Attractions
*  A country of much visited and beautiful landscapes, and cities of high cultural interest. Numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites include the Loire Valley, Chartres Cathedral, Mont St Michel, the Pont du Gard, Versailles and Bordeaux.
*  Disneyland Paris is Europe’s most popular tourist destination

Arts
Some of the great writers
*  Victor Hugo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers), Jules Verne (Round the World in 80 Days), Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince)

Some great composers
*  Georges Bizet (Carmen), Camille Saint-Saëns (Carnival of the Animals), Claude Debussy (La Mer), Maurice Ravel (Bolero), Francis Poulenc (Dialogues of the Carmelites,  Gloria)

Some great artists
*  Renoir, Monet, Degas, Rodin, Gauguin

Fashion and perfume: Dior, Chanel, Hermès, Jean-Paul Gaultier

Gastronomy
*  Food – more than 300 different cheeses, quiche lorraine, crêpes, coq au vin, profiteroles, bouillabaisse, cassoulet
*  Wine – from regions across the country, Champagne, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Rhône Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon

Press - More than 100 daily newspapers, many of them regional, privately owned, not linked to political parties.

Sport – Football, rugby, cycling (Tour de France), Le Mans 24 Hours