Questions and Answers about
France
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in PlacesWhere is New Caledonia?
Answer: New Caledonia, a French territory located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, has been in the news recently due to significant unrest. On May 15, 2024, France declared a state of emergency after violent protests triggered by new voting reforms. These protests led to the deaths of five people and injuries to over 60 security…
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in PlacesIf you stroll down David Bowie Street, which city’s sights are you enjoying?
Answer: Rue David Bowie was inaugurated in Paris, France, on Jan. 8, 2024, which would have been Bowie’s 77th birthday.
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in TechnologyWhy did Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo close her Twitter/X account?
Answer: Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Nov. 27, 2023, that she was quitting X, formerly known as Twitter. She criticized the platform for devolving into a source of disinformation, hatred, anti-Semitism, and racism, heightening tensions and conflicts in society. Or, as she put it. a ‘global sewer’ destroying democracies. Several major advertisers paused their campaigns…
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How old is the Palace of Versailles?
Answer: The Palace of Versailles was originally a modest hunting lodge built by King Louis XIII in 1623. It was later expanded and transformed into a lavish royal residence by his son Louis XIV, who moved the court and the government there in 1682. The palace witnessed many historical events, such as the signing of…
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in BusinessWhich country is home to Assassin’s Creed maker Ubisoft?
Answer: Ubisoft Entertainment is France’s biggest video games developer. It’s headquartered in the suburbs of Paris, with development studios worldwide. Ubisoft’s franchises include “Assassin’s Creed,” “Prince of Persia,” and “Tom Clancy’s.” China’s largest social network and gaming firm Tencent raised its stake in Ubisoft Entertainment on Sept. 7, 2022, in a deal that values the…
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in PoliticsÉlisabeth Borne became France’s second female prime minister in 2022. Who was the first?
Answer: Édith Cresson is the first woman to have held the office of Prime Minister of France. She served from May ’91 to Apr. ’92, and left office due to corruption charges dating from her tenure as European Commissioner for Research, Science and Technology.
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in PoliticsBefore Emmanuel Macron, who was the last French president to win a second term in office?
Answer: Only six presidents in the history of won a second-term election. The previous one was Jacques Chirac, who entered his second term in 2002. Macron was elected to a second term on April 24, 2022, defeating right-wing extremist Marine Le Pen for the second time and becoming the first French presidential candidate to win re-election…
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in PlacesHow high is the Eiffel Tower?
Answer: The Eiffel Tower now measures 330 meters, after growing 6 meters (19.69 ft) on March 15, 2022, when a new DAB+ (digital audio) radio antenna was attached to the top of the Paris monument by helicopter.
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in HistoryWhen was the Notre-Dame cathedral initially built?
Answer: Construction of the Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) cathedral began in 1163 and was largely completed by 1260 – in the 12th and 13th centuries. In March 2022, archaeologists found an ancient lead sarcophagus in the lower levels of the building, which is currently under reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2019.…
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in FoodWhat gives a boiled ham its pink color?
Answer: Nitrite salts are widely used in cured meats such as ham, bacon, and sausages. They extend the shelf life of processed meats and give boiled ham its pink color. In 2015, a World Health Organization report showed adding nitrates or nitrites to processed meat can lead to the formation of potentially cancer-causing chemicals. On…
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in PlacesWho Wrapped an Epic Paris monument in 2021?
On Sept. 12, 2021, a team of 95 rope technicians began wrapping Paris’s Arc de Triomphe in 25,000 sq. meters of material, concluding a 60-year project for the artist Christo.
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in PoliticsWho is Anne Hidalgo?
Ana Marֳa “Anne” Hidalgo Aleu, 62, is the first woman to hold the office of the Mayor of Paris. A member of the Socialist Party, she was first elected in 2014.
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in PlacesWho is the first Black woman buried at the Pantheon monument in Paris?
Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, that singer, dancer, actress, civil rights activist, and perhaps most notable, French Resistance agent, Josephine Baker, will be reburied at the Pantheon monument Paris. Baker is the first Black woman to get France’s highest honor. French President Emmanuel Macron decided on a Nov. 30, 2021, ceremony at…
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in PlacesWhat is the Iron Lady (La Dame de Fer) of Paris?
The Eiffel Tower was given the nickname The Iron Lady in 1925 and is still called this today._x000D_
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in CultureWhat is “Montjoie Saint Denis!”?
Montjoie Saint Denis! was the battle cry and motto of the Kingdom of France. The French first used it during the reign of Louis VI of France._x000D_
