France is one of the oldest countries in the world, which was formed, one might say, in the very center of Europe. Due to her geographic location so advantageous for the whole history of her existence, she was able to absorb the traditions and customs of many peoples who lived on its territory, those races that conquered her lands, and those with whom she had friendly relations. In order to make this information more accessible and understandable to each reader, we will try to tell everything in order. We will use a simple plan for describing the country. France will appear before us in its former guise, which was characteristic of it in the distant eras, and gradually we will reach our days.
Prehistoric period
At a time when ancient culture flourished in southern European countries , more wild tribes lived on the territory of the northern regions , although they had their own way of life, but did not seek to clothe it in a single state. During this period, the current territory of France was called Prehistoric Brittany, as it was mainly inhabited by Bretons. Later, their race was assimilated with the Celts, Gauls and Iberians, who are still considered the ancestors of all the people who are now inhabited by France. The history of the country in this period is silent about many things, since these tribes did not have written language as such, and all the conclusions that modern experts can draw are based only on monoliths serving as historical monuments of those times, and on everyday objects.
Transition of Brittany from barbarism to antiquity
Everyone knows for sure that most of Europe until the Middle Ages was barbaric. The country of France, which at the time of the founding of the Western Roman Empire was already completely inhabited by Gauls, was no exception. Gradually, these peoples joined civilization, they had their own values and ideals, but they did not reach their climax in cultural development. The Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar, along with many other powers and territories, subjugated these lands, which were called Gaul, to their influence. Since then, local people began to speak Latin, which was firmly mixed with local dialects. It can be assumed that at this moment modern French was born.
Middle Ages
It is believed that the darkest and darkest period of history originates in 486 - at the time when the Western Roman Empire fell . It is from this moment that our plan for describing the country is changing. France then fell under the rule of the Franks, the peoples led by Clovis. He gave these lands the name "Frankish State" and became the founder of the first Merovingian dynasty. This famous surname was followed by the noblest august persons on the pages of history - the Carolingians. Their founder, Pepin Korotky, as well as his son Charlemagne created an incredibly powerful state that occupied most of Europe and had a well-established economy and army.
Formation of modern borders and state system
In the 10th century, a state located in the western part of Europe was officially called France. The cultural monuments that were erected are numerous Romanesque churches and fortresses. Even the residential quarters that formed the streets of the main cities (Paris, Orleans) were built up with completely romanized houses, with conical roofs and direct portals. Against the background of how the church and secular culture of the country unfolded, numerous wars took place. France entered into armed conflicts with Italy, Germany and England, but the Crusades remain the most famous in its history. Their origin, causes, and all the secrets that were encountered on the way of the brave knights can be talked about for years. Well, noting briefly this period of history, we note that the essence of the battle lay in the Christian faith, which was proved once more and even imposed on every person on Earth.
Enlightenment and Reformation
In subsequent years, the state experienced many interesting events that affected all sectors of its life. Therefore, we will briefly present all the dates below, collecting them only as a plan for describing the country. France has survived many ruling dynasties since 1598, whose representatives fought bloody for both existing territories and conquered lands. So, it came to the point that in 1789 the Great French Revolution took place, and its consequence was the split of the Senate. After this, the First Empire was proclaimed, at the head of which was Napoleon. After he conquered many European states, as well as Egypt, he was defeated in Russia in 1812, and his empire collapsed. From 1814 to 1830, a dual monarchy was recognized in the country, the founders of which were Louis XVIII and Karl H. However, since then the state has ceased to gravitate to wars, revolutions and other lawsuits, and gradually began to take on the order that is usual today.
The peoples of France today
Today, the number of people who inhabit continental and provincial France, on average, is 65 million. Among the largest cities, the most urbanized are Paris, Lyon and Marseille. A particularly interesting topic remains the composition of the population of France, given the fact that there is no such thing as “nationality” or “ethnic origin” in the country. It is believed that 90 percent of the people living in the country are ethnic French. The remaining 10% is occupied by Armenians, Jews, as well as Bretons, Catalans, Alsatians, Corsicans and Flemings.
Religion and Language Question
Now let's try to draw up a linguistic, as well as a religious plan for describing the country based on the ethnic composition of the population. France is an extremely democratic and free state, which is protected from any influence by the church or other organizations. Secular nature and the absence of strict standards here became the basis for the emergence of agnostic attitudes in society, and sometimes atheistic. Nevertheless, 31% of the inhabitants of France claimed that they still believe in God, or at least in higher powers. As for the languages of the state, the majority of the population speaks French. In remote regions and provinces, people use dialects based on German, Corsican and Italian.