France is a country located in Western Europe. It borders Andorra, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. The country of France initially known as Gaul or Gallia is a country with a rich history and culture. The Celts originally occupied and dominated these lands of Gaul. In 121, Julius Caesar led the Roman army into Gaul. He won a decisive victory over the Celtic tribes who once dominated the region. This region became the first province of the Roman Empire. The Romans ruled the region until the third century. Savage barbarian forces from the east began to invade the region in the third century. Unusually, a group of Franks, Visigoths and Vandals began fighting the Romans for control of areas of Gaul. Seeing this happening, the Gauls began to form alliances with local lords in order to gain protection from barbarian invaders. The territory of Gaul eventually fell to the Franks after the retreat of the Romans. The barbarian people of the Franks were a Germanic people of Eastern Europe led by a man named Clovis. Clovis then became the first Frankish king of the new Latin named Francia, which is France in modern French. Dagobert I became the last Frankish Merovingian king. Finally, he gave way to Charles Martel who initiated the Carolingian dynasty. Charles Martel further extended the Frankish kingdom towards the East. This is something Clovis failed to accomplish. In 732, Charles struggled to stop a Muslim invasion from the south. Charles was succeeded by his son Pepin the Short in 751. Lacking military knowledge and leadership, Charles the Great, or Charlemagne as he was known...... middle of paper ...... local officials elected the members of the Senate. The legislative elections consist of a two-round electoral system. In the first round, candidates win the election by obtaining a majority of the votes cast. The runoff consists of two or more candidates facing off against each other in a runoff. Works Cited Johnson, Douglas. “A concise history of France”. New York, NY: The Viking Press, Inc., 1971. Print. “Countries and their cultures”. A website on the culture of France. April 1, 2014. http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/France.html “Hundred Years' War”. Hundred Years' War History Website. April 1, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/hundred-years-war. “The French political system”. Website of a thematic guide to France. April 1, 2014 http://about-france.com/“French Wars”. A History of the French Wars. April 1, 2014http://www.conservapedia.com/French_Wars