France is a country in Western Europe with Paris as its capital. Around 67 million people live in an area of just over 600,000 square kilometres, making France the largest country in the Schengen area. Its natural borders are with the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It also shares borders with Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Andorra and Monaco. France is a beautiful country with many cultural treasures. Not to mention the French cuisine with wine, coq au vin and the famous baguettes.
A brief history of France
The first traces of human settlements in France date back to the Paleolithic period. Little is known about this period and it is not significant for the later development of the state.
Present-day France came into being in the 5th century AD, when the Franks conquered the country. Charlemagne expanded the country and introduced Christianity.
But it was not until the 14th century that the country became one of the most important cultural centres in Europe. Kings Philip VI and Charles V in particular expanded the country. France took an active part in the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War from 1635 and regained much of its territory in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. However, the costly wars later led to national bankruptcy.
An important event in the country's history was the French Revolution of 1789, which aimed to liberate the country from absolutist rule, but unfortunately its successes were soon reversed and chaos and anarchy reigned. At the end of the 19th century, France even had an emperor again. Napoleon Bonaparte waged war on much of Europe and even invaded Russia, where he was badly defeated. After Napoleon, other emperors ruled until the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, which France lost.
France was attacked by Germany in both the First and Second World Wars. In the First World War, France fought on the side of the Allies. In the Second World War, Germany occupied France until it was finally liberated by the Allies.
After the Second World War, France played an important role in building a united Germany as a founding member of the European Union.
The French political system
France has a semi-presidential system of government. The executive is very powerful, while the legislature is relatively weak. The most powerful man in the state is the President. The affairs of state are run by the Prime Minister, who reports to the President.
Parliament has two chambers. The National Assembly has 577 members, who are directly elected by popular vote every five years. The Senate has 348 members, elected for six years. They are elected indirectly by the members of the National Assembly or by representatives of local authorities.
The French legal system is hierarchical. Judgments are handed down in the first instance, then to a court of appeal and finally to the highest court, the Court of Cassation. However, the Court of Cassation does not have the power to pass judgement. It only examines whether there has been a procedural error or whether the judgement is unlawful.
How to enter France with ETIAS
Entering France with ETIAS is simple. The application itself is valid for three years, so it can be submitted some time before you travel. As ETIAS is not expected to be available to the public until 2024, much is still speculation. However, as the system is closely based on the US ESTA, it is likely that ETIAS will work in a similar way.
The application form can only be completed online. However, those without a PC or internet connection need not despair, as friends, acquaintances or agencies can also fill in the application.A passport will probably need to be uploaded. You will need to take a photo of the front of your passport. This is best done with a mobile phone, as the pictures can then be easily sent and shared. The system will probably also take the data, but the traveller will still need to check it as errors can creep in.
It is important that the data in the passport matches the data in the ETIAS application. Mismatches often lead to rejection. The error is not always noticed during the approval process. Often the error is only discovered when crossing the border. While travellers can still apply for an ETIAS at the airport, there is no guarantee that this will happen once the plane is on the ground.
ETIAS makes France safer
Europe, including France, has been the scene of repeated terrorist attacks in recent years. Many terrorists have entered the Schengen area by air. The new ETIAS procedure is designed to prevent this. It takes only a few minutes to complete and in most cases only one or two hours to obtain authorisation. By completing the form and checking it against several databases, criminals and terrorists can be identified at an early stage and prevented from entering the country. This benefits both the inhabitants of the Schengen area and the travellers themselves.
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France is a country in Western Europe with Paris as its capital. Around 67 million people live in an area of just over 600,000 square kilometres, making France the largest country in the Schengen area. Its natural borders are with the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It also shares borders with Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Andorra and Monaco. France is a beautiful country with many cultural treasures. Not to mention the French cuisine with wine, coq au vin and the famous baguettes.
A brief history of France
The first traces of human settlements in France date back to the Paleolithic period. Little is known about this period and it is not significant for the later development of the state.
Present-day France came into being in the 5th century AD, when the Franks conquered the country. Charlemagne expanded the country and introduced Christianity.
But it was not until the 14th century that the country became one of the most important cultural centres in Europe. Kings Philip VI and Charles V in particular expanded the country. France took an active part in the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War from 1635 and regained much of its territory in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. However, the costly wars later led to national bankruptcy.
An important event in the country's history was the French Revolution of 1789, which aimed to liberate the country from absolutist rule, but unfortunately its successes were soon reversed and chaos and anarchy reigned. At the end of the 19th century, France even had an emperor again. Napoleon Bonaparte waged war on much of Europe and even invaded Russia, where he was badly defeated. After Napoleon, other emperors ruled until the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, which France lost.
France was attacked by Germany in both the First and Second World Wars. In the First World War, France fought on the side of the Allies. In the Second World War, Germany occupied France until it was finally liberated by the Allies.
After the Second World War, France played an important role in building a united Germany as a founding member of the European Union.
The French political system
France has a semi-presidential system of government. The executive is very powerful, while the legislature is relatively weak. The most powerful man in the state is the President. The affairs of state are run by the Prime Minister, who reports to the President.
Parliament has two chambers. The National Assembly has 577 members, who are directly elected by popular vote every five years. The Senate has 348 members, elected for six years. They are elected indirectly by the members of the National Assembly or by representatives of local authorities.
The French legal system is hierarchical. Judgments are handed down in the first instance, then to a court of appeal and finally to the highest court, the Court of Cassation. However, the Court of Cassation does not have the power to pass judgement. It only examines whether there has been a procedural error or whether the judgement is unlawful.
How to enter France with ETIAS
Entering France with ETIAS is simple. The application itself is valid for three years, so it can be submitted some time before you travel. As ETIAS is not expected to be available to the public until 2024, much is still speculation. However, as the system is closely based on the US ESTA, it is likely that ETIAS will work in a similar way.
The application form can only be completed online. However, those without a PC or internet connection need not despair, as friends, acquaintances or agencies can also fill in the application.A passport will probably need to be uploaded. You will need to take a photo of the front of your passport. This is best done with a mobile phone, as the pictures can then be easily sent and shared. The system will probably also take the data, but the traveller will still need to check it as errors can creep in.
It is important that the data in the passport matches the data in the ETIAS application. Mismatches often lead to rejection. The error is not always noticed during the approval process. Often the error is only discovered when crossing the border. While travellers can still apply for an ETIAS at the airport, there is no guarantee that this will happen once the plane is on the ground.
ETIAS makes France safer
Europe, including France, has been the scene of repeated terrorist attacks in recent years. Many terrorists have entered the Schengen area by air. The new ETIAS procedure is designed to prevent this. It takes only a few minutes to complete and in most cases only one or two hours to obtain authorisation. By completing the form and checking it against several databases, criminals and terrorists can be identified at an early stage and prevented from entering the country. This benefits both the inhabitants of the Schengen area and the travellers themselves.