The total population

Guided by the national motto: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (Liberté, égalité, fraternité, in French), France is one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world, while in the same time has the strongest cultural brand under the French language.

With an estimated population of 65.1 million people, France is the 19th most populous country in the world. France's largest cities are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Nice, and Nantes.

In 2003, France's natural population growth (excluding immigration) was responsible for almost all natural population growth in the European Union. In 2004, a total of 140,033 people immigrated to France. Of them, 90,250 were from Africa and 13,710 from Europe. In 2005, immigration level fell slightly to 135,890.

It is illegal for the French state to collect data on ethnicity and race, a law with its origins in the 1789 revolution and reaffirmed in the constitution of 1958. Nonetheless, France is an ethnically diverse nation with about six million North Africans and an estimated 2.5 million blacks. It is currently estimated that 40% of the French population descends from different waves of migrations. According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, it has an estimated 4.9 million foreign-born immigrants, of which 2 million have acquired French citizenship. France is the leading asylum destination in Western Europe.

A perennial political issue concerns rural depopulation. Over the period 1960–1999 fifteen rural départements experienced a decline in population

According to Article 2 of the Constitution, French is the sole official language of France since 1992. This makes France the only Western European nation to have only one officially recognized language. However, 77 regional languages are also spoken, in metropolitan France as well as in the overseas departments and territories. Until recently, the French government and state school system discouraged the use of any of these languages, but they are now taught to varying degrees at some schools. Other languages, such as Portuguese, Italian, Maghrebi Arabic and several Berber languages are spoken by immigrants.

Cultural Crossroads Tours of France at a Glance

• Gardens and Gastronomy in France
  

  This “colorful and tasty” program has been designed especially for Cultural Crossroads travelers who are particularly interested in discovering the secrets of French cuisine and some of the most interesting gardens including many private gardens not normally opened to the public. Cultural Crossroads travelers will enjoy a cooking demonstration by a well-known Chef, wine and olive oil tastings, and a private visit to a Renaissance castle which is now a private residence. We also visit a workshop that creates Provencal fabrics, a glass blowing museum, the impressive estate and winery of Val Joanis, and a class with a perfume expert in her laboratory in one of the most famous perfume factories of Grasse. Of course, every day will include local French cuisine.

• Treasures of Art in the Loire Chateaux Country
  

  Amboise will be our home for 6 nights, a perfect location in the heart of the Loire Valley, which is often referred to as the center of the French “Art de Vivre” because of its long tradition of elegant chateaux and delicious food. Cultural Crossroads travelers will follow our expert study leader, from castle to castle from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the 18th and 19th century, we will discover treasures of art, exceptional parks and gardens, arts and crafts of the region and enter the fascinating history of the châteaux country.