France has an area of 675,417 square kilometers and a population of around 66 million people. Its capital and largest city is Paris, while other major cities include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, and Nice. French is the official language, though regional languages like Provençal and Breton are also spoken. The euro is the currency, and France has a semi-presidential republic system of government. As the largest country in Europe by area except Russia, France's central location in the EU and coastlines on both the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans give it key geographic advantages.