Did you know that the French invented the hot air balloon and the parachute? Today we will be looking into 7 interesting facts about France.

1. France is popular among tourists

In 2016, France had 82.6 million international visitors, which was 7 million more visitors than both the USA and Spain.

The main attractions are Paris, Disneyland, French Riviera, Alsace, and the lovely wine regions.

2. The French created several famous inventions 

Inventions such as the hot air balloon, pasteurizer, stethoscope, and the parachute, which have changed the world, were actually invented by the French.

The cell phone camera was also first developed by the French, called Philippe Kahn, back in 1997.

3. France is the first country who prevented supermarkets from throwing away or burning unsold food

Back in 2016, France was the first country in the world to ban supermarkets and food stores from throwing away or burning unsold food. Since then, all redundant food must be donated.

4. The Guillotine was the official execution method until the death penalty was abolished

The guillotine was one of the official methods to execute people until the death penalty was abolished in 1981. The last execution with a guillotine in France happened in 1977 after a man from Tunisia named Hamida Djandoubi was sentenced to torture and later death.

5. France is the biggest country in the EU

Based on the measurement of the land area, France is the biggest country in the EU, and the second biggest country in Europe if you don’t count Russia. Ukraine is bigger but is yet to become a member of the European Union. And the majority of Russia is located in Asia.

Hopefully, this article could help you learn more about France before you plan a trip to France.

La fin [aka The end]