Shapes

L’Hexagone

"L'Hexagone" ("the hexagon" in English) is a nickname for the geographic part of France that is on the continent of Europe. The nickname comes from the basic shape of the country which has six fairly equal sides.

How It's Used

"A century on, Michelin is the world's largest tire maker with a fifth of the market. But few outside the Hexagon realize that Michelin remains a very French company. This is by design. Marketed at home as a company intertwined with French culture, particularly tourism and gastronomy, in the U.S. Michelin keeps its roots at arm's length."

"Once upon a time, well, even just two years ago, these same bars would be filled with gray-haired men clutching the sports daily, L'Equipe and nodding their heads in approval at every uphill attack. Not anymore. Even when the Tour passed through this corner of the hexagon last week, TVs in a few bars were tuned in to game shows. Yesterday, during one of the Tour's most critical stages, the natives were gathered in the park across the street, playing a game of petanque without even a radio to be heard."

"...Alex Descas est un des plus grands acteurs francais. Né dans l'Hexagone en 1958, de parents originaire des Antilles, il a débuté au cinema dans L'Arbalete (1984), de Sergio Gobbi." [Trans.: "Alex Descas is one of the great French actors. Born in the Hexagon in 1958 to parents who came from the Antilles, his first film role was in 'L'Arbalete' (1984) by Serio Gobbi."]

"The second recapitalisation scheme for the French banks that will report relatively healthy full-year results for 2008 in the coming days enjoins them to lend more–to French companies primarily even though 45% of the CAC-40 companies is in the hands of foreign investors. These same firms have two-thirds of their business and workforce outside the Hexagon."

"These instances of incuriosity and hyper-parochialism are replayed in countless guises. They are indicative of the extreme atomisation which characterises France, a country (maybe not quite the word) of uneliding cuisines, dislocated cultures, mutually incomprehensible accents, parallel lexicons, micro-fiefdoms, secessionist longings and separate developments. A country whose authorised version proclaims a republican homogeneity and the unity of the hexagon."

Also Known As (AKA)

The Hexagon

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