New Caledonia is still part of France and has not gained its independence despite lenghthy negotiations between loyalists and separatists. Now that the Kanak population is a minority, independence seems unlikely. For more info on New Caledonia, check out these links: https://bit.ly/3cnZgzs, https://bit.ly/2EWfOBG, https://bit.ly/2SyqOrw.

The slime mold Physarum polycephalum, nicknamed "the blob," fascinates biologists and the public alike due to its amazing features. You can watch the blob in action moving at a speed of one centimeter an hour at the Vincennes zoo.

Why are there so few streets named after women? The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, decided to change the street-naming regulations to include women's names. Some say that it's far from sufficient, but it's a start!

Where does Santa Claus come from? Santa's history begins in the third century in the city of Myra in Turkey, then to the Netherlands, then finally to America and back to Europe. But where Santa lives still remains a mystery...

Which is better for the environment: a real Christmas tree or a fake one? Find out in this video.

In this video, you'll learn how to make delicious sablés, a type of buttery shortbread, for the holidays. They keep for about three weeks, in case you don't eat them all at once...

In December 2019, people took to the streets of large cities all over France to protest the pension reform proposed by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.

Meet the dedicated team of Zoodyssée, an animal refuge for a bird called the bustard, a so-called umbrella species. It's important to protect these threatened birds and their habitat, as it will benefit other species in the process.

Will the French have to dine on cod liver or other such delicacies during this coronavirus pandemic? Can the food industry cope with the extra demand in supermarkets? Watch this video to find out.

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, French people have started to remove statues tied to slavery and racial injustice. However, some statues have been relocated, annotated, or simply replaced rather than destroyed.

The Paris Commune was one of the first extensively photographed revolutionary movements. In its infancy, photography wasn't able to capture motion, but professionals from both sides understood the power of images and used them to convey their own visions of the events.

The first massively photographed insurrection, the Paris Commune, which began on March 18, 1871, revealed the extraordinary power of images, both close to reality and subtly manipulated.

At its peak, under Napoleon, the French territory was three times as large as it is today thanks to the emperor's very successful military campaigns. What was his secret?

How did Napoleon conquer and then lose nearly all of Europe in a span of just fifteen years? Find out in the second part of this series.

Josephine Baker, the legendary singer, actress, and cabaret dancer, played a very active role in World War Two in France. Using her celebrity as a cover, she helped with counterintelligence efforts during the French Resistance.