● Each country is a unique chapter in the BOOK OF HUMANITY, written in the sweat and blood of people whose PAGES will now remain forever ● 每个国家都是《人类之书》中独特的一章，由人们的汗水与鲜血写就，而他们的篇章如今将永世留存 ● Каждая страна — уникальная глава КНИГИ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСТВА, написанная потом и кровью людей, чьи СТРАНИЦЫ теперь будут оставаться навсегда ●
France - Government
Based on the etymology of France, it was derives from the Latin name Francia, meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D.; the origin of the tribal name is unclear but may come from the Old German word franka, meaning "brave," or from a personal name such as Francio or Francus. The Government system in this country is the semi-presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 18 regions (régions, singular - région); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion
National symbols
Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification of the country).
The flag
The National flag of France has no official description available.
The National Anthem
| Title | N/A |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | N/A |
More about the government of France
| Date of Independence | no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790) |
| Legal system | civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of France |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017) |
| Head of government | Sébastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister |
| Election/appointment process | president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president |
| Most recent election date | 10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022 |
| Election results | 2022: Emmanuel MACRON reelected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (LREM) 27.8%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 23.2%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (LFI) 22%, Eric ZEMMOUR (Reconquête) 7.1%, Valerie PECRESSE (LR) 4.8%, Yannick JADOT (EELV) 4.6%, other 10.6%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 58.5%, LE PEN 41.5% 2017: Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9% |
| Expected date of next election | April 2027 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parliament (Parlement) |
| Legislative structure | Bicameral |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions -- 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council has 3 members appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years |
| Subordinate courts | Appellate courts or cours d'appel; regional courts or tribunaux judiciaires; first instance courts or tribunaux de proximité; administrative courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Laurent BILI (since 19 April 2023) |
| Chancery | 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 944-6000 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 944-6166 |
| Email address and website | info@ambafrance-us.org https://franceintheus.org/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Charles KUSHNER (since 11 July 2025); note - also accredited to Monaco |
| Embassy | 2 avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris |
| Mailing address | 9200 Paris Place, Washington DC 20521-9200 |
| Telephone | [33] (1) 43-12-22-22, [33] (1) 42-66-97-83 |
| FAX | [33] (1) 42-66-97-83 |
| Email address and website | Citizeninfo@state.gov https://fr.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Marseille, Strasbourg |
| Consulate(s) | Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 54 (46 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in New Caledonia and one site in French Polynesia |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Chartres Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Versailles (c); Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (c); Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley (c); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay (c); Paris, Banks of the Seine (c); The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (c); Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (c); Amiens Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (c); Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne (c); The Maison Carrée of Nîmes (c); Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve (Corsica) (n); Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in France
Info
No additional political notes.
International organization participation
All Important Facts about France
Want to know more about France? Check all different factbooks for France below.
