France (Altverse)


 * This country is a part of Altverse.

The French Republic (French: République française) often referred to as simply France is a unitary sovereign state comprising territory in western Europe in addition to several overseas territories. It is a semi-presidential republic and has a population of 66.6 million. The capital of France is Paris, one of the most influential cities throughout Europe.

France was originally inhabited by the Celtic Gauls who were conquered by the Romans. After the fall of the Roman Empire Germanic Franks invaded the land creating the Kingdom of Gaul. Gaul's involvement in the Hundred Years War against Albion established it as a major power within Europe. However a weak monarchy enabled it to be invaded by Albion in 1699 creating the Kingdom of Albion-Gaul. Following the dissolving of the union, it became France.

France was the centre of the 1789 Gaulish revolution which overthrew the puppet Bourbon dynasty creating the first Gaulish republic. Corsican military officer Napoleon Bonaparte in a coup was able to take control of Gaul creating the first Gaulish empire. Napoleon expanded Gaul's sphere of influence across Europe in the Napoleonic wars. After his defeat the Bourbon family was restored to power recreating the union of Albion-Gaul before being ousted from power by the July Monarchy. A brief second republic and second empire existed before in 1870 the Bourbon family were once again brought back into power by Albion.

Albion-Gaul became a dominant imperial power possessing the largest colonial empire (although much of France's previous overseas territory in Africa was conquered by the rising power of Spain). France was one of the dominant forces in World War I and under the leadership of Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau gained independence from Albion as the French Republic. France was occupied by Nazi forces in WWII, but was successfully liberated by Allied forces with Charles de Gaulle being proclaimed prime minister, creating the current government.

France has remained to be a great power with large amounts of political, economic, military and cultural influence. It is a founding member of the League of Nations and has a permanent seat on the security council, as well as being a founding member of the and the. France is a nuclear state with the third largest stockpile, and has the fifth largest economy in addition to being the wealthiest nation in Europe. It is also a member of, the , , , and the.

Foreign relations
France is a member of, and maintains close relations with Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. It also maintains good relations with members of the Trans-Pacific Allied Community, and is indirectly at war with the International Order of Socialist States in the Second Cold War. Despite their membership in the IOSS, France maintains great relations with the Commonwealth of Britannia. The nations were historically combined under the Albion-Gaul union. In World War II, Albion, now Britannia, helped liberate France from Axis forces. Despite a change in government and name, the two countries are major export partners.

Although a founding member of the European Union, a referendum will be held in 2017 on whether to leave the declining organisation. Many French citizens believe the Second Cold War has divided the political organisation, and it is in the best interests of the nation to leave in immediate fashion. The Christian Democratic Union supports leaving the union, whilst the Socialist Party is against holding a referendum and leaving the union. It is a founding member of the League of Nations and has a permanent seat on the security council.

Government
France is a unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic that is often referred to as 'democratic'. There are two primary figures in France, the President, who acts as the head of state, and the Prime Minister, who acts as the head of government. The current government is under the control of the Union chrétien démocrate (UCD), whilst the main opposition party is the Parti socialiste (PS). The current President is to be decided whilst the current Prime Minister, chosen by the President, is to be decided. The President serves a 3-year term, whilst the Prime Minister 'de jure' serves an infinite term, unless replaced. Generally, the Prime Minister is replaced every time a President from another political party is elected.

Military
The French Military Forces are the military forces of France, led by the incumbent President of France. There are three departments; the Army of France, the Navy of France, and the Air Force of France. A large military power throughout its history, the French Military Forces has maintained its strength. France has the largest military in Europe by active personnel, in addition to the third largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Although not officially considered a department of the military, the French Gendarmerie serves as the national police force of France. It also operates in Andorra, a country which France solely protects because of its lack of a military. In a state of war, conscription can be implemented by the President, however this rarely occurs.

Ministre de la Défense, or the Ministry of Defence, has control over the Military Forces and French Gendarmerie. The ministry is responsible for the organisation of the military and appointment of important officials, including the 'chief of the military'.

Administrative divisions
France is divided into fifteen administrative départments, which are then divided into communes.

Sport
France is widely successful in a wide range of sport, and it plays a crucial role in its culture. The Government of France classifies football and rugby league as the national sports, however rugby union is also widely played and football is the most popular. Having won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the France national football team is ranked first in the FIFA World Rankings. France will also host the. France also hosts the annual cycling competition, Tour de France. It also hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race.