France's borders have been revised countless times over the past few centuries. The main factors influencing the state borders of this country were revolutions and wars. However, some adjustments also took place in a peaceful voluntary manner.
French territory
With a length of 950 kilometers from north to south, the French Republic is one of the largest states of foreign Europe, but still occupies a smaller territory than the European part of Russia. The area of the republic is 550,500 square kilometers, and together with overseas possessions, 640,679 square kilometers.
In addition to the actual European territory, France has possessions in other parts of the world, inherited from the colonial empire. Mostly overseas possessions are located on the islands, the only exception is Guiana, which is the largest overseas department and is located in South America.
Including the territory of overseas possessions, France ranks second in terms of area in Europe, excluding them - the third.
French borders
The current state of affairs, in which intra-European borders have become a convention, has developed quite recently. However, the republic itself, being one of the founding countries of the European Union, made every effort to ensure that the land border of France became transparent and safe.
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy established the European Union on March 25, 1957, ushering in a new era in European politics, economics and security.
However, real progress in European integration was achieved in 1985, when the participating countries, with the exception of Italy, signed the Schengen Agreement, which significantly simplified passport and visa procedures at the borders of countries. For 2018, twenty-six countries are signatories to the Schengen Agreement, but not all of them are members of the European Union.
France and neighbors
In Europe, France has common borders with eight countries:
- Spain;
- Belgium;
- Switzerland;
- Italy;
- Germany;
- Luxembourg;
- Andorra;
- Monaco.
France is separated from Great Britain by the English Channel, under which a tunnel for railway communication passes.
In addition, overseas territories expand the list of countries that have land borders with France to include Brazil, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. The longest of all borders is the borderFrench Guiana with Brazil. Its length exceeds 730 kilometers, which is 107 kilometers more than the Franco-Spanish border.
Border with Spain
The border between France and Spain is 623 kilometers long, stretching along the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Franco-Spanish border runs through the hard-to-reach, but very picturesque regions of the Pyrenean mountain ranges. Despite the fact that the border is quite long, land links between the two historically close countries through the Pyrenees are very difficult, since there are only a small number of passes and narrow paths in the mountains. This geographical feature of the region allowed the indigenous people to maintain significant autonomy from their large neighbors for many centuries.
Between Spain and France lies the small principality of Andorra, with which both countries share common borders. The border between France and Andorra is only 56 kilometers long.
Border with Germany
France and Germany have a long history together and a very difficult relationship full of conflicts, alliances, wars and unique examples of cooperation. The current border between France and Germany is 451 kilometers long, but its current line was only determined in 1918.
The key regions for understanding the dynamics of relations between France and Germany are modernAlsace and Lorraine, finally included in France only at the end of the First World War. The imperial state of Alsace-Lorraine became part of Prussia in 1871 as a result of the Franco-German War. However, already in 1918, taking advantage of the unrest in the German Empire and the First World War, the Alsatians proclaimed the Soviet Republic of Alsace, which, however, lasted only twelve days from November 10, 1918 to November 22, 1918. Since then, these lands have finally become part of the French Republic.
Other borders of France
The border between France and Belgium appeared in 1830, when an independent kingdom was created on the territory of the former Austrian Netherlands, which received its name in honor of the ancient Celtic Belg tribe, who inhabited the territory of modern Belgium at the beginning of our era.
Since Belgium was one of the founding countries of the European Union, the two countries have long-standing friendly ties, and the border between them is transparent and only occasionally police checks are arranged on it.
Another important French border is the Italian-French border, which runs through the picturesque Alps and down to the Mediterranean Sea. The two countries have such a long history of relations that it’s scary to think, because they were once part of one huge Roman Empire. As a result of such a long interaction, the languages of these countries belong to the same family, and the peoples actively interact, making economic and cultural exchanges.
Today there is no customs andborder control. The countries are connected by long-standing rail and bus routes, and road and air transport is also actively used.
