FRANCE
GEOGRAPHY
France is a country in Western Europe that is roughly hexagonal in shape. Its capital is Paris, the city of lights. It is bordered by the English Channel to the north, Luxembourg and Belgium to the northeast, Germany and Switzerland to the east, Italy to the southeast, the Mediterranean to the south, southwest by Andorra and Spain and west by the Atlantic Ocean. It is divided in 18 administrative regions, of which 13 are located in metropolitan France, while the other five are overseas regions (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Mayotte, Réunion). French has also overseas collectivities (collectivité d’outre-mer or COM), similar to the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies and other French overseas entities with a particular status, all of which became COMs by constitutional reform on 28 March 2003. Currently the collectivities are 5: French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The landscape is diverse, with mountains in the east and south, including the Alpine peak of Mont Blanc (4 810 m) which is western Europe’s highest point. Lowland France consists of four river basins, the Seine in the north, the Loire and the Garonne flowing westwards and the Rhône, which flows from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea.
HISTORY
The country of France emerged from the fragmentation of the larger Carolingian empire, when Hugues Capet became King of West France in 987. This kingdom consolidated power and expanded territorially, becoming known as “France.” Early wars were fought over land with English monarchs, including the Hundred Years War, then against the Habsburgs, especially after the latter inherited Spain and appeared to surround France. At one point France was closely associated with the Avignon Papacy, and experienced wars of religion after the Reformation between a twisting combination of Catholic and Protestant. French royal power reached its peak with the reign of Louis XIV (1642–1715), known as the Sun King, and French culture dominated Europe. Royal power collapsed fairly quickly after the financial excesses of Louis XIV and within a century France experienced the French Revolution, which began in 1789, overthrew the still-lavish spending Louis XVI (1754–1793) and established a republic. Symbol of the revolution is the Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen de 1789, the civil rights document on which the republic was based.
The French Revolution was soon eclipsed by the imperial ambitions of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), and the ensuing Napoleonic Wars saw France first militarily dominate Europe, then be defeated. The monarchy was restored, but instability followed and a second republic, second empire and third republic followed in the nineteenth century. The early twentieth century was marked by two German invasions, in 1914 and 1940, and a return to a democratic republic after liberation. France is currently in its Fifth Republic, established in 1959 during upheavals in society.
Colonialism
The French colonial empire constituted the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the “first colonial empire,” that existed until 1814, by which time most of it had been lost, and the “second colonial empire”, which began with the conquest of Algiers in 1830. The main competition included Spain, Portugal, the Dutch United Provinces and later the Kingdom of Britain . France began to establish colonies in North America, the Caribbean and India in the 17th century. A series of wars with Britain and others resulted in France losing nearly all of its conquests by 1814. France rebuilt a new empire mostly after 1850, concentrating in Africa as well as Indochina and the South Pacific. Republicans, at first hostile to empire, became supportive when Germany after 1880 started to build its own colonial empire. As it developed, the new French empire took on roles of trade with the motherland, supplying raw materials and purchasing manufactured items. Rebuilding an empire, especially regarding international power and spreading the French language and the Catholic religion. It also provided manpower in the World Wars. They used to call that “The Civilizing Mission”. ‘Civilizing’ the populations of Africa through spreading language and religion, were used as justifications for many of the brutal practices that came with the french colonial project. At its apex, it was one of the largest empires in history. However, after 1945 anti-colonial movements began to challenge European authority. The second colonial empire came to an end after the loss in later wars of Indochina (1954) and Algeria (1962), wich followed the decolonizations after 1960. The CFA franc is a currency used by 14 countries of Western and Central Africa all of which are former French colonies. The name is more than just a semantic legacy, France still plays a considerable role in the management of this ‘African’ currency. On one hand, the French government claims that the CFA franc is a factor of economic integration and monetary and financial stability. On the other hand, the opponents of the currency which include many African economists and intellectuals argue that the CFA franc represents a form of ‘monetary slavery’, which hinders the development of African economies and keeps them subservient to France. Even if it was a common practice among colonial powers to impose forms of monetary subservience, what sets France apart is the fact that its monetary empire survived the decolonisation process which began in the 1950s.
SOCIAL CULTURE AND RELIGION
Historically, French culture was influenced by Celtic and Gallo-Roman cultures as well as the Franks, a Germanic tribe. France was initially defined as the western area of Germany known as Rhineland but it later came to refer to a territory that was known as Gaul during the Iron Age and Roman era.
Language
French is the official language and the first language of 88 percent of the population but there are a number of variants based on region. In fact over 25 regional languages are spoken throughout Metropolitan France and some of these are spoken in neighboring countries such as Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Belgium. Also those living near the border of Italy may speak Italian as a second language, and Basque is spoken by people living along the French-Spanish border.
Religion
The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité (or “freedom of conscience”) enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State. Anyhow Catholicism is the predominant religion of France. The other religions in France include Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. From 23 to 28 percent of people in France do not subscribe to a religion.
Demography
France has an estimated population of 64,750,000 people which does not include overseas territories. Combined, the territories add an additional 2 million people. Metropolitan France as a population density of 117.37 people per square kilometer, which ranks 95th in the world. Paris is the largest city with its 2,14 million citizens, followed in decreasing order by Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. Unlike the majority of European countries, France appears to have a steady fertility rate of 1.9 children per woman. This phenomenon allows France to be ranked as the most fertile country in Europe. But the population is getting older every year.
Immigration
Long a country of immigration, France became a multi-ethnic society after World War Two, when millions of immigrants arrived. In addition to large numbers of migrants from Southern Europe, a big quantity arrived from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and South-East Asia (all areas of French colonial holdings until the 1950s and 1960s), as well as from countries like Turkey and from French overseas departments. Traditionally viewed as temporary economic migrants, these individuals have increasingly been accepted as permanent residents in France. This has led to the transformation of France into a multi-ethnic society. In fact, France maintains a “color-blind” model of public policy
Values
The French take immense great pride in their nation and government and are typically offended by any negative comments from foreigners about their country. They embrace style and sophistication and they embody romance and passion, in fact there is an open attitude toward sex outside of marriage. As a reflection of the country’s secular nature, it is not uncommon that children are born from unmarried couples. In addition to traditional marriage, French couples (including LGBT community) also have the choice of getting a PACS pacte civil de solidarité.
French Cusine
Food and wine are central to life at all socioeconomic levels, and much socializing is done around lengthy dinners, just like us Italians. While cooking styles have changed many still associate French cooking with expensive ingredients and complicated preparation. Some classic French dishes include boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. France also has an enormous wine production (estimated 7/8 billion bottles a year). The top wine regions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Rhone Valley, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. The country is also well known for its huge and various cheese production, In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle said “How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?“.
Clothing
Paris is known as the home of many high-end fashion houses, such as Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Many French people dress in a sophisticated, professional and fashionable style, but it is not overly fussy. Typical outfits include nice dresses, suits, long coats, scarves and berets. The term haute couture is associated with French fashion and loosely means fancier garments that are handmade or made to order. In France, the term is protected by law and fashion houses need to follow strict rules to use it.
Art
Art is everywhere in France particularly in Paris and other major cities and Gothic, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic influences can be seen in many churches and other public buildings. Many of history’s most renowned artists, including Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Camille Pissarro, sought inspiration in Paris, and they gave rise to the Impressionism movement. Some of the most important museum in the world are in France. The Louvre Museum in Paris is among the world’s largest museums and is home to many famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
Holidays and celebrations
The French celebrate the traditional Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter. They mark May Day, also known as Labor Day, on May 1. Victory in Europe Day on May 8 commemorates the end of hostilities in Europe in World War II. Bastille Day is celebrated on July 14. This is the day the Bastille fortress in Paris was stormed by revolutionaries to start the French Revolution.
POLITICS
The nation declares itself to be an “indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic“. The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France’s “attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789.” The political system of France consists of an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judicial branch. Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron) and the Government. The Government consists of the Prime Minister (Édouard Philippe) and ministers. The president is elected by direct popular vote for a period of five years. The parliament consists of a National Assembly, directly elected every five years, and a Senate whose members are chosen by an electoral college.
Welfare
France spent a large share of its national income on pensions, healthcare, unemployment benefits and other social programmes than any other wealthy country last year. With private funding added to the mix, the United States was found to be the second-highest spender on welfare. France spent 31.2 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on social programmes in 2018, according to figures published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Nonetheless in 2018 a protestants movement was born, the Gilet Jaunes. A demand to stop rising tax on fuel was only the beginning. As time progresses and protests continue, the list of demands has only increased. In a statement sent to media outlets, the ‘gilets jaunes’ movement made public a list of 40 demands they were planning on presenting to the government, including changes on housing, taxes, health, education, and public finances.
ECONOMY
The economy of France is highly developed and free-market-orientated. It is the 3rd largest economy in the European Union after Germany and United Kingdom. 28 of the 500 biggest companies of the world in 2018, according to Fortune Global 500, were French.
Despite being a widely liberalized economy, the government continues to play a significant role in the economy: government spending, at 56% of GDP in 2014, is the second highest in the European Union. The government continues to own shares in corporations in several sectors, including energy production and distribution, automobiles, transportation, and telecommunications. However these shareholdings are being rapidly sold, the state keeping mostly symbolic stakes in those companies (aside rail transportation and energy).
France has anyway 3 Economic challenges in 2019:
- High Unemployment
The unemployment rate in France was 9.1% in the second quarter of 2018, down from 9.2% in the previous period. According to Statistica, France has the fourth-highest unemployment rate among European countries.
- Lagging Competitiveness
French firms are struggling to gain market share abroad, foreign companies are attracted to doing business in France, which has become more business-friendly since Macron assumed the presidency.
- Sluggish Growth
The government had been targeting growth of 2% for 2018, but rising oil prices, a strong euro, threats of a global trade war, and political uncertainties in Europe are slowing the country’s growth.
IMPORT/EXPORT
Import
In 2017 France imported $595B, making it the 7th largest importer in the world. During the last five years the imports of France have decreased at an annualized rate of -1.5%, from $639B in 2012 to $595B in 2017. The most recent imports are led by Cars which represent 5.9% of the total imports of France, followed by Crude Petroleum, which account for 3.46%.
Export
France is the 6th largest exporter in the world. In 2017 exported 516B. Despite that, exports are decreasing at an annualized rate of -1%. The most growing exports are Planes, Helicopters, and/or Spacecraft which represent 9.4% of the total exports of France, followed by Packaged Medicaments, which account for 4.77%.
CFA CURRENCY
The CFA franc is a currency used by 14 countries of Western and Central Africa all of which are former French colonies. The name is more than just a semantic legacy, France still plays a considerable role in the management of this ‘African’ currency. On one hand, the French government claims that the CFA franc is a factor of economic integration and monetary and financial stability. On the other hand, the opponents of the currency – which include many African economists and intellectuals – argue that the CFA franc represents a form of ‘monetary slavery’, which hinders the development of African economies and keeps them subservient to France.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
U.S.-FRANCE RELATIONS
The United States and France established diplomatic relations in 1778 following the United States’ declaration of independence from Great Britain, and France provided key assistance to the United States as an ally during its war of independence. The Vichy Government of France severed diplomatic relations with the United States in 1942 during World War II; relations were normalized in 1944. The United States and France are among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5).
Relations between the United States and France are active and friendly. The two countries share common values and have parallel policies on most political, economic, and security issues. Differences are discussed frankly and have not generally been allowed to impair the pattern of close cooperation that characterizes relations between the two countries.
The U.S. and France work closely on many issues, most notably in combating terrorism, efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and on regional problems, including in Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia. As one of the P5+1 powers and as a leader of the European Union, France is working to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. France is a major contributor to the Defeat-ISIL Coalition. In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, France supports U.S. engagement in the peace process. France is one of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) top five troop contributors. The French support NATO modernization efforts and are leading contributors to the NATO Response Force. France also closely collaborates with the U.S. on international public health threats like Ebola.
France is a member of the European Union and is the United States’ third-largest trading partner in Europe (after Germany and the U.K.). Trade and investment between the United States and France are strong. In 2019, the United States and France traded more than $138 billion in goods and services. U.S. exports to France include industrial chemicals, aircraft and engines, electronic components, telecommunications, computer software, computers and peripherals, analytical and scientific instrumentation, medical instruments and supplies, and broadcasting equipment. The United States is the top destination for French investment and the United States is the largest foreign investor in France. The United States and France have a bilateral convention on investment and a bilateral tax treaty addressing, among other things, double taxation and tax evasion.
France and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, G-20, G-7, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. France also is an observer to the Organization of American States.