The People

Among the ancestors of the French are many different Indo-European peoples. In ancient times Ligurians and Iberians lived in the south. Phoenicians and Greeks had colonies on the Mediterranean coast. Celtic peoples spread across the country from the east in the ninth century B.C. They were known as Gauls by the Romans, who conquered? them but made little attempt to settle among! them. The Romans were driven out by Germanic peoples, one of whom—the Franks—unified the country. Later Germanic invaders were the Norsemen, who came in the ninth century A.D. and eventually were given a region (Normandy) for themselves.

According to the census in 1999, France had a population of 58,-520,688. The population density was 275 persons per square mile (106 per km 2), almost four times that of the United States but relatively low for a country of western Europe. About three-fourths of the people live in urban areas.

French is the language spoken by the majority of the people. There are two major dialects— langue d'oil, spoken north of the Loire River, and langue d'oc, spoken in the south. French is a Romance language, one that is derived from Latin. Breton (of Celtic origin) is spoken in parts of Brittany. The Basques, who live on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, speak a language believed to be unrelated to any other.

Education is compulsory from age 6 to 16 and is free within the public school system. However, nearly 20 per cent of elementary grade children attend private schools, mainly Roman Catholic parochial schools. Private schools are regulated by the government and are eligible for government financial aid.

Elementary schools have five grades. Pupils then proceed to secondary schools. The first stage of secondary education lasts four years and is the same for all students. At the age of 15, students may choose either a three-year academic program or a two-year program emphasizing vocational education. The academic course leads to the baccalaureate examination, which a student must pass to attend a university.

Higher education is largely free in France's many national universities, colleges, and specialized institutions. The oldest and largest is the University of Paris (founded in the 12th century), which now consists of 13 separate units located in Paris and its suburbs.

Among the various specialized institutions are the prestigious grandes ecoles. These schools offer two to four years of intensive professional education. Graduates of the grandes écoles traditionally have occupied many high-level government positions.

There are also private institutions of higher education.

There is separation of church and state and full freedom of religion. A majority of the people are Roman Catholics. About four per cent, mainly immigrants from North Africa, are Muslims; about two per cent are Protestants; and about one per cent are Jews.

France has long held a unique position in the culture of the western world. As early as the 12th century Paris was the greatest teaching center in Europe, producing philosophers, scientists, and men of letters. Scholars and poets were befriended by the crown. Magnificent Gothic cathedrals were being erected.

In the 17th century René Descartes and Blaise Pascal distinguished themselves in mathematics and science. French drama reached a high point of brilliance with the tragedies of Jean Baptiste Racine and the comedies of Moliére. Jean Baptiste Lully established French opera and introduced ballet into opera. The French court set the fashions for all Europe in furniture, decorative arts, and dress.

French philosophic writers Voltaire, Denis Diderot, and Jean Jacques Rousseau helped set the pattern of 18th-century thinking that led to both the American and French revolutions. France in the 19th century produced the literary giants Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas the Elder and the Younger, Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Alphonse Daudet, Émile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant. Major scientific discoveries were made by Louis Pasteur and by Pierre and Marie Curie. French Impressionist painters such as Édouard Manet, Pierre Renoir, H. G. E. Degas, and Claude Monet started a new trend in art. César Franck, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel did the same in music.

By the 20th century France was recognized as the cultural leader of the world, and Paris as the center of art. Musicians, painters, and writers came from everywhere to learn and to practice their crafts in Paris, the “City of Light.” By the middle of the century, France's leadership was challenged by artistic and intellectual development in other countries, but French culture continued to have worldwide influence. Major figures of the 20th century include the authors Jean-Paul Sartre, noted for his existentialist writing; Albert Camus, who developed the literary concept of absurdity; and Jean Cocteau, a leader of the Surrealist movement. The works of the artist Marc Chagall, the architect Le Corbusier, and the film director Jean Renoir achieved international influence.

One of the outstanding museums in the world is the Louvre, in Paris, with the largest art collection in existence. Important libraries include the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the libraries of the Universities of Paris. The Sorbonne, consisting of two of the Universities of Paris, dates from the 1200's and is recognized as one of the world's greatest centers of higher learning. Leading French theaters are subsidized by the government. These include the Paris Opera, Opéra Comique, Opera Ballet, Comédie Française, and Théâtre Nationale Populaire.

Maisons de la Culture (Cultural Houses) are operated by communities throughout the country. They offer drama, dance presentations, and concerts, and sponsor various kinds of exhibits.

Plays, operas, ballet, and motion pictures are well attended in France. So also are art exhibits and concerts. Card games and chess are popular.

There are many public holidays in France, both religious festivals and celebrations of historic events. The French enjoy getting into the country, where a favorite activity is camping. Most large towns maintain camping grounds.

Among spectator sports the most popular is the month-long bicycle race called the “Tour de France.” The 24-hour endurance race for sports cars held near LeMans is also a major event. The favorite team sport is soccer. Active participant sports such as cycling; swimming, skiing, tennis, and team games are popular. The government encourages physical exercise by providing sports equipment and facilities.