--- 
A lot of countries have remarkable history and culture, but not a lot of country come close to France when it comes to monuments, history, facts and culture.

Little wonder that according to the 2016 statistics from UNWTO, the world's most popular country is France; as it boasts of about 82.6 million overseas visitors annually. 

<center>https://s31.postimg.cc/nrzzu1bpn/2018-02-1343.png</center><center><sub>[Source](https://pixabay.com/en/eiffel-tower-france-flag-tower-303341/): Pixabay</sub></center>

---
The beauty and the nation of France is known to welcome more tourists in the world than any other country on earth. You still wonder why that is the case?

Well, despite all that we may know about the beautiful Western European country, there are still some amazing facts left about the country that we may or may not be familiar with. 

Below, is a list of some of the fascinating and amazing facts from the French Republic.

---

1.) You can marry a dead person (yikes! 😖)
---
The practice may sound strange, but as long as the French President and Minister of Justice vetoes so, a person can posthumously marry a dead fellow. The posthumous marriage practice originated after a 1959 incident in which the fiancée of a woman was among 400 people who died when a dam collapsed. The woman pressured the government to allow her continue her marriage to her late fiancée posthumously even after his death. The practice since then became legally binding in France. <sup>[ref]( https://funfactz.com/weird-laws/france-marry-dead/)</sup>

2.) The French Military is the *truth* 
---  
According to Niall Ferguson, a British historian, the French military has won 109 battles, lost 49 and drawn 10; a record traced back to 387 B.C. This makes the French military one of the best in Europe. <sup>[ref](http://qi.com/infocloud/france)</sup>

3.) The French love cheese
--- 
About fifty-seven pounds of cheese is consumed every year by the average French person. Almost half of France’s population of 66.9 million people eat cheese each day. <sup>[ref](https://www.thelocal.fr/20160810/this-is-how-much-the-french-are-obsessed-with-cheese)</sup>

4.) Don’t question a child’s paternity in France
--- 
The French do not allow the testing of a child’s paternity. It is illegal except the consent of a judge. Paternity tests are considered unlawful because the results may be very upsetting for the parties involved. <sup>[ref](https://www.ibdna.com/paternity-testing-ban-upheld-in-france/)</sup>

5.) The French feared potatoes for decades
--- 
For over two decades between 1748 and 1772 potatoes were banned and illegal in France. The reason for the ban was because some people erroneously believed that consuming potatoes caused leprosy. However, after French scientist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier proved that the root tuber was edible, the ban was lifted. <sup>[ref](https://www.connexionfrance.com/Mag/French-Facts/Potatoes-were-banned-due-to-leprosy-fears)</sup>

6.) The French designed the statue of liberty for the U.S
--- 
Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was manufactured in Paris to be erected in New York? Well, this was accomplished in 1886. Today, there are 10 different Statues of Liberty, both large and small, in France, and they are cited in various French cities for various reasons, since the late 1800’s. <sup>[ref](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty)</sup>

7.) The Louvre was initially a fortress against the Vikings
--- 
The amazing artistic masterpiece was originally meant to be a fortress against invaders like the Vikings. From the 13th century onward, it was regarded as a royal fortress until the 18th when the French Revolution leaders decided to turn it into a museum. <sup>[ref](http://www.ssqq.com/archive/louvre01.htm)</sup>

8.) The French flag was pure white at a time
--- 
After Napoleon fell, the period between 1814 and 1830 was known as the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, whose colour was white; hence the French flag was changed to pure white during that period. <sup>[ref](https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-France)</sup>

9.) Severiano de Heredia was Paris’ first mayor of African descent
--- 
In 1879, Severiano de Heredia was elected the mayor of Paris. This marked the first time a person of African descent was made a mayor in the Western world. <sup>[ref](https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/11/severiano-de-heredia-the-first-mayor-of-african-descent-of-a-western-world-capital/)</sup>


10.) The French still use carrier pigeons
--- 
Till date the French Army still make use of carrier pigeons. <sup>[ref](https://frenchly.us/carrier-pigeons-the-french-armys-unsung-heroes-are-still-on-duty/)</sup>

11.) France and the United Kingdom almost merged into one nation
--- 
During World War II, France and United Kingdom almost merged into one country to form a strengthened and formidable union and nation against the Nazi Germans. Both Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle supported the union and the plan was a few hours from being effected until the move was called off after both countries got cold feet. <sup>[ref](https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/08/dunkirk-brexit/536106/)</sup>

12.) The Eiffel Tower was sold twice by a conman
--- 
An Austrian-Hungarian (present day Czech rep.), Victor Lustig was a conman who is famously known for selling the Eiffel Tower on two different occasions. Lustig in the early 20th century posed successfully as a government personnel and convinced dealers of metal that the Eiffel Tower was becoming too difficult to maintain and was to be sold for scraps <sup>[ref]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig)</sup>.

13.) The French are the most depressed people in the world
--- 
Statistically, France is considered the most depressed nation on earth; as about one in five people suffer from depression. <sup>[ref](http://www.france24.com/en/20110802-france-world-most-depressed-nation-who-study-research-headlines-antidepressants)</sup>


14.) The Paris Syndrome is real
---  
The Paris Syndrome is a rather weird condition in which Japanese tourists are the most susceptible. The syndrome is born from the reality that most tourists who visit Paris are shocked to realize that is isn’t what they expected it to be. The condition has been studied by researchers and is known to affect tourists from other countries as well. <sup>[ref](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome)</sup>

---
##### <center>*Thank you for your time and for reading.*</center>


##### <center>*If you found this interesting, then kindly UPVOTE, RESTEEM and FOLLOW @rickie, for more.*</center>

---
---

<center>![DQmcGTgE9ztQ7QmWESyE7uVqLrUqfbAa1fsTCod6dmsFYjP_2.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1519518246/dcrxmq7khr9ngss6pwwh.gif)</center>
---
---
@rickie
---