Becca's+European+Nation+Profile

European Nation Profiletoc =__France__=

France is a major European country. It is located in Western Europe. It has good land that is rich in natural resources. French people like to play soccer. They also enjoy other sports and recreational activities. France has great music and movies. French art is famous all over the world.

Geography
France is located in Western Europe. It borders the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. Being near water makes transportation and trade easier. It's total area is 547,030 square kilometers, which is almost the size of Colorado. The climate is similar to Wisconsin's. It is cold in winter and hot in summer. France is on of the the largest western European countries.

France has good land. In the North and West, It is flat or hilly. The rest of the country is taken up by the Alps. France has many natural resources. Some include coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, and fish. There are also some natural hazards and environmental issues. Some hazards are flooding, avalanches, and forest fires. Some environmental issues are acid rain and pollution. France has good land.

Arts
France has great music, movies, and television.France's music is heard around the world. There are many popular music groups. These include the duo Daft Punk and many other music groups. France has also made many popular movies. 8 Women and A Heart in Winter are just a few. French television is not as impressive. Many french people watch American television programs. Music, movies, and television are good in France.

France is also famous for its art, literature, theatre, and poetry.france is probably best known for its art. Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, and Georges Braque are some famous artists. Edouard Manetalong with other artists created impressionism, a new way of painting. France is home to some of the world's best literature. Many writers are from France. These include Marcel Proust and Albert Camus. The most popular literary from in France is poetry. France has great plays, operas, and ballets. France is home to many famous playwrights. France's art is well known around the world.

Recreation
French people enjoy playing sports. A major one is football or as we call it, soccer. France won the 1998 world cup. They also enjoy tennis. Tennis is the second favorite sport to soccer. Handball is a less popular sport in France. It is slowly gaining popularity. Rugby is another popular sport. The French team is one of Europe's strongest rugby teams. Cycling is very important to France. Basketball is played in France, but they are not very good at it. Sports are popular in France.

French like to do many things for fun. They are also involved in olympics. One recreational activity that they enjoy is bicycling. They are home to the tour de France. They also enjoy golf. France has many nice golf courses. Some other activities are hiking, boules, fishing, horseback riding, volleyball, skiing, and water sports. France does pretty well in the olympics. They have had 213 gold medals in summer olympics and 25 in winter. Thats what France likes to do for fun.