sdLeo
Cosmopolitan
Also the Language is important in France. The Langue d'Oc, language of Ille de France, is the most important language. The Langue d'Oïl (South France)has only a minor importance in teh French language. Other non-French languages spoken in France (Baskian, German (Elzas) and Dutch(Flemmish)) have been kept as small as possible and are not thought in shools and are not official languages. This is the 1 language = 1 nation idea, to get a centralized state without possible rebels.
Very interesting, but you mixed the langues d'oil and d'oc up. Oïl and Òc are the words for 'yes' in the North and South respectively (oui comes from oïl), and not the other way around.
All the regional languages were very strong in their respectively regions until the late 1800s, when they would punish children who did not use French in school - my grandma was one of those children.
(BTW, my signature is in langue d'oc)