France is one of the most ethnically diverse country in Europe, recent immigrants excluded. Whereas there is a stereotypical Scandinavian, Dutch, German, Irish, Italian or Spanish person, it is impossible to describe what an "typical" French person looks like. This is due to France's history, and its position at the crossroads of Europe.
In ancient times, before the Roman conquest already, the territory now known as France (
see map) was divided between the Celts of Gallia Celtica, the Celto-Germanic tribes of Gallia Belgica, the Basques of Aquitania, and the Mediterranean people of Gallia Narbonensis (many of Greek descent).
Then came the Romans, who stayed for 500 years in Gaul, leaving Latin blood in all parts of France.
After them came the Franks, a Germanic tribe from the Low Countries (which had settled in the northern part of Gallia Belgica), that conquered Gaul around 500 C.E. and created the kingdom of France (in 843).
In Eastern France, especially Alsace, but also Lorraine, France-Comté and Bourgogne, many people are of German descent, e.g. the ancient Burgundians or Alemani.
I would like to select a few pictures of French people who I believe have kept relatively "pure" traits of each one of these ethnicities.
Celtic type
Christophe Hondelatte, journalist
Laetitia Casta, top model => comes from Normandy
Germanic type (Frankish, Low countries, North of France)
Christophe Lambert, actor
Johnny Halliday, rock singer => father from Belgium
Pierre Richard, Comedian => comes from Valenciennes in the Nord (Belgian border)
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, newscaster => comes from Reims in Champagne
Brigitte Bardot, actress, model and singer.
Germanic type (Alemani, East of France, South-West Germany)
Charles Berling, actor
Gilles Schneider, journalist
Carole Gaessler, journalist => from Lorraine.
Mélissa Theuriau, newscaster => from Grenoble, Alps.
French people : one nationality, several ethnicities
Bernard tapie, businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host.
Charles Pasqua, politician => comes from the Alpes-Maritime.
, Michel Galabru, actor
, Pierre Mondy, actor
Léopold Eyharts, ESA astonaut => from Biarritz, French Basque country
Francis Cabrel, singer => from Aquitaine.
Jean Lassalle, politician => from the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Jean-Luc Delarue, TV presenter
Gilles de Robien, politician
Gérard Holtz, journalist
Thierry Ardisson, TV presenter => from the Limousin
Claude Sérillon, TV presenter => from Nantes
Christian Clavier, actor
Audrey Tautou, actress => comes from Auvergne.
Marie Drucker, newscaster
Nathalie Renoux, newscaster
Sophie Marceau, actress.
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