Iran & France: Trade & Exhibition Information

Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Area:

545,630 sq km (339,054 sq miles) (not including overseas territories).

Description:

France, the largest country in Europe, is bordered to the north by the English Channel (La Manche), the northeast by Belgium and Luxembourg, the east by Germany, Switzerland and Italy, the south by the Mediterranean (with Monaco as a coastal enclave between Nice and the Italian frontier), the southwest by Spain and Andorra, and the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The island of Corsica, southeast of Nice, is made up of two départements. The country offers a spectacular variety of scenery, from the mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees to the attractive river valleys of the Loire, Rhône and Dordogne and the flatter countryside in Normandy and on the Atlantic coast. The country has some 2,900km (1,800 miles) of coastline.

Population:

61.8 million (2008 estimate).

Languages:

French is the official language. There are many regional dialects, but these are rapidly declining, with the exception of Basque, which is spoken as a first language by some people in the southwest, and Breton,which is spoken by some in Brittany. Many people speak at least some English.

Climate:

A temperate climate in the north; northeastern areas have a more continental climate with warm summers and colder winters. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with some snow likely in winter. The Jura Mountains have an alpine climate. Lorraine, sheltered by bordering hills, has a relatively mild climate. Mediterranean climate in the south; mountains are cooler with heavy snow in winter.

Economy - overview:

France has the sixth-largest economy in the world, after the USA, Japan, Germany, China and the UK, and has an annual per capita income of over US$32,000. It has a wide industrial and commercial base, covering everything from agriculture to light and heavy industrial concerns, advanced technology and a burgeoning service sector.
France is also Western Europe's leading agricultural nation with over half of its land area devoted to farming and the country is famously one of the world's leading wine producers.
French companies are prominent in many industries, particularly steel, motor vehicles, aircraft, mechanical and electrical engineering, textiles, chemicals and food processing. In advanced industrial sectors, France has one of the world's largest nuclear power industries, which meets nearly three-quarters of the country's energy requirements, and is a world leader in computing and telecommunications.
The service sector is dominated by tourism, which has long been a major foreign currency earner.
In 2007, economic growth was at 2.3%, with a relatively high unemployment rate of 8.3%.

Economy:

France has the sixth-largest economy in the world, after the USA, Japan, Germany, China and the UK, and has an annual per capita income of over US$32,000. It has a wide industrial and commercial base, covering everything from agriculture to light and heavy industrial concerns, advanced technology and a burgeoning service sector.
France is also Western Europe's leading agricultural nation with over half of its land area devoted to farming and the country is famously one of the world's leading wine producers.
French companies are prominent in many industries, particularly steel, motor vehicles, aircraft, mechanical and electrical engineering, textiles, chemicals and food processing. In advanced industrial sectors, France has one of the world's largest nuclear power industries, which meets nearly three-quarters of the country's energy requirements, and is a world leader in computing and telecommunications.
The service sector is dominated by tourism, which has long been a major foreign currency earner.
In 2007, economic growth was at 2.3%, with a relatively high unemployment rate of 8.3%.

Industries:

machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Exports:
Machinery, equipment, aircraft, chemicals and beverages.

Imports:
Vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics and chemicals.

Main trade partners: Germany, Italy, UK, USA and The Netherlands.

Exchange rates:

Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/92/money/Europe/France.html

GDP :

US$2.56 trillion (2007).