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France has 53 nuclear power reactors that produce 75 percent of the country’s electricity. Assume that conventional power plants account for the remaining 25 percent of France’s electrical power. Suppose that it takes at least 3 conventional plants to equal electricity produced from 1 nuclear power plant. How many conventional plants does France have?

To pick up the missing 25% France would need another 18 nuclear power plants or 54 conventional plants.

My friend and I are both 17 and are planning a trip to Europe this summer. What kinds of forms do we need to get signed in order for this trip to happen? Thanks!

well, i’m not sure what you’d need, it depends where you’re traveling from. but i can assure you that once you’re in Europe you won’t need anything, passport checks between borders are practically nonexistent unless you’re flying everywhere.

Alright, to say it nicely, I love England. I am kind of obsessed. I would absolutely love to go there really soon but seeing as I am only 15 and have no means on income besides babysitting, the possibility is very shallow. Is there any way I can go there for a vacation of some sort without having to pay nearly 10 thousand dollars? I have tried to enter contests that the prize is a trip there, but have been unsucessfull.

15 is a bit young: you would need not only your passport but also possibly a note from you parents – and a visa.I’d suggest you check the British Embassy website and ask about whatever programs may be available for teens ( school exchange programs or whatever). Plus, it doesn’t cost 10,000 to go over for a visit. A plane ticket (return) is perhaps 1,000$ (check with Expedia.com). And if you find a family to live with, then cheaper still to stay over. For a brief stay, you might want to check couchsurfing.com.

I’m doing a climate project and I have chosen it to be on France and I have a couple of questions.

How does the climate affect the people who live in France? What kind of crops do they grow and eat? Do many people have heaters or air conditioners in their homes?

France has quite a varied climate. People in the north like to take holidays in the south because the weather is so much better. People from the whole of France take winter sports holidays in the mountains.

People in the South spend much more time outdoors and are seen as being slow and relaxed !

France occupies a large and diverse land mass that produces varied weather patterns.

West & North West

The Atlantic coast enjoys a temperate maritime climate with mild wet winters and cool summers. The prevailing wind from the west is humid : rain and mist is frequent. Northern France is flat allowing this weather pattern to move further inland.

East

The landlocked east of France has a continental climate producing hot summers with cold winters. The mountainous parts have mountain weather, with rain (snow) increasing with altitude.

Central

The centre of France has a continental climate modified by the maritime effect increasing towards the coast.

Mediterranean

The Mediterranean coast enjoys hot dry summers and mild winters. Rainfall is at the same level as much of central France but tends to fall as torrential rain in relatively few days over the winter.

Winds

The west coastal area weather is influenced by the prevailing winds from the Atlantic. The Rhone valley has occasional cold Mistral winds blowing from the north. The west Languedoc area has a similar wind : the Tramontaine that blows from the NW.

Crops vary between sugar beet and apples in the colder parts to figs, olives, apricots and wine in the South.

Most people have heaters, but AC is quite rare.

Hours of sunshine is influenced by distance from the equator, and incidence of clouds caused by prevailing winds, sea and mountains.

By sunshine hours :
Toulon 3082
Marseille 3035
Nice 2826
Montpellier 2788
Bastia 2786
Orange 2730
Perpignan 2586
Embrun 2563
La Rochelle 2269
Millau 2205
Toulouse 2034
Bourg St-Maurice1982
Grenoble 1971
Bordeaux 1961
Poitiers 1925
Nantes 1896
Biarritz 1845
Clermont-Ferrand1830
Pau 1827
Rennes 1810
Lyon 1809
Dinard 1778
Tours 1749
Le Mans 1746
Chartres 1695
Brest 1674
Le Bourget 1673
Evreu 1658
Abbeville 1655
Trappes 1648
Reims 1644
Besançon 1626
Auxerre 1594
Saint-Quentin1577
Rouen 1572
Lille 1560
Limoges 1560
Cherbourg 1556
Strasbourg 1517
Nancy 1437

We are planning to go to europe in a year and wondering if Eurail is the best option. It is obviously not the cheapest option. Is it better to just go to europe and buy train tickets for travelling within a country and between different countries. Also, is it easy to buy tickets or they are over booked?

It is impossible to tell whether a Eurail pass will work out better for you or just buying tickets, unless we know which countries, which towns and what time of day and kind of train you want to take.

Mostly if you book early, (in Germany, England and maybe also other countries) you can easily beat the price of a travel pass.
But some countries do not sell cheap tickets in advance and often people do not want to book ahead.

Unless you plan to travel in July and August or on Friday or Sunday/MOnday morning you will not find the trains completely booked. But the cheapest seats will only be available (if at all) for the less popular trains.
(Which might just fit your travel plans.)

It is a kind of bet, you bet that you can beat the price of a travel pass, (Eurail or other) or you bet that the pass is going to be cheaper and a better deal all around.

Oh, by the way, having a pass you still have to make reservations on trains, on the high speed trains you will often have to pay a surcharge and on night trains a reservation, or if you want, a place to lay down, either a couchette (kind of bunk room with 6 beds) or a much more expensive sleeper.

I heard it was different from the US (age 18).

How does it work? Like how many years of high school are there in England, and when do students typically start college?

Secondary schools take students from the age of 11.

There are "Sixth Form Colleges". Students start at 16 and leave at 18. There are also schools that educate students until they are 18.

Typically, from 18-21, students can go to university to read for a degree. A PhD and some vocational qualifications take longer.

How many soldiers did the Germans commit to defending France?
Could they have won the war in the Soviet Union, if they didn’t have to defend France as well?

Germany attacked on too many fronts and were spent financially and depleted of petroleum. Hitler no longer trusted his commanding officers who in turn mistrusted him. Vichy France was being taken out by the French Underground and Germany’s days were numbered. By attacking Russia nearing winter, German soldiers moral was shot and they were poorly equipped with almost no ammunition, food, and winter supplies by the time the brutal Russian winter hit. To answer your question, yes Germany would have wiped Russia out early in the war because Nazi Germany took over all the oil fields in the Russian Caucasus while they were destroying France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and all of Eastern Europe as well as Southeastern Europe. Germanys problem was a poor Italian ally who could not fight this type of war on all these fronts. Early on in World War II, Germany was a juggernaut that was hell bent on world domination. A known fact is that Germany also sunk many American ships off the New York and Jersey shores and their submarines patrolled constantly in the Atlantic.

I am proposing 40,000 tugboats assist with continental drift, putting Europe and Africa back together or Europe and the United States. At that point we can drive to Paris or Toledo – Egypt, that is!

To drive from Europe to Africa if you go through Turkey and Middle East you don’t need tugboats.If you want to drive from Europe to USA you can go to Siberia and then to wait until someone build the bridge of Beringia strait.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmg99frzeCs

Me and my mum, dad, and my baby sister might go to England in December next month for me and my sisters winterbreak for a week. What clothing and other essentials should I bring with me?

The weather is fairly wet and a bit chilly, though generally not below O*C. Definitely take warm clothing, good walking shoes (or boots to keep your feet dry) and a rain jacket. An umbrella is a good idea as well. Mittens and a toque (winter hat) are handy if you want them as well.

Hi,
I was in the United States for 6 months as a student (F-1 visa status), and I’m going to my home country, Sri Lanka, soon. I’d like to visit Paris on the way, as a tourist. How do I apply for a visa? Should I apply for one by myself, or are there people who organize tours in France for tourists, through whom I can apply?

You must apply for a visa yourself and do so from the nearest embassy or consulate to where you live.
See all information about visas on the following website:

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/entering-france_2045/index.html

The main French embassy in the USA is in Washington but is responsible for the following consulates:
Consulate General of France in Boston representing the far North- Eastern states
Consulate General of France in New York for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut[
Consulate General of France in Washington for DC and surrounding states
Consulate General of France in Atlanta for the South-Eastern states[
Consulate General of France in Miami for Florida
Consulate General of France in New Orleans for Louisiana
General Consulate of France in Houston for Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
Consulate General of France in Chicago covering the largest number of states, representing the North and West
Consulate General of France in San Francisco for the South- West, including the northern halves of California and Nevada
Consulate General of France in Los Angeles, covering the remaining south-western states and the remainder of California and Nevada
For contact details see:

http://www.mfe.org/index.php/Annuaires/Ambassades-et-consulats-francais-a-l-etranger/(country)/ETATS-UNIS%20D’AMERIQUE