Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

France, formally known as the French Republic, is a Western European country, whose territory consists of both metropolitan France and several overseas regions. Territories included are French Guiana and several islands located in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. During the Ice Age, France was inhabited by the Celtic Gauls. In 51 BC, Rome annexed this area until 476, when Germanic Franks formed the Kingdom of Francia. In 843, France was divided into regions. West Francia then became the Kingdom of France and by 987 was emerging as a world power following victory during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453). Renaissance France brought culture, science while the arts flourished. in the16th century, France was dominated by religious civil wars between the Catholics and the Protestants. In the late 18th century, the people revolted against the monarchy headed by Louis XIV. After the French Revolution, France then established one of the earliest republics in history and officially became a country on July 14, 1789. The First French Empire was lead by Napoleon in the 19th century, during which the Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of the European continent. France is listed as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.