At Corporate CEOs
Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0400
A Brooklyn artist is giving Wall Streeters the opportunity to vent their irritation with corporate America. Geoffrey Raymond takes his over-sized paintings of CEOs to Wall Street, then asks passers-by to write comments on his artwork.
In San Francisco, Making Art At The Dump
Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:30:00 -0400
San Francisco recycles or diverts 69 percent of its trash, but sends 1,800 tons of garbage to the landfill each day. One way the city makes a dent in its landfill load is through an unusual program — sponsoring artists who turn garbage into art.

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