France holds territory in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans, giving it the second largest maritime zone in the world. The metric system was defined here in the 1790s.
France role in the Francophone world
France plays a leading—but not controlling—role in the Francophone world. It hosts the International Organisation of La Francophonie’s headquarters in Paris and supplies about 40 percent of the OIF’s budget, the largest single share. France was one of the founders in 1970, yet formal power is now (2025) shared among 88 member states and governments, which make decisions by consensus. Projections suggest that about 80 percent of French speakers will live in Africa by 2050, giving African nations a stronger voice in future policies.
metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral; French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation; Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November); Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
