Fun France Facts For Kids

Fancy some France facts? Last weekend saw France emerge victorious from the 2018 World Cup final. In a high-action match against Croatia, our geographical neighbours won the match with an impressive 4-2 score. And while we’re only slightly bitter (for a brief moment there we honestly thought this might be England’s year), we are full of congratulations for France. At least if football isn’t coming home, it’s only popping across the Channel.

But France is far more than just a proud World Cup trophy holder. Here are some top France facts to get you clued up about the culture and history of our cup-wielding companions.

Did you know…?

Over 67 million people call France home, which makes it just slightly larger than the population of the UK.

The capital city is Paris, the flag is blue, white and red (also referred to as ‘Tricolore’ or ‘three colours’) and the country’s national motto is ‘Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite’, meaning ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’.

As well as mainland France, there are six further overseas regions belonging to France: the Mediterranean island of Corsica, French Guyana in South America, Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean, plus La Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.

Eight different countries border France: Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland. Of these, Monaco is the smallest with just 6km of border with France.

French is one of the Romance languages, meaning it has origins in common Latin which was spoken by the Romans (hence the name ‘Romance’).

Today, France is the second most studied language around the world (after English) and it’s estimated that around 300 million people speak it as a first or second language.

Of its landmarks, the Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous and resides in Paris at a massive 324 metres tall. It is so called after its designer, French engineer Gustave Eiffel, who also worked with Auguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor who designed the Statue of Liberty in New York.

The world’s most famous cycle race is French: the Tour de France. It’s a whopper of a race, taking place over 23 days and covering more than 2,000 miles. The precise route changes every year, but it takes in lots of the country and always finishes with a fast sprint down the Champs Elysees in Paris.

According to a recent consensus, France is the most-visited country in the entire world with a whopping 80 million+ visitors every year. That’s more than the national population!

The award for the shortest ever reigning monarch also belongs to France. In July 1830, Louis XIX ascended to the throne for a mere 20 minutes. He quickly realised the life of a King wasn’t for him and abdicated to his nephew, the Duke of Bordeaux.

The French army was the first to ever use camouflage, hence the French word for the term. It directly translates as ‘to make up for the stage’.

And finally, France is a pretty tasty country. Not only was French gastronomy awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2010, France also produces nearly a billion tons of cheese a year in around 1,200 different varieties. Quelle fromage!

Well that’s an excuse for baked camembert for dinner if we’ve ever heard one. Another huge congratulations to World Cup 2018 champions, France. We hope you’ve enjoyed these France facts and bring on 2022 in Qatar! 

Love from all the One Day team x