FRANCE

Country Study

Presented By:
Group 4
Map of France

 Official name – French Republic

Location

 Largest west European country

 Bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain,
southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain.
 French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean
between Brazil and Suriname
 Land Boundaries - Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco,
Spain, Switzerland
 French Guiana border countries: Brazil and Suriname
Contd……

 Capital--Paris.

 Coastline: total: 4,668 km

 Ports - Calais, Le Havre, Brest, Bordeaux, Marseille

 Major cities--Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nice, Rennes, Lille,

Bordeaux.
Language

 French

 Language derives from the vernacular Latin spoken by the Romans in Gaul

 It includes many Celtic and Germanic words

 One of six official languages at the United Nations

 Used as the international language of diplomacy and commerce

People

 Population (January 1, 2010 est.): 64.7 million (including overseas territories); 62.8
million (metropolitan).

 Annual population growth rate (2009 est.): 0.5%.

 Religion: Roman Catholic 85% (est.), Muslim 10% (est.), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%.

 Work force (2009): 28.1 million (preliminary): Services--74.7%; industry and commerce--
22.0%; agriculture--3.2%.

 Education: Years compulsory--10. Literacy--99%.

 France is home to both the largest Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe
Culture
 Cuisine
French cuisine is renowned for being one of the finest in the world.
Extremely diverse - the North of the country prefers to use butter as the preferred
fat for cooking, whereas olive oil is more commonly used in the South.
There are more than 400 different varieties
Cassoulet, Lorraine region, Beef bourguignon, Champagne .

 Sports
Popular sports played in France include football, judo and tennis
Paris was also the first home of the International Olympic Committee
France has hosted events such as the 1938 and 1998 FIFA World Cups
FIFA World Cup victory in 1998, FIFA World Cup second place in 2006 , two
European Championships in 1984and 2000
Major tennis tournaments take place in France, including the Paris Masters and the
French Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments
Tour de France
Natural Resources

 Metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic,

potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish

 French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Economy

 Avg. annual growth rate (2009): -2.5%, compared with 0.1% in 2008

 GDP (2009): $2.66 trillion

 Per capita GDP at PPP (2009): $33,678

 Agriculture: Products--grains (wheat, barley, corn); wines and spirits; dairy

products; sugar beets; oilseeds; meat and poultry; fruits and vegetables

 Industry: Types--aircraft, electronics, transportation, textiles, clothing, food

processing, chemicals, machinery, steel.
Contd…

 Trade: Exports (2009)--$482.3 billion (f.o.b.):

Automobiles, aircraft and aircraft components, pharmaceuticals, automobile
equipment, iron and steel products, refined petroleum products, cosmetics,
organic chemicals, electronic components, wine and champagne

 Imports (2009)--$543.5 billion (f.o.b.):

Oil and natural gas, automobiles, aircraft and aircraft components, refined
petroleum products, automobile equipment, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel
products, and computers/computer-related products.
Government
 Republic Government

 Under this constitution, presidents were elected directly for a 7-year term

 Beginning in 2002, the presidential term of office was reduced to 5 years

 From July 21, 2008 limits presidents to two consecutive terms in office

 The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands
the armed forces, and concludes treaties
Contd….

 In certain emergency situations, with the approval of Parliament, the president

may assume dictatorial powers and rule by decree

 Principal Government Officials

President--Nicolas Sarkozy
Prime Minister--Francois Fillon
Foreign Minister--Bernard Kouchner
Ambassador to the United States--Pierre Vimont
Ambassador to the United Nations--Gerard Araud
Economic conditions
 With a GDP of $2.66 trillion, France is the world’s fifth-largest economy

 It has substantial agricultural resources, a large industrial base, and a highly

skilled work force

 A dynamic services sector accounts for an increasingly large share of economic

activity and is responsible for nearly all job creation in recent years

 Government economic policy aims to promote investment and domestic growth

in a stable fiscal and monetary environment. Creating jobs and reducing the
high unemployment rate has been a top priority.
Contd…..
 France joined 10 other European Union countries in adopting the euro as its
currency in January 1999.

 Monetary policy has been set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

 On January 1, 2002, France, along with the other countries of the euro zone,
dropped its national currency in favor of euro bills and coins.

 The government controls a large share of economic activity: Government

spending, at 55.6% of GDP in 2009, is among the highest in the G-7.
Contd….

 France has been very successful in developing dynamic telecommunications,

aerospace, and weapons sectors.

 With virtually no domestic oil production, France has relied heavily on the

development of nuclear power, which now accounts for about 80% of the country's

electricity production.
Indo-French Trade Relations

 Bilateral Trade

 France is ranked 5th in the list of India’s trading partners among EU countries

 the Indo-French trade has declined by 21.34% in 2009 (from € 6.78 billion in

2008 to € 5.36 billion in 2009)

 But in the first eight months of 2010, the bilateral trade increased by 27.46%.
contd…..
 Indian exports to France comprise a range of goods and services from the small
and medium sector
 Refined petroleum products, garments, textiles and apparel, accessories, leather
clothes & footwear
 French imports of refined petroleum products, auto equipment, fish and fish
products and gems & Jewellery and organic chemicals have shown growth.
 Major items of French exports to India comprise electrical equipment,
aeronautical & space construction products, measuring & control equipments,
iron & steel products, equipment for emission and transmission of sound &
image, mechanical equipments, organic and other chemical products, general &
special usage machines, machine tools, engines and turbines, etc.
Contd…..

 India is the 13th largest investor in France.

 90 Indian companies in France and have invested in IT, pharmaceuticals, plastic

industry, auto parts.

 In 2007, Indian companies invested around Euro 0.5 billion. Cumulative Indian

investments have been of USD 1 billion

 since April 1996 and 6,073 jobs have been created or maintained in France.
Agriculture
 France is the European Union's leading agricultural exporter, accounting for about 17% of all
agricultural land within the EU-27

 Agricultural production not including subsidies fell 8.5% from the preceding year to €60.6 billion
($80 billion) in 2009

 Northern France is characterized by large grain farms. Dairy, pork, poultry.

 Apple production is concentrated in the western region.

 Beef production is located in central France.

 The production of corn, fruits, vegetables, and wine ranges from central to southern France.

 France is expanding its forestry and fishery industries.

 France remains extremely cautious about the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants at the
domestic and EU levels
Fashion
 Fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France since the
17th century

 Paris, along with London, Milan, and New York City, is considered one of the
world's fashion capitals


Headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses .
Trade
 France is the second-largest trading nation in Western Europe (after Germany).

 France is the world's second-largest agricultural producer

 Principal French exports to the United States are aircraft and engines, electrical equipment,
chemicals, cosmetics, luxury products, wine and beverages, wheat, meat, and dairy products

 France is the eighth-largest trading partner of the United States.

 The destination of 70% of its exports is other EU member states.

 The United States, the sixth-largest exporter to France in recent data

Foreign Relations
 France plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United
Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the WTO, la Francophonie,
and other multilateral institutions

 France is a leader in Western Europe because of its size, location, and large
economy, membership in European organizations, strong military posture, and
energetic diplomacy.

 France continues to play an important role in Africa, especially in its former

colonies, through aid programs, commercial activities, military agreements, and
cultural impact.
Contd…
 France played a leading role in the EU's formation of a peacekeeping mission in
Chad and the Central African Republic designed to complement international
efforts in Sudan and Darfur
Trade Barriers

 France being in the European Union

 Imposes a Common External Tariff on all good that enter the country from out

with the EU

 High Standards of Quality inspections which would delay foreign goods

reaching French markets and allow French goods to be sold first.

Thank You……

Presented by:
Akansha Agarwal (5)
Hemant Nikalje (13)
Kaustav Ghosh (17)
Rohan Mehta (35)
Shashank Jain (43)
Tushar Athavale (51)