Lng||sh Ass|gnment

Group 1Irance
1Cherlen Marqueenskhy/3
2ChryssanLo S Abadl/6
3Lvan !enlko/8
4Pendl ?uda/9
31heresa SusanLo/19































|story Cf Irance
The history of France goes back to the arrival oI the earliest human being in what is now
France. Members oI the genus Homo entered the area hundreds oI thousands years ago, while the
Iirst modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago. A number oI
important archaeological sites have been discovered in the country, testiIying to continuous
habitation by modern humans Irom the Upper Palaeolithic.
According to John T. Koch and others, France in the Late Bronze Age was part oI a maritime
trading-networked culture called the Atlantic Bronze Age that also included Ireland, Britain,
Spain and Portugal where Celtic languages developed.
The Iirst historical records appear in the Iron Age, when what is now France made up the bulk oI
the region known as Gaul to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Greek and Roman writers noted the
presence oI three main ethno-linguistic groups in the area, the Gauls, the Aquitani, and the
Belgae. The Gauls, the largest and best attested group, were a Celtic people speaking what is
known as the Gaulish language. Over the course oI the Iirst millennium BC the Greeks, Romans,
and Carthaginians established colonies on the Mediterranean coast and the oIIshore islands. The
Roman Republic annexed southern Gaul as the province oI Gallia Narbonensis in the late 2nd
century BC, and Roman Iorces under Julius Caesar conquered the rest oI Gaul in the Gallic Wars
oI 5851 BC. AIterwards a Gallo-Roman culture emerged and Gaul was increasingly integrated
into the Roman Empire.
In the later stages oI the Roman Empire, Gaul was subject to barbarian raids and migration, most
importantly by the Germanic Franks. The Frankish king Clovis I united most oI Gaul under his
rule in the late 5th century, setting the stage Ior Frankish dominance in the region Ior hundreds oI
years. Frankish power reached its Iullest extent under Charlemagne. The medieval Kingdom oI
France emerged out oI the western part oI Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire, known as West
Francia, and achieved increasing prominence under the rule oI the House oI Capet, Iounded by
Hugh Capet in 987. A succession crisis Iollowing the death oI the last Capetian monarch in 1337
led to the series oI conIlicts known as the Hundred Years War between the House oI Valois and
the House oI Plantagenet. The wars ended with a Valois victory in 1453, solidiIying the power oI
the Ancien Regime as a highly centralized absolute monarchy. During the next centuries, France
experienced the Renaissance and the Protestant ReIormation, as well as recurring religious
conIlicts and wars with other powers. In the late 18th century the monarchy and associated
institutions were overthrown in the French Revolution, which Iorever changed French and world
history. The country was governed Ior a period as a Republic, until the French Empire was
declared by Napoleon Bonaparte. Following Napoleon's deIeat in the Napoleonic Wars France
went through several Iurther regime changes, being ruled as a monarchy, then brieIly as a
republic, and then as a Second Empire, until a more lasting Third French Republic was
established in 1870.
France was one oI the Triple Entente powers in World War I, Iighting alongside the United
Kingdom, Russia, and their allies against the Central Powers. It was one oI the Allied Powers in
World War II, but was conquered by Nazi Germany within two months. The Third Republic was
dismantled, and most oI the country was controlled directly by the Axis Powers, while the south
was controlled by the collaborationist Vichy government. Following liberation, a Fourth
Republic was established; this was succeeded by the French FiIth Republic in 1958, the country's
current government. AIter the war decolonization saw most oI the French colonial empire
become independent, while other parts were incorporated into the French state as overseas
departments and collectivities. Since World War II France has been a leading member in the UN,
the European Union and NATO, and remains a strong economic, cultural, military and political
inIluence in the 21st century.
,ean|ng Cf Irance I|ag

The Ilag is known as the French tricolour, because oI its three colours: blue, white and red. These
are the national colours oI France. The blue represents the power oI inIluence that France has
had over other countries. The white means peace and purity. The red is a symbol oI the
bloodshed that must be lost in honour oI the country.
During the Middle Ages, the Ilag oI Saint-Denis (red with three spikes) was used. The three
colours appeared together as ribbons on a banner oIIered in 796 by the Pope Leo III to
Charlemagne. In those times, the blue represented the church, the white was the colour oI the
virgins and the red was a symbol oI homage paid to Chistian martyrs.
These three colours were later used on diIIerent coat oI arms and the kings were represented and
painted wearing these colours. When the Revolution came, the red and the blue were the oIIicial
colours oI Paris and the white was the colour oI France. It was then that the current Ilag was
created and Iinally adopted in 1794.
Nat|ona| Anatomy
First, a little deIinitional exercise... what is a patron? I'll take a shot at this, but as usual I expect
some help Iilling in the blanks. One thing a patron is not: a guy who wins a lot. Or, what I mean
is, he's not merely a winner. Winning a lot, speciIically winning the maillot jaune multiple times,
is merely the initial requirement. Sort oI like having some cash beIore you can qualiIy Ior a
mortgage. Wait, bad example...
Becoming Le Patron requires a rider to take on such a stature that he has some level oI dictatorial
control over the race. Not just his team, but other teams too. And by dictatorial I mean, oh,
maybe not quite Stalin-esque, there may be room Ior benevolent dictatorship, but usually we're
talking raw power, exerted enough to dissuade many more challenges. In Slaying the Badger,
Richard Moore's new book on Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond, which I am devouring like
caviar, slowly and deliciously, Hinault speaks oI his dictatorial style. II he wanted something
done -- namely, a slow pace on a day when the top guys wanted to save their energy -- and
someone deIied him, he would get on the Iront and rip everyone's legs oII. Because he could do
this, Hinault was regarded as a patron, and in many eyes he was the last.
So, dictatorial control. Over a bunch oI guys who don't work Ior you, and whose job it is to bury
you iI possible. Hinault's supernatural giIt Ior out-suIIering people gave him some measure oI
control. Being unquestionably better than others is a big part oI patron-hood: until they so Iear
you that they'll go out oI their way not to upset you, you aren't the patron. This brings up another
element, the psychological edge. Hinault was very blunt, and quick to snuII out anyone who
crossed him. So was Miguel Indurain a patron then? The Mig Era is a blank Ior me, but my sense
is that he was a nice guy, and didn't really act the part oI the dictator. He was too at peace, too
secure. II anything deIines dictators, it's insecurity. Anquetil, oI whom I know little, may not
have been insecure, but he did have an edge to him. For patron-hood, that'll do, I suspect.
The next Iactor I think has to do with respect inside the peloton. Lance Armstrong used his team
to demolish opponents, and he himselI targeted the trolls among the peloton at times. Sounds like
a patron. But it's pretty arguable as to whether he had that internal respect, the consent oI the
governed. He deIinitely had star quality, and as he went along in his career he exerted more and
more inIluence over people. But he was rash at times, and this is a problem. Hinault, by contrast,
acted decently toward most or all oI the peloton as long as they didn't take him on. He even stood
up Ior rider rights, a key toward winning that respect, on a more human level (as opposed to
respect Ior your riding abilities). Lance was absent Ior long stretches. I don't think guys respect
you when you're training in TeneriIe and they're slogging through sleet in Paris-Nice.
The last Iactor I can name is another problem Ior Lance: public recognition. I list it last because
the public's love won't save you in the Tour iI the riders are out to stop you, but it certainly has
some inIluence over how things go. Take Armstrong. I'll skip the dopage stuII, since that was liIe
in cycling back then and Lance's problems didn't really blow up until he stopped in 2005. But
Lance squandered a lot oI public approval when he chased down Filippo Simeoni himselI. It was
an ugly incident, since Simeoni was a whistleblower, and Ior ugly incidents you may have to
carry them out, that's liIe as a power broker. But ask any politician -- iI it's truly ugly, you get
someone else to do it. Now history will rank Simeoni as someone who stood up to power,
something that wouldn't have happened iI he could have been quietly demolished.
***
OK, Contador's case. On the bike I don't get the sense that he has enemies he destroys, or rivals
he controls. He just wins. Like Indurain, he doesn't act the part oI the Patron, per se. Futile or
not, he gets attacked, like the Arenberg stage last year. II Hinault were attacked on such a stage,
he would have hit back, to prove that it was unwise to even perceive him as having weaknesses,
let alone try to exploit them.
Contador's next big problem is the Clen case. IMHO his transgression is overblown compared to
the blowback, but things have been made worse by the Spanish Fed's sweeping under the rug oI
the case, and Contador's Iailure to own it. He really is legitimate, I think, so it's a shame that his
legitimacy has taken the hit it has. Smart plan would have been to accept some penalty, own it
and make it go away. But dragging it across the Giro and now the Tour has been bad Ior cycling,
and a Patron cannot be seen as hurting the sport.
The Iinal problem Ior Contador, IMHO, is simply the era. It's easy to be the big Iish in a small
pond, but the sport has expanded and there is so much more talent than there was 25 years ago.
There is money invested in training, science, equipment and other advantages, around the world.
There are more Ians Irom more countries, supporting their own challengers to the throne. As
great as Contador may be, the sport is simply not as controllable anymore. II he's not the Parton,
then nobody really is, and may never be again.
@our|sm Cb[ect
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Nat|ona||ty Iood
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@rad|t|ona| Danc|ng
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ln Lhe SouLh (near MedlLerranean Sea) LarenLelle farandole

Cu|ture
Identification. French national identity is based on the historical origins oI the nation in Celtic,
Gallo-Roman, and Frankish cultures. The name "France" originally was used to reIer to several
peoples in the lower Rhineland. It gradually was introduced as a more widespread term to denote
that territory, Iormerly known as Gaul, aIter the Frankish invasion and the retreat oI the Romans.
The name "Francia" was applied to various territorial units until the Middle Ages, when it came
to signiIy the kingdom oI the French sovereign. Regional identities, such as Provencal and
Breton have coexisted with political units oI state control. The degree to which France is today a
homogeneous nation is a highly contested topic. Political and linguistic uniIication, especially
through mass education, has been an ongoing project oI nationalism. The immigrant population
comes mainly Irom Portugal and northern AIrica, although there has been increasing
immigration Irom eastern Europe. France takes a highly assimilationist approach to its immigrant
populations. The social position oI Beurs (the children oI North AIrican immigrants) is an
ongoing issue. The population is divided by social class, political party aIIiliation, generation,
ethnicity, and region. Having had a signiIicant rural population well into the twentieth century,
the country continues to be marked by a rural-urban split.
Location and Geography. The French oIten reIer to their nation as a hexagon to describe its six-
sided shape, and this term is also a symbol Ior the country. Metropolitan France has an area oI
over 200,000 square miles (518,000 square kilometers), making it the largest Western European
nation. It covers 5 percent oI the European continent. Paris is the capital and cultural center, long
dominating the rest oI the nation. The older provinces, now reconIigured in what are oIIicially
called regions, have played an important role in the nation's history. There are currently twenty-
two regions. The French Republic includes Iour overseas departments ( departements d' outre-
mer DOMs): French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion. These DOMs operate
primarily as departments within the national system. There are two territorial collectives:
Mayotte and Saint Pierre-et-Miquelon. Overseas territories ( territoires d'outre-mer ) include
French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis, and Futuna.
France borders Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, and
Switzerland. While tied to the mainland oI Europe, the country is open to the Atlantic to the
west. It also has coasts on the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the English Channel to the
north. France has a large range oI terrain and a varied climate and geography. The major
mountain ranges are the Alps in the east and the Pyrenees in the southwest. Each Iorms a natural
boundary with other nations. The MassiI Central is a large mountainous plateau in the central
area, which includes the ancient volcanoes oI the Auvergne region. While most oI the country is
in a temperate zone, the Mediterranean area is considered to have a subtropical climate. The Iour
main rivers are the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne, and the Rhne. The winds that sweep across
the territory have regional names and are connected to regional identity, the most Iamous being
le Mistral in the Rhne valley.
Demography. In 1999, the population was 58,518,748. France has a low population density
compared to other countries in Western Europe. In an attempt to keep the population up, Iamily
allowances are given to each Iamily per child, with no income restriction
Linguistic Affiliation. The oIIicial language is French, which is by Iar the majority language,
having been imposed on the regional populations since the nineteenth century. Regional
languages and dialects such as Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Basque, Alsatian, and Flemish are still
in use, and some are taught in regional schools. The law oI 11 January 1951 permitted the
teaching oI regional languages in regions in which they were in use. The most recent update oI
national language policy regarding education came in 1995, permitting the teaching oI regional
languages at the primary and secondary levels. In all cases, this is voluntary Ior pupils.
The nation historically has been divided into two linguistic regions: that oI the langue d'oeil to
the north and that oI the langue d'oc to the south. National identity is closely identiIied with the
French language. The purity oI the language is oIIicially protected by the Academie Franaise
established by Cardinal Richelieu in the seventeenth century, whose Iorty members rule over the
inclusion oI new words in the language. In 1966, the government instituted a Iurther saIeguard
by establishing a commission on the French language whose role is to discourage borrowings
Irom English and Iranglais (the combination oI the two languages). The Toubon law oI 1994
mandates that French be spoken in all oIIicial, public spheres oI liIe. The French state also has
played a role in the protection oI global Irancophonie. Then president Franois Mitterrand
established the Haut Conseil de la Francophonie in 1984, which sponsors summit meetings
among French-speaking countries.
$ymbolism. Numerous national symbols are associated with the French Revolution, which
established the nation as a democratic republic at the end oI the eighteenth century. They were
Iurther reinIorced during the Third Republic at the turn oI the twentieth century. Known as the
tricoleur, the Ilag is blue, white, and red. White is associated with monarchy, red with the
republic, and blue with Charlemagne, Clovis, and other early rulers. La Marseillaise became the
oIIicial national anthem in 1946. It was written in Strasbourg in 1792 but became associated with
Marseille when troops Irom that city entered Paris singing it on 30 July 1792. It was an important
rallying song during the First Republic but was not used on oIIicial occasions again until the
Third Republic. The Gallic rooster ( le coq gaulois ) became associated with the nation during
the Renaissance. It was used at Iirst as a royal symbol but during the revolution came to stand Ior
the identity oI the nation. Used variously over time and sometimes associated with the Iigure oI
Liberty or Marianne, the rooster came to be known as a symbol oI the nation during World War
I. Today it is oIten used by sports teams.
Marianne is a symbol oI the republic as a motherland and stands Ior the rallying cry oI "liberty,
equality, Iraternity." Marianne became an oIIicial national symbol during the Third Republic,
although this Iemale Iigure developed out oI Iemale symbols dating back to the revolutionary
period. There are multiple ways oI depicting this Iigure. Statues and images have portrayed
Marianne as wearing a helmet and at other times the Phrygian bonnet; during the Third Republic,
she began to be seen wearing a crown oI ripe wheat. Since the nineteenth century, mayors have
commissioned a sculpture oI Marianne Ior their town halls. Now these busts depict popular
models, the Iirst oI whom was Brigitte Bardot. The most recent model, chosen in 1999 aIter
much discussion and debate, is the actress Laetitia Casta.