2011 UCI Women's Road World Cup
Races
Table:
Date	Race	Country	Winner	Team

# 1	27 March	Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio	Italy	Emma Pooley ( GBR )	Garmin-Cervélo

# 2	3 April	Tour of Flanders	Belgium	Annemiek Van Vleuten ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

# 3	16 April	Ronde van Drenthe	Netherlands	Marianne Vos ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

# 4	20 April	La Flèche Wallonne Féminine	Belgium	Marianne Vos ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

# 5	15 May	Tour of Chongming Island World Cup	China	Ina-Yoko Teutenberg ( GER )	HTC-Highroad Women

# 6	5 June	GP Ciudad de Valladolid	Spain	Marianne Vos ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

# 7	29 July	Open de Suède Vårgårda TTT	Sweden	Ellen van Dijk ( NED ) Charlotte Becker ( GER ) Amber Neben ( USA ) Judith Arndt ( GER )	HTC-Highroad Women

# 8	31 July	Open de Suède Vårgårda	Sweden	Annemiek Van Vleuten ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

# 9	27 August	GP de Plouay-Bretagne	France	Annemiek Van Vleuten ( NED )	Nederland Bloeit

From the following table and the supporting text listed.

Respond to the question below: What kind of monarchy rules the country that held the Open de Suède Vårgårda TTT ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio is a women 's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the comune ( municipality ) of Cittiglio and nearby comunes located within the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy . Since 2008 , the Trofeo Alfredo Binda serves as the second race of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup . In 2016 the Trofeo Alfredo Binda became part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour The field of riders complete a 15.5 km circuit 8 times to determine the winner . The circuit traces Cittiglio , Brenta , Casalzuigno , Casale Alto , Cuveglio , Cuvio , Azzio , Gemonio before returning to Cittiglio . The race consists of two significant climbs on the circuit , which are the Casale Alto , in the early part of the circuit and the climb of Azzio , which typically separates the field as it is located just before the conclusion of the circuit .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Emma Jane Pooley ( born 3 October 1982 ) is an English sportswoman and former presenter on the Global Cycling Network . A former professional cyclist who specialised in time trials and hilly races , she later transferred to endurance running , duathlon and triathlon , and is currently a professional triathlete and duathlete , and the reigning quadruple world champion in long distance duathlon . She won an Olympic silver medal in the time trial in 2008 and was world time trial champion in 2010 . She has won six UCI Women 's Road World Cup one-day races , as well as several stage races including the ten-day Tour de l'Aude . She is three-times a British time trial champion and in 2010 also won the British road race championships . Pooley retired from professional cycling after the 2014 Commonwealth Games to concentrate on triathlon , duathlon and long-distance running , having won the Lausanne Marathon and the Swissman triathlon the previous year . She went on to win the ITU Powerman Duathlon World Championships at Poweran Zofingen in September 2014 and again in 2015 . On 16 December 2015 , Pooley announced that she would be returning temporarily to cycling , seeking to qualify to represent Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio , as she felt the unusually mountainous time trial course on offer played to her strengths . [ citation needed ] In June 2016 , Pooley came out of retirement and re-signed for her former team , Lotto-Soudal Ladies , in time for the 2016 Giro Rosa . After racing in the Olympic time trial and road race she returned to duathlon with two further world championship titles at ITU Powerman Duathlon World Championships at Poweran Zofingen in September 2016 and 2017 as well as a European middle distance duathlon title in 2017 . Between February 2018 and March 2019 Pooley worked at Global Cycling Network as a presenter .
Garmin-Cervélo was an elite professional women 's cycling team registered in Great Britain and racing on the UCI Women 's Road World Cup circuit . The team was previously known was Cervélo-Lifeforce Pro Cycling Team , but in 2009 , with the creation of the UCI Professional Continental team Cervélo TestTeam , the women 's team changed names to match the men 's team . When the men 's Cervélo TestTeam merged with Garmin-Transitions for the 2011 season , the team changed names again , becoming Garmin-Cervélo to again match the men 's team . In 2007 , the team was known as Raleigh-Lifeforce-Creation and prior to 2007 , the team was known as the Univega Pro Cycling Team . The Garmin-Cervélo women 's team disbanded at the end of 2011 due to funding problems . Six of its ten riders , including all four Britons , transferred to the AA Drink-leontien.nl team for the 2012 season .
The eighth Tour of Flanders for Women was held on 3 April 2011 and was won by Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten . It was the second leg of the 2011 UCI Women 's Road World Cup . The race started in Oudenaarde and finished in Meerbeke for the last time , over a distance of 129.9 kilometres ( 80.7 miles ) .
The Tour of Flanders for Women ( Dutch : Ronde van Vlaanderen voor Vrouwen ) is the women 's edition of the Tour of Flanders , an annual road bicycle racing event in Flanders , Belgium , held in early April . It is held on the same day as the men 's race , on much of the same roads but at a shorter distance . Dutch rider Mirjam Melchers and German Judith Arndt hold the record with two wins . Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen won the most recent race in 2018 . The event has been held annually since 2004 on the same day as the men 's race . From 2004 to 2015 it was part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup . Since 2016 , the race is included in the UCI Women 's World Tour , cycling 's top-tier female elite competition . Since the first edition , organisers have included more climbs and extended the race gradually from 94 km in the first edition to 157 km in 2019 .
Belgium , [ A ] officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a country in Western Europe . It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north , Germany to the east , Luxembourg to the southeast , France to the southwest , and the North Sea to the northwest . It covers an area of 30,689 km2 ( 11,849 sq mi ) and has a population of more than 11.5 million , making it the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated country in Europe , with a density of 376 per square kilometre ( 970/sq mi ) . The capital and largest city is Brussels ; other major cities are Antwerp , Ghent , Charleroi and Liège . The sovereign state is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . Its institutional organization is complex and is structured on both regional and linguistic grounds . It is divided into three highly autonomous regions : the Flemish Region in the north , Wallonia in the south , and the Brussels-Capital Region . Brussels is the smallest and most densely populated region , as well as the richest region in terms of GDP per capita . Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups or communities : the Dutch-speaking Flemish Community , which constitutes about 60 percent of the population , and the French-speaking Community , which comprises about 40 percent of all Belgians . A small German-speaking Community , numbering around one percent , exists in the East Cantons . The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) , although French is the dominant language . Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .
Annemiek van Vleuten ( born 8 October 1982 ) is a Dutch road racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI Women 's WorldTeam Mitchelton-Scott . In 2011 , she won the UCI Women 's Road World Cup and in 2018 she was the UCI Women 's World Tour winner . She is the 2017 and 2018 winner of the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships . In 2018 she won both the points and the overall ranking in the Giro Rosa , considered the most prestigious stage race of the women 's road cycling calendar . Only two days later she took the crown at the fifth edition of La Course by Le Tour de France , a high-profile women 's cycling race held in France , on 17 July 2018 , prolonging her 2017 title . In 2019 , she became the UCI Road Race World Champion .
CCC Liv ( UCI Code : CCC ) is a women 's professional cycling team , based in the Netherlands . The title sponsors are CCC , a Polish-based shoe retailer and Liv , a sub-brand of Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Giant Bicycles . The team 's directeur sportif is Jeroen Blijlevens . Riders for CCC Liv compete in the UCI Women 's World Tour and other Elite Women 's Cycling events throughout the world .
Ronde van Drenthe ( English : Tour of Drenthe ) is an elite men 's and women 's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Drenthe , Netherlands and sanctioned by the Royal Dutch Cycling Union . Since 1998 there is also a women 's event , known as Novilon Internationale Damesronde van Drenthe and since 2007 there is also a Ronde van Drenthe for women which was part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup until 2015 . In 2016 , the race became part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour . Since 2005 , the men 's event is UCI 1.1 rated and is part of the UCI Europe Tour .
The Netherlands ( Dutch : Nederland , [ ˈneːdərlɑnt ] ( listen ) ) , informally Holland , is a country in Northwestern Europe with some overseas territories in the Caribbean . In Europe , it consists of 12 provinces that border Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , with maritime borders in the North Sea with those countries and the United Kingdom . Together with the Caribbean Netherlands - Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba - it forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . The official language is Dutch and a secondary official language in the province of Friesland is West Frisian . In the north and east of the country , Low Saxon is also spoken , and in the southeast , Limburgish . In the Caribbean Netherlands English and Papiamento are recognised languages . The five largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague , Utrecht and Eindhoven . Amsterdam is the country 's most populous city and nominal capital , while The Hague holds the seat of the States General , Cabinet and Supreme Court . The Port of Rotterdam is the busiest seaport in Europe , and the busiest in any country outside Asia . Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the busiest airport in the Netherlands , and the third busiest in Europe . The country is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G10 , NATO , OECD and WTO , as well as a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . It hosts several intergovernmental organisations and international courts , many of which are centered in The Hague , which is consequently dubbed 'the world 's legal capital ' .
Marianne Vos ( pronunciation ( help·info ) ; born 13 May 1987 ) is a Dutch cyclo-cross , road bicycle racer , mountain bike racer and track racer , who currently rides for UCI Women 's WorldTeam CCC Liv . Vos has drawn comparison to Eddy Merckx as being the finest cyclist of [ her ] generation . After winning a junior European and world championship in road racing , she continued her success in senior cycling by becoming world champion in cyclo-cross and road racing at the age of 19 . Vos added track racing world championships when she won the points race in 2008 and the scratch race in 2011 . At the 2008 Summer Olympics , she won the gold medal in the points race ; at the 2012 Summer Olympics , gold in the women 's road race . She is a 3 times World Road Race Champion - in 2006 , 2012 and 2013 - and 7 times World Cyclocross Champion - in 2006 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 and 2014 .
La Flèche Wallonne Féminine is a professional women 's bicycle road race held each year in Wallonia , Belgium , in April . It is part of the UCI Women 's World Tour , cycling 's season-long competition of top-tier races , in which it is the third-oldest single-day event after the Trofeo Alfredo Binda in Italy and the Emakumeen Euskal Bira in the Basque Country . The event is raced on the same day as La Flèche Wallonne for men . The race was inaugurated by Tour de France organizers ASO in 1998 and quickly became a road race classic . From 1999 onwards , the women 's Flèche Wallonne was a UCI Women 's Road Cycling World Cup event . In 2016 , the race became part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour . The Flèche Wallonne Féminine is held in conjunction with the men 's race , on much of the same roads but at a shorter distance . Likewise , the race always finishes on the steep Mur de Huy . Two Dutch riders hold the record with five wins . Marianne Vos between 2007 and 2013 . Fellow Dutch Anna van der Breggen won her fifth consecutive Flèche Wallonne in 2019 .
The Tour of Chongming Island International Cycling Race is an annual elite women 's road bicycle racing stage race held in Shanghai , China , named after Chongming Island . The Tour consists of two races : a stage race and a one-day race . Between 2007 and 2009 , the one-day race was a time trial ; in 2010 , the time trial was replaced by a one-day race , referred to as the Tour of Chongming Island World Cup , that was part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup until 2015 . In the 2016 the race became part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour .
China ( Chinese : 中国 ; pinyin : Zhōngguó ) , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a country in East Asia and is the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017 . Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers ( 3,700,000 sq mi ) , it is the third largest country by area . [ j ] Governed by the Communist Party of China , the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , [ k ] five autonomous regions , four direct-controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) , and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau . China emerged as one of the world 's first civilizations , in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain . For millennia , China 's political system was based on hereditary monarchies , or dynasties , beginning with the semi-mythical Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE . Since then , China has expanded , fractured , and re-unified numerous times . In the 3rd century BCE , the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire . The succeeding Han dynasty , which ruled from 206 BCE until 220 CE , saw some of the most advanced technology at that time , including papermaking and the compass , along with agricultural and medical improvements . The invention of gunpowder and movable type in the Tang dynasty ( 618-907 ) and Northern Song ( 960-1127 ) completed the Four Great Inventions . Tang culture spread widely in Asia , as the new Silk Route brought traders to as far as Mesopotamia and the Horn of Africa . Dynastic rule ended in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution , when the Republic of China ( ROC ) replaced the Qing dynasty . China , as a whole , was ravaged by feudal warlordism and Japan during World War II .
Ina-Yoko Teutenberg ( born 28 October 1974 ) is a German former road bicycle racer , who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013 for the Red Bull Frankfurt , Saturn Cycling Team and Specialized-lululemon teams . She took over 200 wins during her career , including 11 stages of the Giro Rosa , the 2009 Tour of Flanders , and being part of the Team Specialized-lululemon team that won the World Team Time Trial Championship in 2012 . She now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Women 's Team Trek-Segafredo .
The 2011 season was the tenth for the HTC-Highroad Women cycling team , which began as the T-Mobile team in 2003 . The main new riders for the team were the Americans Amber Neben and Amanda Miller and the German time trial champion Charlotte Becker . Sadly , in January , Carla Swart died whilst training after being hit by a truck . After winning a stage , Ellen van Dijk won the Ladies Tour of Qatar which was the 400th victory for the team ( men 's and women 's ) since 2008 . Ina Teutenberg won the fifth round in the Women 's World Cup and the team won the seventh round , the Open de Suède Vårgårda team time trial . The team finished second overall in the World Cup . Judith Arndt finished fourth in the individual standings and Teutenberg fifth . At the end of the season Arndt took the third place in the UCI World Ranking , Teutenberg fourth and the team ended in second place in the team classification .
GP Ciudad de Valladolid is a women 's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in Valladolid , Spain . It was first run in 2010 and serves as a race of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup . The 2012 race was cancelled for financial reasons .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
The 2011 Open de Suède Vårgårda - team time trial was the 4th team time trial running on the Open de Suède Vårgårda . It was held on 29 July 2011 over a distance of 43 kilometres ( 26.7 miles ) and was the seventh race of the 2011 UCI Women 's Road World Cup season .
Open de Suède Vårgårda is an elite professional women 's road bicycle event held annually in the Vårgårda Municipality of Sweden . Created in 2006 , the Open de Suède Vårgårda was part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup until 2015 and sanctioned by the Swedish Cycling Federation . Since 2016 , the race has been part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour . Since 2008 , a team time trial has been held in conjunction with the main race as a part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup .
Sweden ( Swedish : Sverige [ ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish : Konungariket Sverige [ ˈkôːnɵŋaˌriːkɛt ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe . It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east , and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait . At 450,295 square kilometres ( 173,860 sq mi ) , Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe , the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area . The capital city is Stockholm . Sweden has a total population of 10.3 million of which 2.5 million have a foreign background . Persons who have foreign backgrounds are defined as persons who are foreign born , or born in Sweden with foreign born parents . It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 57/sq mi ) and the highest urban concentration is in the central and southern half of the country . Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia . The climate is in general mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence . In spite of the high latitude , Sweden often has warm continental summers , being located in between the North Atlantic , the Baltic Sea and the vast Eurasian Russian landmass . The general climate and environment varies significantly from the south and north due to the vast latitudal difference and much of Sweden has reliably cold and snowy winters . Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural , while the north is heavily forested and includes a portion of the Scandinavian Mountains .
Eleonora Maria Ellen van Dijk ( Dutch pronunciation : [ ˌeːleːjoːˈnoːraː maːˈrijaː ˈʔɛlə ( n ) vɑn ˈdɛik ] ; born 11 February 1987 ) is a Dutch professional road racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI Women 's WorldTeam Trek-Segafredo . Besides road cycling she was also a track cyclist until 2012 . Van Dijk is known as a time trial specialist and is five times world champion . She won her first world title on the track in the scratch race in 2008 . She became Road World Champion in 2012 , 2013 and 2016 with her respective trade teams in the team time trial and in 2013 also in the individual time trial . In 2015 , she won the time trial at the first European Games and the silver medal in the team time trial at the world championships . Van Dijk started as a speed skater and as part of her skating training she undertook cycling as part of cross-training in summer . She excelled at both , competing nationally at junior level . After becoming a national cycling champion for the fifth time in 2007 , she quit speed skating and became a full-time cyclist . Along with her world title successes , Van Dijk has also twice been European track champion , three times European time trial champion and has won six World Cup races . In 2012 , she competed in three disciplines at the 2012 Olympic Games in London , where she helped Marianne Vos win the gold medal in the road race , finished eighth in the time trial and sixth in the team pursuit .
Charlotte Becker ( born 19 May 1983 in Datteln , North Rhine-Westphalia ) is a German professional racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI Women 's Continental Team Arkéa Pro Cycling Team . She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the women 's road race , but finished over the time limit . She also competed on the track in the women 's team pursuit for the national team . She signed for Team Hitec Products for the 2015 road cycling season . Her younger sister Christina Becker is also a track cyclist and competed together with her in the team pursuit .
Amber Leone Neben ( born February 18 , 1975 ) is an American racing cyclist , who currently rides for UCI Women 's Continental Team Cogeas-Mettler-Look . Neben won the UCI world time trial championship in 2008 and 2016 as well as the U.S. national road race championship in 2003 and 2017 .
Judith Arndt ( born 23 July 1976 ) is a retired German professional cyclist , who last rode for the GreenEDGE-AIS cycling team . She won the bronze medal in the 3000 m pursuit event at the 1996 Summer Olympics when she was 20 . In 2004 , she won the world road race championship and came second in the Olympic road race .
The 2011 Open de Suède Vårgårda was the 6th road race running on the Open de Suède Vårgårda . It was held on 31 July 2011 over a distance of 132 kilometres ( 82.0 miles ) and was the eight race of the 2011 UCI Women 's Road World Cup season . The race was won by Annemiek van Vleuten ahead of Ellen van Dijk and Nicole Cooke .
The Grand Prix de Plouay - Lorient Agglomération is an elite professional women 's road bicycle race held in Plouay , France . It is organized annually since 2002 , on the day of the men 's race and on the same circuit . The race consists of four 26,9 km laps and two 13,9 km lap , totalling 135,4 km . The race was part of the UCI Women 's Road World Cup until 2015 . In 2016 , the race became part of the new UCI Women 's World Tour .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] 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 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France 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 . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . 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 Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .