a republic in W Europe, between the English Channel, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic: the largest country wholly in Europe; became a republic in 1793 after the French Revolution and an empire in 1804 under Napoleon; reverted to a monarchy (1815–48), followed by the Second Republic (1848–52), the Second Empire (1852–70), the Third Republic (1870–1940), and the Fourth and Fifth Republics (1946 and 1958); a member of the European Union. It is generally flat or undulating in the north and west and mountainous in the south and east. Official language: French. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Paris. Pop: 64 979 548 (2017 est). Area: (including Corsica) 551 600 sq km (212 973 sq miles)

Anatole (anatɔl), real name Anatole François Thibault. 1844–1924, French novelist, short-story writer, and critic. His works include Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard (1881), L'Île des Pingouins (1908), and LaRé volte des anges (1914): Nobel prize for literature 1921