Part of the country series of articles.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: NORMAL PRECAUTIONSThe Commonwealth advises travellers to exercise normal precautions when travelling in this country. Travellers should familiarise themselves with local laws and customs and consular availability.
| French Republic | |
|---|---|
| Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic | |
 |
|
| Capital | Paris |
| Languages | French |
| Population | 68,373,433 |
The French Eighth Republic (commonly France) is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe, occupying territory from the English Channel to the Mediterranean and from the Rhine to the Pyrenees. It is a nuclear power and one of Europe’s largest economies, with incorporated territories across the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
France maintains close ties with its former African colonies, most notably through financial support for the Latin Africa’s Franc currency zone. It plays a dual role in African affairs – supplying arms to various parties while positioning itself as a mediator – and has historically worked to limit both British and Soviet influence on the continent. In Asia, the Republic of Indochine retains extensive French legal and administrative frameworks, and its civil service continues to train in Paris.
France is broadly aligned with the United States and the UK while maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent and a cautious attitude toward further integration within the European Economic Community.