Does France have more in common with Spain or Germany (country, places)

[Self Infanticide]

France borders Germany to the east, Spain to the southwest. Both overall, which country does France have more in common with. Historically both France and Germany belonged to the Franks and during the Oath of Strasbourg both Old French and Old German (also Late Latin) were used.

[Irene-cd]

depends

Alsace looks more like Germany

Nord pas de calais to the netherlands and belgium

champagne ardenees to. are very similar to belgium, luxembourg

while rhone alpes to french switzerland

other areas like corce look like italy and provence

while french basque country, midi pirinees and languedoc are VERY SIMILAR TO SPAIN

So while strassbourg looks like germany, lille is like being in belgium and ajaccio is like italy..... toulouse, montpellier and bordeaux on the other hand have a spanish feel to them.

[Self Infanticide]

Okay how about culturally, linguistically, genetically etc. Would you say it's intermediate?

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by Self Infanticide

Okay how about culturally, linguistically, genetically etc. Would you say it's intermediate?

I'd say that France is culturally, linguistically, and genetically distinctive and just "French". It's larger than both Germany and Spain after all, and French history is just as long and rich as that of Spain and Germany, if not more.

[arturo vidal]

Thereil is a much sharper division on the Pyrennes than on the Rhine for sure. At least when it comes to pigmentation. A map of light eyes frequency by Topinard.



Look how areas bordering Germany, Italy and Belgium are extremely light compared to other areas.

[french user]

Originally Posted by Self Infanticide

Okay how about culturally, linguistically, genetically etc. Would you say it's intermediate?

Culturally : as a whole french culture is closer to Spanish than to germany: romance language, catholic heritage, etc rather than germanic language a strong protestant heritage of Germany. Foods are very different in various places of France but once again, as a whole foods habits are more similar with Spain than Germany, both also are wine-oriented cultures rather than beer-cultured as Germany.

Geographically/climatically/architecturally it obviously depends of the location: the north-east of France would be more similar to southern germany, the french Atlantic facade would be more similar to northern Atlantic Spain; mediterranean France would be more similar to mediterranean Spain, central-eastern France would be more similar with northern Italy and southern Switzerland, etc.
But france and spain share the specificity to be at once countries part of the Atlantic and Mediterranean areasof Europe, which Germany is none.

Genetically Europe is a progressive continuum, from north to south. France is located between southern Germany and northern Spain, so not surprisingly it is somehow a transition between central Europe and south-western Europe.

Economically we are somehow between both. Our economy as better than Spain as it is worse to Germany.

[french user]

Originally Posted by Self Infanticide

France borders Germany to the east, Spain to the southwest.

It is more Germany that borders France in the east rather than France...
By the way would be more correct to say that Germany borders France in the north-east rather than just "east"
Central eastern France is bordered by South-western switzerland an northern Italy, souhern Germany is quite further north. Germany also borders french northern border, like Belgium and Luxembourg does.

Originally Posted by Self Infanticide

Historically both France and Germany belonged to the Franks and during the Oath of Strasbourg both Old French and Old German (also Late Latin) were used.

The big parts of Europe were once part of the frankish empire, not just France and Germany (Austria, most of Italy and even parts of Spain were included within frank empire). This empire did not lasted a long time and was more like a owning of culturally diverse places by the franks rather than a cultural unification like the roman empire was, in which Spain and France were together part of for about 6 centuries.

[hobbesdj]

Interacting with the French I find them much more like Germans in temperament. But the French share strong linguistical, religious, and cultural ties with Spain. I would say they are in the middle, but personally I find them to have more emphasis on the German side. There is also a strong divide between those in Pyrenees regions and those in French Flanders or Alsace. In appearance I find that the Spanish look very unique and once again the French can pass more easily for Germans or other northern European countries. Spain is an extremely unique country.

Now if we are to compare France's closeness to Italy and Germany, that is a much more complicated comparison. I find the "Latinness" of the French to much more resemble the Italians rather than the Spanish.

[Miserere]

French user is right, and he's French and knows Spain very well. France is very similar to Spain and the main diference is the revolution of 1789..Spain needed one...and the impodition og northern French over Languedoc, which is the same thst Catalan, Fabla and similar to Spanish. France has always been richer that Spain since times Gallia.relatively flat and large country with lots of water...Spain is all mountains..not much water..very dificult to conquer..no roads until recently..Caesar said that France wss a fat belly..and Spain was a country of crazy goats that took centuries to conquer...Napoleon..that in a way lovef more Spain that many of its rulers..said once..Spanish are a bunch of fanatics led by monks.

[easthome]

Germany is FAR more advanced than France, France is the least advanced of all Northern European countries, actually I would say its not like Germany or Spain.