The economy

France is the industrial country with great value of an agriculture and branches of non-productive sphere. By economic potential is the second country in Western Europe after Germany.

The leading role in economy is played with some tens industrial corporations and the banks connected among themselves and with the foreign capital. They are: «Alphas-Akiten» (petroleum industry), " Peugeot-Citroen» and «Renault» (motor industry), «Alcatel» and «Thomson» (electronics), «Usinor-Sacilor» (ferrous metallurgy), «Ugine-Kuhlmann» (aluminium branch), «Rhone-Poulenc» and «Michelin» (chemical branch), «L’Oreal» (cosmetics), «Carrefour» (trade in articles of food), banks «Credit Lyonnais», «BNP Paribas», «Suez», etc. In some sectors of economy (an agriculture, trade, light and the food-processing industry) is high share of fine business.

On a degree of concentration of manufacture France lags behind Germany and Great Britain, but advances them on value of public sector in economy. The state banks provide the majority of depositary and credit operations, relative density of the state in property of the country makes more than 35%.

Leading industries are the power, mechanical engineering and the chemical industry. Special development in France was received with nuclear power which leans basically on own scientific and technical and a raw-material base, partially on export of uranium ore from Niger, Gabon and other countries of Africa. On scales of nuclear power France concedes only the USA. In the country works more than 50 atomic power stations on which it is annually made more than 70% of all electric power. There are many unique centers of nuclear power in the country. So, in Тaricasten (a valley of Rhone) — the largest factory on enrichment of uranium in the Western Europe is situated.

In the country ferrous metallurgy and melt of aluminium are well developed. 13 million ton of pig-iron and 18–20 million t of steel are annually sucelted, and about 1/3 pig-iron and steel are made in Lorraine where factories partially work on local iron ore and on the coke.

On a share of mechanical engineering it is taken more than 2/5 industrial workers and cost of an industrial output. France — one of the first countries in the world on manufacture and export of machines and the industrial equipment. Main clauses of the international specialization: manufacture of cars, aviation and space technics, arms, the equipment for the atomic power stations.

The aviarocket industry of France leads in the Western Europe. Different kinds of civil and military planes, helicopters and rockets are made for many countries of the world. The French rockets «Arian» are used by many EU countries for start of satellites (the basic cosmodrome of France — the Hen, the French Guiana). The main aviation factories in Paris and Toulouse belong to the state. Other important centers of this industry are — Bordeaux, Burj, Marinjan. The shipbuilding is developed. Large shipyards settle down in Sen, Dunkirk, and also Cherbourg and Brest where warships are built. France leads in the Europe on manufacture and export of locomotives and other railway technics, including and the equipment of undergrounds. The basic factories of this structure are in Lille, Lyons, Dijon.

France is included into number of first five countries of the world on manufacture and export of chemicals, its specialization — manufacture of mineral fertilizers (there is a raw-material base), synthetic rubber and plastic, thin chemistry.

The textile industry is developed. On manufacture of fabrics France together with Italy and Germany is in the lead in the Western Europe, differing from these countries for higher share in consumption of clap and wool and smaller value of chemical fibres. In the north (Roubaix-Turkuen, Lille, Аrmantjer, Cambre) are concentrated on woolen, linen, jute factories and a significant part of clapen. Slopes Voges and Elzas are — the main areas of the cotton industry (the centers Mulhouse, Epinal). The major manufacturers of jersey are — Troyes, Paris and Roubaix. The great value is kept with a clothing industry; its products are in great demand and outside the country. Main «fashion-maker» and the center on release of clothes and dry goods is — Paris. The food-processing industry has large scales, French wines, cheeses, confectionery products especially are famous.

France takes first place in the Western Europe on manufacture of grain, milk, the sugar beet, the second — on manufacture of meat and potato (after Germany) and grapes (after Italy), is the largest exporter of products of an agriculture. The structure of an agriculture is characterized by greater variety of branches at provisional equality of value of plant growing and animal industries. In plant growing the mainstream is — manufacture of grain.

Leading culture is wheat. The basic areas on cultivation of wheat are — North-French and Akvitan lowlands. Value of corn (the main crops in a southwest) and barley are great. On poor Central graund the rye is cultivated, in delta of Rhone — fig. Important role is played with widely spread potato and sugar beet, which crops, as well as sugar factories, are concentrated in northern part of North French lowland. In some places considerable value hop, flax, tobacco, sunflower, flower plantations have.

The basic part of grapes goes on manufacturing of wine — on the average more than 55–60 million gl a year. On manufacture of grape wines and their quality France takes first place in the world. Marks of drinks «Champagne», «Cognac», «Cahors wine» are widely known all over the world. The main area of wine growing is — Languedoc gives about 1/3 manufactures of faults, but these are mainly ordinary wines. Vintage wines are made in Bordeaux (Gironde), Champagne, Alsace, a valley of Loire. Fruit growing and vegetable growing are the basic specialization of many small areas supplying with vegetables and fruit of citis and industrial regions, first of all Paris.

Animal industries has meat-and-milk direction, the major branch — has cultivation of large horned livestock. The main cattle-breeding area — Northwest, here is grown up 1/3 number of cattle, are developed pig and horse breeding. The second area on a number of cattle and pigs and the main area of sheep breeding is Central France. The animal industries in the Mediterranean France where the forage reserve is poor is poorly developed.