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Factfile
on France
Click
on the link above to read up on a factfile on france, from The
World Fact Book
Click
here to print & colour a map of France.
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The
French Flag
'Le Drapeau Tricolore'
The flag of France or "Le drapeau tricolore" (French
Tricolor) has three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side),
white, and red.
The origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution(1789).
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here to print & colour the french flag.
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The
French National Anthem
La
Marseillaise was composed one night during the French Revolution (April
24, 1792)by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and was declared the
French national anthem in 1795. Rouget de Lisle was a captain of the
engineers and an amateur musician stationed in Strasbourg in 1792. It
was played at a patriotic banquet at Marseilles, and printed copies
were given to the revolutionary forces then marching on Paris. They
entered Paris singing this song, and to it they marched to the Tuileries
on August 10th.
Ironically,
Rouget de Lisle was himself a royalist and refused to take the
oath
of allegiance to the new constitution. He was imprisoned and barely
escaped the guillotine. Originally entitled Chant de guerre de
l'armeé du Rhin (War Song of the Army of the Rhine), the
anthem became called La Marseillaise because of its popularity
with volunteer army units
from Marseilles.
The
Convention accepted it as the French national anthem in a decree passed
July 14, 1795. La Marseillaise was banned by Napoleon during the Empire,
and by Louis XVIII on the Second Restoration (1815), because of its
revolutionary associations. Authorized after the July Revolution of
1830, it was again banned by Napoleon III and not reinstated until 1879.
Press play to listen to 'La
Marseillaise'
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FRENCH
LYRICS
1.
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé !
L'étendard sanglant est levé !
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Egorger nos fils et nos compagnes !
CHORUS:
Aux armes, citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons ! marchons !
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !
2.
Que veut cette horde d'esclaves,
De traîtres, de rois conjurés ?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves,
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ?
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ?
Français, pour nous, ah! quel outrage !
Quels transports il doit exciter !
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer
De rendre à l'antique esclavage !
3.
Quoi ! ces cohortes étrangères
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers !
Quoi ! ces phalanges mercenaires
Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers !
Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers !
Grand Dieu ! par des mains enchaînées
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient !
De vils despotes deviendraient
Les maîtres de nos destinées !
4.
Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides,
L'opprobre de tous les partis,
Tremblez ! vos projets parricides
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix !
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix !
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre,
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros,
La terre en produit de nouveaux,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre !
5.
Français, en guerriers magnanimes,
Portez ou retenez vos coups !
Epargnez ces tristes victimes,
A regret s'armant contre nous.
A regret s'armant contre nous.
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires,
Mais ces complices de Bouillé,
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié,
Déchirent le sein de leur mère !
6.
Amour sacré de la Patrie,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs !
Liberté, Liberté chérie,
Combats avec tes défenseurs !
Combats avec tes défenseurs !
Sous nos drapeaux, que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents !
Que tes ennemis expirants
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire !
7.
Nous entrerons dans la carrière
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus;
Nous y trouverons leur poussière
Et la trace de leurs vertus.
Et la trace de leurs vertus.
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre
Que de partager leur cercueil,
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil
De les venger ou de les suivre !
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ENGLISH
TRANSLATION
1.
Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's
Bloody standard is raised
Listen to the sound in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts
CHORUS:
To
arms citizens
Form you battalions
March, march
Let impure blood
Water our furrows
2.
What do they want this horde of slaves
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
For whom these vile chains
These long-prepared irons?
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What methods must be taken?
It is we they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!
3.
What! These foreign cohorts!
They would make laws in our courts!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brow would yield under the yoke
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny
4.
Tremble, tyrants and traitors
The shame of all good men
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward
Against you we are all soldiers
If they fall, our young heros
France will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you
5.
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare these sad victims
Who with regret are taking up arms against us
But not these bloody despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who pitilessly
Are ripping open their mothers' breasts
6.
Sacred Love for the Fatherland
Lead and support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished liberty
Join the struggle with your defenders
Under our flags, let victory
hasten to you virile (or manly) force
So that in death your enemies
See your triumph and our glory!
7.
We shall enter into the pit
When our elders will no longer be there
There we shall find their ashes
And the mark of their virtues
We are much less jealous of surviving them
Than of sharing their coffins
We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or joining them.
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History
of France
Click
on Emperor Charlemagne to access an excellent site hosted by the American
Embassy of France. Here you will find out about the History of France.
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The
School System in France
Click
on the picture to find out more about school in France.
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The
French Language.
French
is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It is spoken
by approximately
124 million people hailing from France (60 million), Québec,
Switzerland, Belgium, Haïti, French Guiana, Africa, Southwest
Asia, Monaco and French Polynesia. It is a latin language which means
that
it has the same roots as Italian, Spanish, Rumanian, Portuguese or
Catalan. Closest languages seem to be Italian, Occitan and Catalan.
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Did
you know you were speaking French?
The
following English words have been taken from the french language.
petite - beef - toast - gentle - pastry - sauce - tournament - grace
- encore
poetry - pork - mortgage - trespass - palace - Bon appetite - Bon Voyage
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Famous
French People
Click
on the links below to read about some famous French people
Napoléon
Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Louis
Pasteur (1822-95)
Louis
Braille (1809-1852)
Joseph
(1740-1810) and Jacques (1745-99) Montgolfier
Marie
(1867-1934) and Pierre (1859-1906) Curie
Ferdinand
de Lesseps (1805-94)
Gustave
Eiffel (1832-1923)
Alexandre
Dumas (1799-1850)
Antoine
de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944)
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Les
Fêtes
1st
January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'an)
2nd February - Fête de la Chandeleur (Pancake Day)
1st May Labor Day (Fête du premier mai)
8th May WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945; Fête
du huitième mai)
14th July Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
15th August Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
1st November All Saints Day (La Toussaint)
11th November Armistice Day (Jour d'armistice)
25th December Christmas Day (Noël)
26th December 2nd Day of Christmas (in Alsace and Lorraine only)
Bastille
Day
Mardi
Gras
Click
on the links to find out more about the famous french festivals
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