France
Subject
Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
Scope Note: Area inhabited by Lower Paleolithic; Celt-speaking Gauls dominated by 5th century BCE; part of Roman Empire 125 BCE-5th century, then under Frankish influence; lost land to England 12th-16th centuries; monarchy fell in Revolution 1792; recurring expansion 16-19th centuries; official language is French, though Provençal, Breton, Flemish, Catalan, Corsican, Basque, and Germanic regional patois are also spoken.