Factbook
History of France — Timeline
Key dates in the history of France, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1789Independence: no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established).
1958Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations.
1999In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999.
2009France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO.
2021Languages: French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard) Religions: Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.) Urban population: 81.8% of total population (2023).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 63.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 10.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 10.8% of total insta Energy use: 123.526 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism Agriculture: wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, sunflower seeds (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023) high-income, advanced EU economy and eurozone member; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via "France 2030" strategy Inflation: 2% (2024 est.).
2025Military spending: 2.1% of GDP (2025 est.).
2025Population: 68.5 million (2025 estimate).
