Amuseum Naturalis - We're ready!
We've been hard at work and we're ready for your visit! Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 4-8pm, 96 Boulevard de Grand Case. Free!
Amuseum Naturalis
Amuseum Naturalis is a free, public pop-up museum of the natural history of St. Martin and the Caribbean, created by Les Fruits de Mer for high season 2016 and made possible by the generous sponsorship of Delta Petroleum. Amuseum Naturalis is located at 96 Boulevard de Grand Case in Grand Case.
For the current schedule and exhibit info, visit:
Amis de l'Amuseum Promo
Amuseum Naturalis est le premier et le seul musée d’histoire naturelle à Saint-Martin – une initiative révolutionnaire qui est gratuite pour le public et créée entièrement par des bénévoles. Nous avons besoin de votre aide pour financer la préparation du musée pour la saison. Devenez un Ami de l’Amuseum avec un don de 100€ ou $110 et faire partie d’apporter quelque chose de merveilleux à Grand Case!
Amuseum Naturalis 2017
Enjoy it at your own pace! Amuseum Naturalis is now open for holiday preview hours Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4-8pm in Grand Case. All the info at:
Only on St Martin Exhibit Promo
Learn more about the Only on St. Martin exhibit at Amuseum Naturalis!
A Peak Inside the Amuseum
Take a peak inside Amuseum Naturalis!
Amuseum in Action
Amuseum Naturalis, St. Martin's only natural history museum!
Kingdom of the Night Exhibit Promo
Learn about the Kingdom of the Night exhibit at Amuseum Naturalis in Grand Case, St. Martin!
Gut Life Exhibit Promo
Learn about the Gut Life exhibit at Amuseum Naturalis, St. Martin's free natural history museum.
Soapberry Bugs Part One
Soapberry bugs just might make a great exhibit for Amuseum Naturalis. The species found on St. Martin might not live anywhere else. The bugs themselves reproduce readily in captivity, but they only eat soapberry vine fruit, so we'll need to figure out how to grow them!
Preparing Skulls Part Three
Follow along as we finish preparing our skulls for exhibit. Don't forget to check out for info about the museum and more videos!
Conferência com Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
Conferência de encerramento com Eduardo Viveiros de Castro durante o seminário “Variações do Corpo Selvagem: Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, fotógrafo, realizado em outubro de 2015 no Sesc Ipiranga.
Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, a partir da exposição, reflete sobre os nexos entre fotografia, antropologia e arte.
Foram dois dias do evento que reuniu antropólogos e pesquisadores de outras áreas, especialmente do campo artístico, com o objetivo de analisar o alcance da obra de Eduardo Viveiros de Castro e sua teoria no pensamento contemporâneo.
O seminário integrou a programação paralela à exposição “Variações do Corpo Selvagem: Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, fotógrafo. Com curadoria do escritor e crítico literário Eduardo Sterzi e da escritora e crítica de arte Veronica Stigger, a mostra exibiu cerca de 400 registros fotográficos feitos pelo antropólogo e teve ampla programação com apresentações artísticas.
Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
Eduardo Batalha Viveiros de Castro nasceu em 19 de abril de 1951, no Rio de Janeiro. Cursou a graduação em Ciências Sociais pela PUC-RJ e, em 1974, ingressou no Programa de Pós-graduação do Museu Nacional (UFRJ), com um projeto de Mestrado em Antropologia Urbana. No entanto, dois anos depois, uma breve visita a um povo indígena, os Yawalapíti, desviou-o para a etnologia indígena. Terminou seu Mestrado em 1977, sob orientação de Roberto DaMatta e com uma dissertação sobre este povo aruaque do Alto Xingu.
No ano seguinte, tornou-se docente do Museu Nacional, onde é hoje professor titular de Etnologia. Em 1984, obteve seu doutorado na mesma instituição, com uma tese sobre a cosmologia dos Araweté, um povo tupi-guarani do Pará, junto a quem residiu em 1981-82, e com o qual continua, desde então, em contato. A tese, premiada pela Associação Nacional de Pós-graduação e Pesquisa em Ciências Sociais (ANPOCS), foi publicada no Brasil (1986) e nos Estados Unidos (1992).
Seu trabalho posterior versou sobre temas etnológicos diversos (parentesco, corporalidade, cosmologia, guerra), abordados em uma série de artigos, entre os quais se destacam Alguns aspectos da afinidade no dravidianato amazônico (1993) - que teve grande impacto nos estudos de parentesco dessa região -, e sobretudo Os pronomes cosmológicos e o perspectivismo ameríndio (1996), traduzido para diversas línguas e incluído em uma antologia de textos-chave de Antropologia da Religião.
Foi professor associado nas universidades de Chicago (1991) e Manchester (1994). Em meados da década de 1990, criou as bases para a teoria do chamado “perspectivismo ameríndio”, quando, juntamente com a sua então orientanda de doutorado Tânia Stolze Lima, analisava os mitos ameríndios. Em seus estudos, ambos observaram, na maioria dos índios da América, uma perspectiva totalmente diferente do homem ocidental sobre o “humano” – perspectiva esta que interfere radicalmente nas formas de relação com o mundo, com os demais seres vivos e até com as coisas.
Em 1997-1998, Viveiros de Castro ocupou a Cátedra Simón Bolívar de Estudos Latino-americanos da Universidade de Cambridge, quando se tornou também Fellow de King's College. Entre 1999 e 2001, trabalhou como diretor de pesquisa do Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, Paris), junto à Equipe de Recherche en Ethnologie Amerindienne, que o elegeu membro permanente. Foi também professor ou pesquisador visitante na Universidade de Paris X (Nanterre), na École Pratique des Hautes Etudes, na École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, e na Universidade de São Paulo. Em 1998, recebeu o Prix de la Francophonie da Academia Francesa e, em 2004, o Prêmio Érico Vanucci Mendes do CNPq.
• 01:03 Início da fala de Eduardo Viveiros de Castro
【恶劣天气再袭新西兰！北岛暴雨引发洪水，南岛道路雪灾预警】都市晚高峰
都市晚高峰今天关注：
1．恶劣天气再袭新西兰！北岛暴雨引发洪水，南岛道路雪灾预警
2. 让移民儿童学好英语 政府宣布再拨1320万纽币
3. 网红高空悬崖秋千钢丝脱落，游客快被吓死了
4. 哈佛研发出「机器人短裤」,让跑步走路更轻松
Team Clean Exhibit Promo
Learn about the Team Clean exhibit at Amuseum Naturalis!
Albany, New York | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Albany, New York
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Albany ( (listen) ALL-bə-nee) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York and the seat of Albany County. Albany is located on the west bank of the Hudson River approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River and approximately 150 miles (240 km) north of New York City.
Albany is known for its rich history, commerce, culture, architecture, and institutions of higher education. Albany constitutes the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of New York State, which comprises the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area, including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs. With a 2013 Census-estimated population of 1.1 million the Capital District is the third-most populous metropolitan region in the state. As of the 2010 census, the population of Albany was 97,856.
The area that later became Albany was settled by Dutch colonists who in 1614, built Fort Nassau for fur trading and, in 1624, built Fort Orange. In 1664, the English took over the Dutch settlements, renaming the city as Albany, in honor of the then Duke of Albany, the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland. The city was officially chartered in 1686 under English rule. It became the capital of New York in 1797 following formation of the United States. Albany is one of the oldest surviving settlements of the original British thirteen colonies, and is the longest continuously chartered city in the United States.During the late 18th century and throughout most of the 19th, Albany was a center of trade and transportation. The city lies toward the north end of the navigable Hudson River, was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal connecting to the Great Lakes, and was home to some of the earliest railroad systems in the world. In the 1920s, a powerful political machine controlled by the Democratic Party arose in Albany. In the latter part of the 20th century, Albany experienced a decline in its population due to urban sprawl and suburbanization; however, the New York State Legislature approved a $234 million building and renovation plan for the City in the 1990s that spurred renovation and building projects around the downtown area. In the early 21st century, Albany has experienced growth in the high-technology industry, with great strides in the nanotechnology sector.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne | Part 1 of 2 | Audiobook with subtitles
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (Version 3)
Jules VERNE , translated by F. P. WALTER
Originally published 1870, this recording is from the English translation by Frederick P. Walter, published 1991, containing the unabridged text from the original French and offered up into the public domain. It is considered to be the very first science fiction novel ever written, the first novel about the undersea world, and is a classic science fiction novel by French writer Jules Verne published in 1870. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus, as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre Aronnax - Summary by Michele Fry
Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction, Travel Fiction
Chapters:
1:15 | Introduction
12:20 | 1-1. A Runaway Reef
29:22 | 1-2. The Pros and Cons
43:22 | 1-3. As Master Wishes
55:22 | 1-4. Ned Land
1:12:15 |1-5. At Random!
1:27:56 | 1-6. At Full Steam
1:48:13 |1-7. A Whale of Unknown Species
2:05:17 | 1-8. Mobilis in Mobili
2:24:49 | 1-9. The Tantrums of Ned Land
2:41:04 | 1-10. The Man Of The Waters
3:02:02 | 1-11. The Nautilus
3:21:39 |1-12. Everything through Electricity
3:38:19 | 1-13. Some Figures
3:55:10 |1-14. The Black Current
4:22:52 | 1-15. An Invitation in Writing
4:41:57 | 1-16. Strolling the Plains
4:57:14 | 1-17. An Underwater Forest
5:14:02 | 1-18. Four Thousand Leagues Under the Pacific
5:34:33 | 1-19. Vanikoro
5:59:28 | 1-20. The Torres Strait
6:19:46 | 1-21. Some Days Ashore
6:44:41 | 1-22. The Lightning Bolts of Captain Nemo
7:09:26 |1-23. Aegri Somnia
7:29:58 | 1-24. The Coral Realm
7:49:50 | 2-1. The Indian Ocean
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France | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
France
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written
language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
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- learn while on the move
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audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio
while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using
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In case you don't find one that you were looking for, put a comment.
This video uses Google TTS en-US-Standard-D voice.
SUMMARY
=======
France (French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française; French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million (as of October 2018). France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of France. France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages following its victory in the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, established one of modern history's earliest republics, and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France.
France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and tenth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development. France is considered a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone, and a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and La Francophonie.
Portugal | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Portugal
00:03:51 1 Etymology
00:05:31 2 History
00:05:40 2.1 Prehistory
00:09:19 2.2 Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia
00:12:00 2.3 Germanic kingdoms: Suebi and Visigoths
00:17:14 2.4 Islamic period and the Reconquista
00:19:40 2.5 County of Portucale
00:22:59 2.6 Afonsine era
00:25:56 2.7 Joanine era and Age of Discoveries
00:29:37 2.8 Iberian Union, Restoration and early Brigantine era
00:32:44 2.9 Pombaline era and Enlightenment
00:37:45 2.10 Napoleonic era
00:40:57 2.11 Constitutional monarchy
00:44:35 2.12 First Republic and Estado Novo
00:48:00 2.13 Carnation Revolution and European integration
00:53:19 3 Geography
00:55:24 3.1 Climate
01:00:53 3.2 Biodiversity
01:05:19 4 Government and administration
01:07:04 4.1 Presidency of the Republic
01:08:04 4.2 Government
01:09:18 4.3 Parliament
01:10:13 4.4 Law and drug policy
01:12:19 4.5 LGBT+ rights in Portugal
01:13:16 4.6 Law enforcement
01:13:50 4.7 Administrative divisions
01:15:40 4.8 Foreign relations
01:18:34 4.9 Military
01:21:31 4.10 Government finance
01:25:00 5 Economy
01:30:23 5.1 Primary sector
01:34:26 5.2 Secondary sector
01:35:32 5.3 Tertiary sector
01:38:04 5.4 Quaternary sector
01:41:34 5.5 Transport
01:45:56 5.6 Energy
01:48:05 6 Demographics
01:53:14 6.1 Urbanization
01:53:22 6.2 Metropolitan areas and Functional Urban Area (FUA)
01:53:39 6.3 Immigration
01:55:58 6.4 Religion
01:58:03 6.5 Languages
02:00:04 6.6 Education
02:03:57 6.7 Health
02:07:32 7 Culture
02:08:28 7.1 Architecture
02:09:13 7.2 Cinema
02:09:57 7.3 Literature
02:11:08 7.4 Cuisine
02:13:25 7.5 Music
02:16:45 7.6 Visual arts
02:18:10 7.7 Sport
02:22:23 8 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Portugal (Portuguese: [puɾtuˈɣal]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ]), is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe. It is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.
Portugal is the oldest state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe, its territory having been continuously settled, invaded and fought over since prehistoric times. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples.
Portugal as a country was established during the Christian Reconquista against the Moors who had invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. Despite attempts at independence since its foundation as a county in 868, only after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128, where Portuguese forces led by Afonso Henriques defeated forces led by his mother, Teresa, the County of Portugal affirmed its sovereignty and Afonso styled himself Prince of Portugal. He would later be proclaimed King of Portugal at the Battle of Ourique in 1139 and was recognised as such, by neighbouring kingdoms, on the Treaty of Zamora, in 1143.In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the world's major economic, political and military powers. During this period, today referred to as the Age of Discovery, Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration, notably under royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King John II, with such notable voyages as Bartolomeu Dias' sailing beyond the Cape of Good Hope (Cabo da Boa Esperança) (1488), Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India (1497–98) and the European discovery of Brazil (1500).
During this time Portugal monopolized the spice trade, and the empire expanded with military campaigns in Asia. However, events such as the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, the Industrial Revolution, the Seven Years' War, the country's occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence of Bra ...
Museum | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:01:12 1 Etymology
00:01:48 2 Purpose
00:05:18 3 Most visited museums
00:05:52 4 History
00:06:01 4.1 Early museums
00:14:03 4.2 Modern museums
00:19:48 5 Management
00:23:55 5.1 Exhibition histories
00:25:30 6 Museum planning
00:28:55 6.1 Financial uses of museums
00:31:27 6.2 Museum funding
00:32:39 7 Exhibition design
00:38:04 8 Types
00:39:48 8.1 Agricultural museums
00:40:35 8.2 Architecture museums
00:43:40 8.3 Archaeology museums
00:44:19 8.4 Art museums
00:47:15 8.5 Biographical museums
00:48:16 8.6 Automobile museums
00:49:03 8.7 Children's museums
00:54:02 8.8 Design museums
00:54:34 8.9 Encyclopedic museums
00:55:47 8.10 Ethnology or ethnographic museums
00:56:20 8.11 Historic house museums
00:59:32 8.12 History museums
01:02:38 8.13 Living history museums
01:05:06 8.14 Maritime museums
01:05:59 8.15 Medical museums
01:08:21 8.16 Memorial museums
01:10:53 8.17 Military and war museums
01:12:09 8.18 Mobile museums
01:12:52 8.19 Natural history museums
01:13:47 8.20 Open-air museums
01:14:44 8.21 Pop-up museums
01:16:33 8.22 Science museums
01:20:20 8.23 Specialized museums
01:22:55 8.24 Virtual museums
01:23:59 8.25 Zoological parks and botanic gardens
01:24:57 9 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.9802876756552308
Voice name: en-AU-Wavenet-C
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
A museum ( mew-ZEE-əm; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these items available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. The largest museums are located in major cities throughout the world, while thousands of local museums exist in smaller cities, towns and rural areas. Museums have varying aims, ranging from serving researchers and specialists to serving the general public. The goal of serving researchers is increasingly shifting to serving the general public.
There are many types of museums, including art museums, natural history museums, science museums, war museums, and children's museums. Amongst the world's largest and most visited museums are the Louvre in Paris, the National Museum of China in Beijing, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the British Museum and National Gallery in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and Vatican Museums in Vatican City. According to International Council of Museums, there are more than 55,000 museums in 202 countries.
France | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
France
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
France (French: [fʁɑ̃s]), officially the French Republic (French: République française; French pronunciation: [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast, Switzerland and Italy to the east, and Andorra and Spain to the south. The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The country's 18 integral regions (five of which are situated overseas) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres (248,573 sq mi) and a total population of 67.3 million (as of October 2018). France, a sovereign state, is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre. Other major urban areas include Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lille and Nice.
During the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476, who formed the Kingdom of France. France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages following its victory in the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established, which by the 20th century would become the second largest in the world. The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). France became Europe's dominant cultural, political, and military power in the 17th century under Louis XIV. In the late 18th century, the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy, established one of modern history's earliest republics, and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
In the 19th century, Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire. His subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. France was a major participant in World War I, from which it emerged victorious, and was one of the Allies in World War II, but came under occupation by the Axis powers in 1940. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War. The Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains today. Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France.
France has long been a global centre of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and tenth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, and human development. France is considered a great power in global affairs, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone, and a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Wo ...