French national identity is based on the historical origins of
the nation
in Celtic, Gallo-Roman, and Frankish cultures. The name
"France" originally was used to refer to several peoples in
the lower Rhineland. It gradually was introduced as a more
widespread term
to denote that territory, formerly known as Gaul, after the
Frankish
invasion and the retreat of the Romans. The name "Francia"
was applied to various territorial units until the Middle Ages,
when it
came to signify the kingdom of the French sovereign. Regional
identities,
such as Provencal and Breton have coexisted with political units
of state
control. The degree to which France is today a homogeneous nation
is a
highly contested topic. Political and linguistic unification,
especially
through mass education, has been an ongoing project of
nationalism. The
immigrant population comes mainly from Portugal and northern
Africa,
although there has been increasing immigration from eastern
Europe. France
takes a highly assimilationist approach to its immigrant
populations. The
social position of
Beurs
(the children of North African immigrants) is an ongoing issue.
The
population is divided by social class, political party
affiliation,
generation, ethnicity, and region. Having had a significant rural
population well into the twentieth century, the country continues
to be
marked by a rural-urban split.