France, officially known as the French Republic, stands as a nation nestled primarily in Western Europe, boasting an extensive reach that encompasses overseas regions and territories across the Americas, the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. This unique geopolitical arrangement bestows upon France one of the world's most expansive and disjointed exclusive economic zones. The borders of Metropolitan France connect with Belgium and Luxembourg to the north, Germany to the northeast, Switzerland to the east, and Italy and Monaco to the southeast. To the south, it shares boundaries with Andorra and Spain, while a maritime boundary links it with the United Kingdom to the northwest. The metropolitan expanse of France stretches from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea.
Beyond its mainland, France holds various overseas territories, including French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and numerous islands scattered across Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Comprising eighteen integral regions, five of which are overseas, France's total expanse covers 643,801 square kilometers (248,573 square miles).
The island of Saint-Marguerite is the larger of the two Lérins Islands, rising out of the sea a kilometre south of the Croisette. The piece of land is small but incredibly beautiful. One episode of its history is familiar to everyone: it wa... read more
Khan-Al-Khalili is a large market in the Muslim neighbourhood of Cairo, one of the city's striking landmarks. The square that Khan-Al-Khalili occupies was originally the site of the Saffron Tomb mausoleum, the burial place of the Fatimid caliphs. Emir Al-Khalili ordered the destruction of the Fatimid cemetery in 1382 in order to build a large caravanserai. At that time, this was the central... read more
The Catholic Church of the Visitation in the Jerusalem suburb of Ein Karem is named after one of the most beautiful Gospel episodes - Mary's visit to Elizabeth.
read moreIn the heart of Athens, northwest of the Acropolis, lie the ruins of the Ancient Agora. During the period of ancient Greece (from about the beginning of the 6th century BC) it was the political, financial, administrative, cultural and religious ce... read more
