france is the largest country in the european union and the second largest in europe. it has been one of the world's most powerful countries for many centuries. during the 17th and 18th centuries, france colonized much of north america. during the 19th and early 20th centuries, france built one of the largest colonial empires of the time. this included large parts of north, west and central africa, southeast asia, and many pacific islands. france is a developed country and has a large economy.