French Guiana is currently debating a controversial topic: the Montagne d'Or (Gold Mountain), in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The environmental impact is a major concern, and many people and organizations are opposing the project.

This video from Le Monde explores the popular and scientific views of astrology. After a brief description of how birth charts are created, the video asks whether astrology "works" at all.

In New Caledonia, the last French colony, two societies continue to coexist: the descendants of the white colonists known as "Caldoches," and the native Kanaks, whose numbers were decimated by the colonists beginning in 1853.

In 1988, New Caledonia was on the verge of a civil war as the native population, the Kanaks, rebelled against economic injustice and demanded their independence. A violent incident on the island of Ouvéa prompted the French government to intervene and even bring in a SWAT team. More violence ensued as negotiations failed.

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.

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.

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.

Josephine Baker was inducted into the Pantheon in recognition of her outstanding service during World War Two. Yet scholars have only just begun to study her contributions to the war effort.

Where will you find two thousand three hundred and nine movie theater seats, twenty exhibition halls, and twenty-five projection rooms? At the Cannes Film Festival, of course! Watch this video to learn about the history and impact of this major annual event.

How did Molière become so successful? The French playwright, whose plays are still being performed today, did not just rely on his talent as a writer—he knew how to drum up publicity for himself as well.

A wildlife hospital near Montpellier in the south of France treats injured birds and other animals. Unfortunately, a lot of those injuries are caused by human actions.

In part two of this video on wildlife rescue, you will watch birds being released back into the wild, a cause for celebration among locals and an opportunity for the public to be educated about protecting these animals.

In 2022, France experienced an unprecedented number of forest fires. This video explores whether we can really prevent them.

France has made it mandatory to train more firefighters to deal with the increase in forest fires caused by climate change. Unfortunately, they're already overworked and understaffed.

In 1983, the Marche des Beurs highlighted the problem of anti-Arab racism in France. Forty years on, the country is still feeling its effects.

On October 15, 1983, a dozen people set out from Marseille to march against racism and police violence. En route to Paris, they met many people who, to their surprise, were sympathetic to their cause.

In 1983, the murder of an Algerian immigrant on a train galvanized a massive anti-racism protest that led to significant government reforms. But racism remains a serious problem in France to this day.