France

The French Republic (République française), commonly known as France, is a republic located in the western part of Western Europe. It borders Belgium and Luxembourg to the northeast, Germany and Switzerland to the east, Italy and Monaco to the southeast, and Andorra and Spain to the southwest, facing the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The United Kingdom is located to the northwest, separated by the Straits of Dover in the North Sea. Its overseas territories also share a land border with the Netherlands on the island of Saint Martin, and its South American colony, French Guiana, shares land borders with Suriname to the west and Brazil to the south. Its capital is Paris. It is a member of the European Union and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.