France is a country in Western Europe, bordering the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Biscay) and English Channel between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; and bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Spain. Mainland France's roughly hexagonal shape has lent itself to a popular French nickname: l'Hexagone. France is the largest West European nation.

Area

• Total area: 674,843 km
  • (Whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and territories, but excluding the disputed French territory of Terre Adélie in Antarctica)
• Metropolitan France: 551,695 km
  • (Metropolitan - i.e. European - France only, French National Geographic Institute data)
• Metropolitan France: 543,965 km
  • (Metropolitan - i.e. European - France only, French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds, glaciers larger than 1 km, and estuaries)