France France France (), officially the French Republic (, ), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral
Belgium–Germany relations French also the third official language in Belgium. The German-speaking Community of Belgium is the smallest of the three political communities in Belgium. The modern territory of Belgium, along with Germany, had been part of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries until the end of the 18th century. The first King of Belgium after Belgium gained its independence in 1830 was Leopold I, who hailed from the aristocratic family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. All Belgian kings until the present stem from his lineage. Belgium–Germany relations Belgian-German relations refer to interstate relations between Belgium and Germany. Both of these are neighbouring