The borders of France have been revised a great many times over the past few centuries. The main factors influencing the state borders of this country were revolutions and wars. However, some adjustments also occurred in a voluntary peaceful manner.
Territory of France
With a length of 950 kilometers from north to south, the French Republic is one of the largest states in foreign Europe, but still occupies a smaller territory than the European part of Russia. The area of the republic is 550,500 square kilometers, and together with overseas possessions 640,679 square kilometers.
In addition to the actual European territory, France has possessions in other parts of the world that have remained in the heritage from the colonial empire. Mostly overseas possessions are located on the islands, with the exception of Guiana, which is the largest overseas department and is located in South America.
Given the territory of overseas possessions, France ranks second in terms of area in Europe, without their third place.
French borders
The current state of affairs, in which intra-European borders have become a convention, has developed quite recently. However, the republic itself, being one of the founding countries of the European Union, made every effort to ensure that the land border of France became transparent and safe.
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy established the European Union on March 25, 1957, thereby laying the foundation for a new era in European politics, economics and security.
However, real progress in the process of European integration was achieved in 1985, when the Schengen Agreement was signed by the participating countries with the exception of Italy, which significantly simplified passport and visa procedures at the borders of countries. In 2018, twenty-six countries are signatories of the Schengen agreement, but not all of them are members of the European Union.
France and neighbors
In Europe, France has common borders with eight countries:
- Spain;
- Belgium;
- Switzerland;
- Italy;
- Germany;
- Luxembourg;
- Andorra
- Monaco.
France is separated from Great Britain by the English Channel, under which there is a tunnel for railway traffic.
In addition, overseas territories expand the list of countries that have land borders with France at the expense of Brazil, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. The longest of all borders is the border of French Guiana with Brazil. Its length exceeds 730 kilometers, which is 107 kilometers more than the French-Spanish border.
Border with Spain
The border of France and Spain is 623 kilometers long and stretches along the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Franco-Spanish border runs through the inaccessible, but very picturesque regions of the Pyrenees mountain ranges. Despite the fact that the border is quite long, land connections between the two historically close countries through the Pyrenees are very difficult, since in the mountains there are only a small number of passages and narrow paths. This geographic feature of the region over many centuries allowed indigenous people to maintain significant autonomy from their large neighbors.
Between Spain and France is the small principality of Andorra, with which both countries have common borders. The border of France and Andorra is only 56 kilometers long.
Border with Germany
France and Germany have a long common history and very difficult relations, full of conflicts, unions, wars and unique examples of cooperation. The modern border of France and Germany has a length of 451 kilometers, but its current line was determined only in 1918.
The key regions for understanding the dynamics of relations between France and Germany are modern Alsace and Lorraine, finally included in France only after the First World War. The imperial land of Alsace-Lorraine became part of Prussia in 1871 as a result of the Franco-German War. However, already in 1918, taking advantage of the turmoil in the German Empire and World War I, the Alsatians proclaimed the Alsatian Soviet Republic, which, however, lasted only twelve days from November 10, 1918 to November 22, 1918. Since then, these lands have finally become part of the French Republic.
Other borders of France
The border between France and Belgium appeared in 1830, when an independent kingdom was created on the territory of the former Austrian Netherlands, which received its name in honor of the ancient Celtic tribe of Belgians who inhabited the territory of modern Belgium at the beginning of our era.
Since Belgium was one of the founding countries of the European Union, the two countries have long-standing friendly ties, and the border between them is transparent and only occasionally arrange police checks on it.
Another important border of France is the Italian-French border, which runs along the picturesque Alps and descends to the Mediterranean Sea. The two countries have such a long history of relations that it is scary to think, because once they were part of one huge Roman Empire. As a result of such a long interaction, the languages of these countries belong to the same family, and the peoples actively interact, making economic and cultural exchanges.
Today between Italy and France there is no customs and border control. The countries are connected by long-distance rail and bus routes; road and air transport are also actively used.