The French Republic, largest of the West European nation, has an area of 220,668 sq. mi. (547,026 sq. km.) and a population of 60 million. Capital: Paris. Agriculture, manufacturing and tourism are the most important elements of France?s diversified economy. Textiles and clothing, iron and steel products, machinery and transportation equipment, agricultural products and wine are exported. ,France, the Gaul of ancient times, emerged from the Renaissance as a modern centralized national state which reached its national state which reached its zenith during the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715) when it became an absolute monarchy and the foremost power in Europe. Although his reign marks the golden age of French culture, the domestic abuses and extravagance of Louis XIV plunged France into a series of costly wars. This, along with a system of special privileges granted the nobility and other favored groups, weakened the monarchy, brought France to bankruptcy ? and laid the way for the French Revolution of 1789-94 that shook Europe and affected the whole world.,, ,The monarchy was abolished and the First Republic formed in 1793. The new government fell in 1799 to a coup led by Napoleon Bonaparte who, after declaring himself First Consul for life, had himself proclaimed emperor of France and king of Italy. Napoleon?s military victories made him master of much of Europe, but his disastrous Russian campaign of 1812 initiated a series of defeats that led to his abdication in 1814 and exile to the island of Elba. The monarchy was briefly restored under Louis XVII. Napoleon returned to France in March 1815, but his efforts to regain power were totally crushed at the Battle of Waterloo. He was exiled to the island of St. Helena where he died in 1821.,, ,The monarchy under Louis XVII was again restored in 1815, but the ultra reactionary regime of Charles X (1824-30) was overthrown by a liberal revolution and Louis Philippe of Orleans replaced him as monarch. The monarchy was ousted by the Revolution of 1848 and the Second Republic proclaimed. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon I) was elected president of the Second Republic. He was proclaimed emperor in 1852. As Napoleon III, he has France two decades of prosperity under a stable, autocratic regime, but led it to defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, after which the Third Republic was established.,, ,The Third Republic endured until 1940 and ended with the capitulation of France to the swiftly maneuvering German forces. Marshal Henri Petain formed a puppet government that sued for peace and ruled unoccupied France from Vichy. Meanwhile, General Charles de Gaulle escaped to London where he formed a wartime government in exile and the Free French army. Charles de Gaulle?s provisional exile government was officially recognized by the Allies after the liberation of Paris in 1944, and de Gaulle, who had been serving as head of the provisional government, was formally elected to that position. In October 1945, the people overwhelmingly rejected a return to the prewar government, thus paving the way for the formation of the Fourth Republic.,, ,Charles de Gaulle was unanimously elected president of the Fourth Republic, but resigned in January 1946 when leftists withdrew their support. In actual operation, the Fourth Republic was remarkably like the Third, with the National Assembly the focus of power. The later years of the Fourth Republic were marked by a burst of industrial expansion unmatched in modern French history. The growth rate, however, was marred by a nagging inflationary trend that weakened the franc and undermined the competitive posture of France?s export trade. This and the Algerian conflict led to the recall of de Gaulle to power, the adoption of a new constitution vesting strong powers in executive, and establishment in 1958 of the current Fifth Republic.,, Rulers:,,, ,Louis XIV, 1643-1715 ,Louis XV, 1715-74 ,Louis XVI, 1774-93 ,First Republic, 1793-93, L?An 2 ,Directory, 1795-99 ,Consulate, 1799-1803, L?An 8-11 ,Napoleon as Consul, 1799-1804 ,Napoleon I as Emperor, 1804-1814 ,(First Restoration) ,Louis XVIII, 1814-15 ,Napoleon I, 1815 ,(Second Restoration) ,Louis XVIII, 1815-24 ,Charles X, 1824-30 ,Louis Philippe, 1830-48 ,Second Republic, 1848-52 ,Napoleon III, 1852-70,,,,,, Monetary System: ,,,,,,, ,French Denominations,,,,,, ,1 Un,,,13 Treize,,,125 Cent Vingt-Cinq ,2 Deux,,,14 Quatorze,,,200 Deux Cents ,3 Trois,,,15 Quinze,,,250 Deux Cents Cinquante ,4 Quarte,,16 Seize,,,300 Trois Cents, ,5 Cinq,,,20 Vingt,,,400 Quatre Cents ,6 Six,,,25 Ving-Cinq,,,500 Cinq Cents ,7-Sep,,,30 Trente,,,750 Sept Cent Cinquante ,8 Huit,,,40 Quarante,,,1000 Mile ,9 Neuf,,,10 Cinquante,,,2000 Deux Mile ,10 Dix,,,80 Quatre-Vingts,,5000 Cinq Mile, ,11 Onze,,90 Quatre-Vingts-Dix,,10,000 Dix Mile,, ,12 Douze,,100 Cent