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Fun Facts about France France is apparently the sixth largest economy in the world and is a developed country as well. The capital city is Paris. France is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. One of the most famous symbols of France, the Eiffel Tower stands at a staggering height of 984 feet, almost the height of a 70 storey building. Today, the tower has 2 restaurants, observing desk, a post office, etc and has elevators that take people up on the first three platforms. One of the largest art museums in the world, the Louvre, boasts of having some of the most prized artifacts. This includes Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and also the works of French artists like Monet, Cezanne, and Renoir. One of the most beautiful churches in France, the Cathedral of Notre Dame is a classic example of a church built in the ancient Gothic style. It is located on a small island on the Seine River. The construction began in the 12th century and was completed in the 13th century. French cuisine and cooking is considered to be the best in the world. Dishes such as quiche, soufflés, mousse, pâté, croissants, crêpes, and French bread are prepared with much perfection and one bite of the yum food will have you asking for more. France is said to have been the birthplace of Gothic art as well as Baroque architectural style. Gothic art was previously known as French Art. This is the reason why we have so many famous and stunningly beautiful Cathedrals and Basilicas have the element of Gothic Art in them. During the 18th and the 20th century, French literature and poetry reached its peak. Some of the most famous literary works and stories that are popular till date were penned by acclaimed French writers like Charles Pennaut, Gaston Leroux, etc.

Paris ([paʁi]  ( listen) in French, pronounced /ˈpærɪs/ in English) – the capital of and largest city in France – is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031 (January 2007),[2] but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970 (January 2007),[4] and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.[5] In 2009[6] and 2010[7][8] Paris has been ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world, among the first three "European cities of the future" - according to a research published by Financial Times – [9] and among the ten cities in the world "where to live in" according to the British review Monocle (June 2010).[10] An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.[11] Paris also ranks among the 10 European greenest cities in 2010[12] and the projected top ten wealthiest cities in 2020[13] and 2025[14] together with London, São Paulo, Tokyo, New York City and Shanghai. Paris and the Paris Region, with €552.1 bn (US$768.9 bn) in 2009, produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France.[15] According to 2007 estimates, the Paris urban agglomeration is Europe's biggest city economy[16] and the sixth largest in the world. The Paris Region hosts 37 of the Fortune Global 500 companies[17] in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe.[18] Paris also hosts many international organizations such as UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the informal Paris Club. According to the latest survey from Economist Intelligence Unit in 2010, Paris is the world's most expensive city to live in.[19] Paris is the first tourist destination in all the world with 45 million tourists annually, 27 million of whom are foreign visitors.[20] The city and region contain numerous iconic landmarks, world-famous institutions and popular parks.

11th edition of adidas's FIFA World Cup balls.

The name "France" itself comes from Latin Francia, which literally means "land of the Franks," or "country of the Franks".[24] There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks. One is that it is derived from the Proto-Germanic word frankon which translates as javelin or lance as the throwing axe of the Franks was known as a francisca.

31 qualified teams include 13 from Europe,5 from Africa, 5 from South America, 4 from Asia,3 from North-Central America and 1 from Oceania. 32 teams,

FIFA 2010: Qualifying process, Qualified teams and statistics

Soccer World Cup 2010