France

France, the largest country in Western Europe, is famously nicknamed "L'Hexagone" (The Hexagon) because its mainland territory has a distinct six-sided shape. Its geographical layout is defined by diverse natural boundaries, including the English Channel to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It shares land borders with eight neighbors: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Andorra. The map is dominated by major mountain ranges like the Alps in the southeast—home to Mont Blanc, Western Europe's highest peak—and the Pyrenees along the southern border with Spain. Administratively, metropolitan France is divided into 13 regions (reduced from 22 in 2016) and 96 departments, with Paris serving as the centrally located capital. Beyond the mainland, the complete map of France alsoincludes five overseas regions, such as French Guiana in South America and islands in the Caribbean and Indian Oceans, which have the same legal status as mainland departments.