The Kingdom of France is a country in Western Europe, and is the founding seat of the French Colonial Empire Having origins that trace from the end of the Classical Roman Empire of antiquity France is the oldest country of Europe on the Atlantic. Divided for centuries by feudal lords the rise of central authority in the 16th century turned the Kingdom of France towards oversees ventures. France's imperial ambitions brought mixed results but colonization of West Africa accelerated the country transition from agricultural to industrial in the 19th century. While hosting a famous reputation as an absolute monarchy, France has had a constitutional monarchy for two centuries. France officially supports Catholicism as a state religion competing with Spain to be the world's greatest benefactor to