So now that you've read the obvious facts about France here are some facts you may find interesting.
- Here in Australia when we great a friend or family member, we give them a hug or a handshake. However in France the tradition is a little different, they greet each other with kisses on the cheek. The amount of kisses vary depending on where in France you live, so may only give 1 kiss however other places give up to five kisses!
- Marie Antoinette never actually said "Let them eat cake", in fact it was really said by Maria-Theresa the wife of Louis XIV and she actually said "Let them eat brioche" which is a rich type of bread.
- The most popular sports in France are soccer, ruby union and rugby league, though European handball and basketball are also quite common sports.
- French females have the highest and males have the third longest life expectancy in the European Region.
- The word France comes from the name "Frank", a Germanic tribe that founded the first independent kingdom covering most of the France we know today.
Stereotypes:
- The French are rude: This is the biggest stereotype about the French, as the French are apparently some of the most friendly and helpful people around. If you put in the effort to learn some common French terms and culture before you go there, they will be nice to you so long as you at least try to speak some French.
- French women don't shave: This stereotype has come from previous generations of French females. In today's France the women have great style and are highly groomed.
- All French people smoke: This stereotype is understandable as a large amount of the French do smoke but there are still quite a couple who don't. In the last couple years France has even been trying to become more friendly to non smokers by putting bans on smoking in certain locations so non smokers aren't forced to second hand smoke when they go out.
- Everything in France is expensive: This is definitely not true in fact in the 2011 most expensive city survey Sydney was ranked 14 and Paris being the most expensive country in France is was only 27th. Yes there are going to be places in France that are highly expensive but its much like here in Sydney, you just need to know where to shop. For instance, instead of eating at the hotel go out to the bakery, stay at a three star hotel instead of a four star one.
