France today: the war in Iraq has led to tensions between France and the U.S. What do French teens really think about the war and America? (World).Lately, the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., has gotten a lot of angry phone calls from Americans. This has saddened some of the French officials who work there. "We always [felt] very close to America," says an embassy spokesman. "We share the same values. We have the same history for the last 200 years." Indeed, the U.S. and France have stood side by side for much of that shared history. In 1778, France aided American colonists in their fight for independence from Britain. During World War II, thousands of U.S. soldiers gave their lives to help liberate France from Nazi Germany. And since the attacks of September 11, 2001, France has helped in the hunt for al Qaeda terrorists. But relations between the two countries are now strained. France's opposition to any military action in Iraq blocked United Nations approval for the war. "France is not pacifist [against war]," French President Jacques Chirac explained. "We . . . just feel that there is another option, a less dramatic way than war." The disagreement has led to a wave of accusations, threats, and insults between the once-close allies. U.S. Boycotts Some Americans have decided to boycott (refuse to buy) French products such as wine and cheese. And, in a symbolic gesture, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives renamed french fries "freedom fries "Freedom fries" was a short-lived[1] name used by some in the United States for French fries, as a result of anti-French sentiment in the United States. During the international debate over the decision to launch the 2003 invasion of Iraq, France expressed strong " in their cafeterias. In response, French citizens have boycotted McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and other US. brands. But President Chirac, who once studied at Harvard University Harvard University, mainly at Cambridge, Mass., including Harvard College, the oldest American college. Harvard College Harvard College, originally for men, was founded in 1636 with a grant from the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. and worked in the U.S. as a forklift operator and journalist, says he still loves America. "When I hear people say that I'm anti-American, I'm sad--not angry, but really sad," the French President told Time magazine. Like their President, most French teens oppose the U.S.-led war in Iraq. But they also say that they don't have ill feelings toward Americans. "I'd love to go to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. to study," says Fatima Boucekkine (BOO-say-keen), 14. Fatima's parents are from Algeria, which was a French colony from 1830 until 1962. Algerians make up a large part of the 3 to 5 million Muslims living in France. The youngest of five children, Fatima lives in Paris, France's capital. Her home is in a huge housing project in a neighborhood known as Chinatown. While most of the residents are Asian, many immigrants from North African North Africa A region of northern Africa generally considered to include the modern-day countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. North African adj. & n. Adj. 1. countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia--all former French colonies--also live there. Influence of American Culture American pop culture plays an important role in the lives of most French teens. That is one reason learning English has become a top priority for many. Fluency in English also brightens future job prospects. Margaux Duroux (MAR-go du-ROO), 14, studies English and Spanish and has already traveled to Great Britain Great Britain, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 60,441,000), 94,226 sq mi (244,044 sq km), on the British Isles, off W Europe. The country is often referred to simply as Britain. on an exchange program. Margaux's neighborhood is in the southern part of Paris near Montparnasse, where American writers Lists of American writers include: United States By ethnicity
Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald Noun 1. F. Scott Fitzgerald - United States author whose novels characterized the Jazz Age in the United States (1896-1940) Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald lived in the 1920s. Posters from Gangs of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Ocean's Eleven decorate the walls of Margaux's bedroom. The eldest of three children, she enjoys reading and recently finished J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in French. Margaux also disapproves of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. "Everyone I know is against this war," she says. "I can't even imagine not being against it. I don't understand how President Bush went ahead when everyone [worldwide] was opposed to war." France's Melting Pot melting pot America as the home of many races and cultures. [Am. Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : America Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Sounigo has mixed feelings about the war. "It's right and not right," he says. "If Americans can impose a democracy in Iraq Iraq and Democracy focuses on the history of democracy in Iraq. Moreover, the article presents various opinions of Middle East Scholars and Politicians on contemporary debates about the future prospect for democracy in Iraq. , that's good. But I would have preferred no war. Leo, 13, lives near the Hotel des Invalides, a vast military museum that houses Napoleon's tomb. From his living room he can see the elevated Metro, or subway, that heads toward the Eiffel Tower Eiffel Tower, structure designed by A. G. Eiffel and erected in the Champ-de-Mars for the Paris exposition of 1889. The tower is 984 ft (300 m) high and consists of an iron framework supported on four masonry piers, from which rise four columns uniting to form one . Leo and his parents consider themselves Arab Jews. His father was born in Algeria, and his mother was born in Lebanon. Leo feels just as comfortable spending an afternoon with his father and an uncle at the hammam (a steam bath that is common in Arab countries) as he does inviting a friend over for Friday night Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath). Besides taking English and Latin at school, Leo also studies Hebrew and Arabic. Leo and Fatima are examples of what might be called France's melting pot, a term often associated with the U.S. Since the 1960s, France has seen a huge increase in immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. , primarily from its former colonies. Integrating immigrants into French society has been a persistent problem. Many live on the outskirts of urban centers, in areas plagued by high unemployment rates, crime, and poor living standards. The country's growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. came to a head last May, during the presidential elections. Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean-Marie Le Pen (born June 20, 1928, La Trinité-sur-Mer, France) is a French far-right nationalist politician, founder and president of the Front National (National Front) party. , an extreme right-wing candidate who ran on an anti-immigrant platform, was supported by 18 percent of voters. Jacques Chirac won the election, but Le Pen's surprisingly strong showing left many French people shaken. Education a High Priority The French government spends a huge sum--about $11 billion each year--on education. Doing well at school is very important, although some students feel that the standards are too high. French children have the longest school day in the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community : Classes begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Several hours of homework follow. Fatima is in a "European class," which means that she has more hours of English than most students. Her real passion, however, is hip-hop dancing, which she practices when-ever she can. This year, she and a friend began to teach dance in their high school. But Fatima's parents don't consider hip-hop to be a serious pastime, so she'll probably study journalism after high school. Leo, who thinks he might like to be an actor, attends theater classes each week. He is also a fan of Eminem, although he says the rapper's lyrics are "a little violent." For Margaux, learning about the U.S. through music and films and seeing the real thing we're two very different experiences. Last summer, she and her family flew to Los Angeles and spent a month driving around California. "I thought LA. would be on the same scale as Paris," she says. "But it was so much bigger. Everything was huge. I really noticed the difference between France and the U.S. Americans seemed more relaxed and communicative. I was, like, WOW!" JS YOUR TURN: THINK ABOUT IT Should the citizens of a country be held responsible for the actions of their President? Why or why not? RELATED ARTICLE: FRANCE France is the largest country in Western Europe and one of the most industrial nations in the world. Its capital, Paris, has been a major cultural center for centuries. The country has an abundance of rich farmland. The map shows some of France's major products and resources. FACTS TO KNOW AREA: 212,934 square miles, somewhat smaller than Texas. POPULATION: 59,500,000; 74% urban. GOVERNMENT: Presidential-parliamentary democracy. Jacques Chirac has been President since 1995. ECONOMY: Major industrial nation and the fifth-largest economy in the world. France has good soil for farming, with wheat being the most valuable crop. Leading industries are automobiles, aircraft, steel, chemicals, textiles, machinery, and electronics. CURRENCY: Euro. PER CAPITA [Latin, By the heads or polls.] A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. *: $24,400. RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic, 8388%; Muslim, 5-10%; Protestant, 2%; Jewish, 1%; unaffiliared, 4%. OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: French. LITERACY: Males, 99%; females, 99%. LIFE EXPECTANCY Life Expectancy 1. The age until which a person is expected to live. 2. The remaining number of years an individual is expected to live, based on IRS issued life expectancy tables. : Males, 76 years; females, 83 years. * The value of all products produced by the country in a year, divided by the population. (GDP stands for gross domestic product; per capita means per person.) QUESTIONS 1. What is the capital of France? __________ 2. What mountains form the border between France and Spain? __________ 3. What economic activity is found near all of these cities: Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Lyon? __________ 4. What Mediterranean island belongs to France? __________ 5. France's grapes are grown near which rivers? __________ 6. What energy source lies near the Spanish border? __________ 7. In what area is wheat mostly grown: north, south, east, or west? __________ 8. In what part of France is bauxite bauxite (bôk`sīt, bŏk`–), mixture of hydrated aluminum oxides usually containing oxides of iron and silicon in varying quantities. found? __________ 9. What tiny country lies northeast of the French city of Nice? __________ 10. What body of water separates France and the United Kingdom? __________ World Map Questions, p.11 1. Paris 2. Pyrenees 3. manufacturing 4. Corsica 5. Loire, Seine, Rhone, Garonne 6. natural gas 7. north 8. southeast, near the Mediterranean Sea 9. Monaco 10. English Channel |
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