France Information

France

France is the largest country in Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; France borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, it is west of Italy and north of Spain.

Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, was an appreciated gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.

Economic Overview from the CIA: France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern economy that has featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers. It retains controlling stakes in several leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and welfare. The government has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost employment and reform the pension system. In addition, it is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labor and labor market inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek and restrictions on lay-offs. The tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the budget deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit; unemployment stands at 10%.


Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. Its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.

France has 22 Regions, Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, and Rhone-Alpes.

France

Phone international country code 33

France Government
The French Republic
la République Française

France News

France from US Sources

France Cities, Regions and Places

Antibes France

Antibes is in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Angers France

City of Angers

Angers is in the Maine-et-Loire department in the Pays de la Loire Region.

Annecy France

Annecy Lake
Le Lac d' Annecy

Annecy is in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region.

Arcachon France

Avignon France

Avignon from Ile de la Barthelasse

Avignon is in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

Avranches France
Ville de Avranches France

Besançon France
Ville de Besançon

Besançon is the Franche-Comté Capital

Bayonne France
ville de Bayonne

Bayonne across the Adour River

Bayonne is in Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers.

Bordeaux France

Bordeaux is the Aquitaine Region capitol.

Bordeaux Performing Arts
Bordeaux Living Arts

Bordeaux Picture History

Harbour at Bordeaux, 1871 by Edouard Manet

Brest France

Brest 2005

Brest is in the Finistère department in Brittany

Bretagne Region France

A large peninsula in northwest France, located south of the English Channel and North of the Bay of Biscay.
Rennes is the capital city.

Caen France
Ville de Caen

Caen is the Basse-Normandie capital

Calais France
Ville de Calais

Calais Pier and Lighthouse

Calais is in the department of Pas-de-Calais

Cannes France

Cannes Waterfront and Port

Cannes is in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Chambery France
Ville de Chambery

Chambery is

Clermont-Ferrand France

City of Clermont-Ferrand

Clermont-Ferrand is the prefecture or capital of the Puy-de-Dôme department

Dijon France
Ville de Dijon

Dijon is the Bourgogne Region capital

Grenoble France

Grenoble in the Rhône-Alpes region, and Grenoble is the capital of the Isère department.

Champagne-Ardenne Region France

City of Châlons-en-Champagne is the capital.

Chateauroux France
Ville de Chateauroux

Chateauroux is the capital of the Indre department

Châlons-en-Champagne France

Ile-de-France Region France

The capital and Largest City is Paris

La Rochelle France

La Rochelle is the Charente-Maritime department capital on the Bay of Biscay.

Languedoc-Roussillon Region France
Ville de Languedoc-Roussillon

City of Montpellier is the capital

Le Havre France
Ville du Havre

Le Havre

Le Havre is in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in north-western France.

Le Mans France

Le Mans is the capital of the Sarthe department

Lille France

Lille is the capital of the Nord-Pas de Calais region

Limoges France

Limoges is the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région.

Lyon France

The statue of Lucius Munatius Plancus in the city hall of Basel Switzerland
La statue de Lucius Munatius Plancus dans l'hôtel de ville de Bâle, Suisse

Lyon is in the Rhône-Alpes region, and located 470 km from Paris, 320 km from Marseille, 160 km from Geneva, 280 km from Turin, 450 km from Milan and 600 km from Barcelona

Lyon Picture History

Lyon River 1860

Marseille France

Port Autonome de Marseille

Marseille

Montpellier France
Ville de Montpellier

Place de la Comédie

Montpellier is the Languedoc-Roussillon region capital.

Nancy France

Nancy is in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department

Nantes France

Nantes is the Pays de la Loire region capital

Nice France
Ville de Nice

Nice is the French Riviera capital

Orleans France

Orleans is the capital of both the Loiret department and the Centre region

Perpignan France

Perpignan is the capital of the Pyrénées-Orientales department

Rennes France
Ville de Rennes

Rennes

Rennes is the capital of both the region of Brittany and the Ille-et-Vilaine department.

Rouen France
Ville de Rouen

Rouen

Rouen is the capital of Normandy, and the capital of the Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) region.

Strasbourg France
Ville de Strasbourg

View of the Ponts Couverts

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin department.

Strasbourg Performing Arts
Strasbourg Living Arts

Toulouse France
Ville de Toulouse France

The fountain in Wilson Square with the statue of Pierre Goudouli (1560-1649)
Statue en mémoire de Pierre Goudouli (1560-1649) á Toulouse

Tours France
Mairie de Tours

Town Hall and Place Jean Jaurés

Tours is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department

Versailles France

Located 17.1 km (10.6 miles) west-southwest from the center of Paris.

Thank you for visiting France Information and France Business Information.
Merci de visiter l'information de la France et L'Information D'Affaires de la France.

Contact:

©2007-2010 by Interworld. All rights reserved.