France

Where the name comes from

France comes from Latin Francia, “land of the Franks”, the Germanic people who ruled former Roman Gaul; their name’s origin is debated.

First people

People painted the walls of Chauvet Cave more than 30,000 years ago, and by 500 BC Celtic Gauls lived across the land.^1,2

Known for

France is known for its food and wine and is the world’s most visited country, with about 100 million foreign visitors a year.³

Outside contact

Julius Caesar conquered Gaul for Rome by 50 BC; the Franks took over as Roman rule faded in the 400s, while French grew out of the region’s spoken Latin.^4,5

The modern country

The Revolution of 1789 challenged rule by inherited privilege. Its Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen put rights, equality before the law and national sovereignty at the centre of politics, principles that still underpin France’s constitution.^6,7