France

This true-color Aqua MODIS image of France was acquired January 24, 2003. Also visible are England (top left), Belgium (top right), the Netherlands (top right corner), and Spain (bottom). The Mediterranean Sea occupies the bottom right corner. Aldo while the Bay of Biscay (left) and the English Channel (top) form France’s western and northern shores. The city of Paris is visible as a large gray smudge just to the left of the east-pointing column of clouds on the upper right side of the image.

France, is a sovereign state whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe. Also  several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea.  And therefore from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south.

The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country’s 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.02 million (as of July 2019). Also France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris. Also the country’s largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.

Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC