France

France is a country in western Europe that is formally known as the French Republic, French France, or République Française. France, one of the most important countries in the Western world historically and culturally, has also played a considerable role in international politics, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. France has historically served as a topographical, economic, and linguistic link between northern and southern Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Alps and Pyrenees. It is Europe’s largest agricultural producer and one of the world’s most powerful industrial nations. The climate in France is generally conducive to agriculture. The temperate zone includes the majority of France, although the subtropical zone encompasses its southern fringe. Oceanic influences are felt throughout France, which are mitigated by the North Atlantic Drift on the west and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The average annual temperature of Nice, on the Côte d’Azur, is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius), while Lille, on the northern border, is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). Westerly winds from the Atlantic bring the rain, which is marked by cyclonic depressions. At higher heights in western and northwestern France, the western Pyrenees, the Massif Central, and the Alps, and the Jura, annual precipitation exceeds 50 inches (1,270 mm). Eastern France, in particular, may be affected by the continental high-pressure system in the winter, which brings exceptionally cold conditions and temperature inversions over cities, when cold air is trapped beneath warmer air, resulting in fogs and urban smog. The climate of France can thus be divided into three broad zones: oceanic, continental, and Mediterranean, with minor variance in the Aquitaine Basin and the highlands.