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The French wrote the book on la vie en rose and gave the world crème brûlée and camembert, de Beauvoir and Debussy, the Tour de France and the Tour Eiffel. So if they have a finely tuned sense of national pride, who are we to point fingers? Although the ubiquity of Levis and Le Big Mac flusters the country's cultural purists, anything from a year in Provence to a weekend in Paris will explain why half the world grows dreamy over stalking the streets of Cyrano or picnicking Manet-style sur l'herbe. France has been synonymous with Romance for longer than your grandmother cares to remember, so whether you visit Paris or the Pyrenees, the Côte d'Azur or the auberge de jeunesse, be sure to keep your fantasies in check, your expectations in line and your joie in your vivre.
French agricultural officials confirmed March 14, 2001 that foot-and-mouth disease has spread from Britain into northwestern France. Travelers to the region should go out of their way to keep their feet out of their mouths and expect heightened security at border crossings, possible roadblocks and shortages of meat and dairy products at supermarkets. The virulent disease affects a range of animals including cows, pigs and sheep; it's primarily spread through close contact with carriers, though wind currents can also spread the disease across many kilometres. Though humans aren't affected, they can spread the disease via their clothing and vehicles.
Full country name: French Republic
Area: 551,000 sq km (214,890 sq mi)
Population: 59 million
Capital city: Paris (pop 13 million)
People: 92% French, 3% North African, 2% German, 1% Breton, 2% Other (including Provençal, Catalan & Basque)
Language: French (also Flemish, Alsacian, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Provençal & Corsican)
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant, 1% Muslim, 1% Jewish, 6% unaffiliated
Government: Democracy
President: Jacques Chirac
Prime Minister: Lionel Jospin
Airport: Charles De Gaulle Int'l
Champs Elysees - Arc de Triomphe
Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles
