France in 10 Numbers
As told by an American
I visited France once — Paris to be exact.
It was 1999, and I remember spending a night in a cheap hostel with even cheaper wine. The next day, as I walked along the Seine River, appreciating beauty played second fiddle to contending with nausea.
I’ve come a long way since then, and here’s what I’ve learned — numbers style — about the country I “saw.”
1789
The year the French Revolution began, eventually resulting in the beheading of King Louis XVI and the establishment of the First Republic. A lot has happened since then — Napoleon, world wars, et cetera — and the country is apparently on its Fifth Republic.
68 million
The population of France (including overseas territories), good for 20th in the world.
$3.1 trillion
The nominal GDP of France, seventh-largest in the world. On a per-capita basis, the ranking falls to number 23.
12
The number of time zones in France, the most of any country. This feat owes itself, of course, to overseas possessions in or near South America, the Caribbean, Canada, Oceania, and the Indian Ocean.
