The Republic of France borders on how many countries? This question is not as idle as it seems. This country is large, approximately equal in area to Ukraine. And who are her neighbors? And where, in fact, is such a state as France located? To say that in Western Europe will be true. But this answer is incomplete. After all, France still has the so-called overseas territories, which used to be nothing more than colonies. And given these countries and islands, the number of neighbors will increase.
The answer to the question of who France borders with depends on whether we will take into account the marine cordons of this power or only land ones. Indeed, in the first case, the United Kingdom is among the neighbors. Paris and London are connected by an underground road and rail tunnel through the English Channel. And this already allows us to call France and its old rival Great Britain close neighbors. And with whom else does this country border? Read about it in our article.
Geographical position
On the territory of France - the largest state in Western Europe. Its area is 551.5 thousand square meters. km France is usually divided into the "central part", the one located in the Old World, that is, in Western Europe, and the "overseas territories". The first one also includes the large island of Corsica, lying off the coast of the country in the Mediterranean Sea. But even without taking into account its territory and overseas territories, the mainland “central” (or “old”) France still leads in terms of area among Western European states. Its territory on the continent is 545,630 square kilometers. A quick look at the map gives us an idea that France borders on three countries: Germany and Italy on the east side, and Spain in the southwest. But the opinion is wrong.
Consider the "dwarfs"!
Along with giant countries such as Germany and Spain (which are slightly inferior to France in territory), very small states also sheltered. This is primarily Switzerland. She, unlike France, is not a member of the European Union, she has her own currency. But Switzerland is a party to the Schengen agreement. In the northeast, in close proximity to France is Belgium. This country is a member of the EU, the Schengen Agreement, and the euro zone. In the east, France borders on Germany. But between them squeezed one dwarf state - Luxembourg. Not far from the Franco-Italian border there is another princedom of miniature size - Monaco. The Principality is an enclave because it is surrounded on all sides by France. However, Monaco has its own private access to the sea. In the southwest between France and Spain one more "dwarf" has wedged. This is Andorra. The Principality is interesting in that it is co-ruled by the Republic of France and the king of Spain equally (according to the medieval pareage agreement). Andorra is not included in the Schengen area. Therefore, in order to come to this principality of Pyrenees, which does not have airports, a multiple visa is theoretically necessary.
Who borders France on the European continent
Let's summarize. So, land borders make France a neighbor of seven European countries. These are Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Monaco on the east side and Spain with Andorra on the southwest. If we take marine cordons into account, the United Kingdom will also be on this list. It is separated from France by the English Channel, the smallest width of which (between Calais and Dover) is only thirty-two kilometers.
The longest is the border with Spain. It runs through the Pyrenees from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic Ocean. The length of this border is 623 kilometers. Just 3 km shorter than the cordon with Belgium. This is followed by Switzerland (573), Italy (488), Germany (451 kilometers). The length of cordons with dwarf countries is small due to the miniature size of the latter. Among the small but independent principalities, the greatest length of the borders with France is Luxembourg - 73 kilometers. And close the list of Andorra (60 km) and Monaco (only four and a few kilometers).
Maritime Frontiers
From the west, France is washed by the Bay of Biscay of the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, from that side of the world the state does not have close neighbors. We have already figured out who France borders on in the north. On the other side of the English Channel lies the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In the Mediterranean Sea, French Corsica is closely adjacent to Sardinia, which is located south of it. This island belongs to Italy. However, France has land borders with this Apennine state. If you add all the marine cordons of the republic, you get a pretty solid figure - five and a half thousand kilometers.
Overseas territories
France has long been a metropolis and owned colonies. Now these territories are called differently. Nevertheless, they significantly expand the list of countries with which France borders. Some of these territories are departments, that is, their inhabitants are considered full French citizens. These are: Guadeloupe, Mayotte, Martinique Reunion and Guiana.
There are also overseas communities. As a rule, they are located on the islands. These are French Polynesia, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna. The territories owned by the Republic include New Caledonia, an administrative-territorial entity with a special status.
Saint Helena is owned by Great Britain. But the place of exile of Napoleon and the valley in which the emperor is buried belongs to France. The Republic also "staked out" Adele’s Land in Antarctica. But this is contrary to UN rules, and claims to this territory are considered unfounded.
States bordering France “overseas”
Based on the foregoing, the list of neighbors of the European state has expanded. Even if we do not take into account the islands and the Adele Land, the length of land borders increases significantly. The longest is the cordon with Brazil - 730 kilometers. Suriname, which in the west is adjacent to French Guiana, has a common border with it 510 km. The shortest cordon in overseas territories is located on the island of Saint-Martin. Its length is ten and a few kilometers. But this border divides a tiny piece of land into two halves. The southern part - Sint Maarten - is part of the Netherlands Antilles.