[prostock]

Hey i just have a question... How is france so rich? France is one of the healthiest, wealthiest countries in the world. And they have a strong economic influence. But why? I cant really recall what the french do? For example, say, Japan? They make tons of everyday products and cars, Sony, Honda, Lexus, Motorola etc... I know France makes a good quality of bottled water, Evian(sp?) but asides from that i am clueless... Would someone please fill my knowledge?

[Douai]

"With a GDP of 1.7 trillion euros (1.7×1012 €; 2005 data), France is the sixth largest economy in the world in USD exchange-rate terms, the seventh largest by purchasing power parity, while showing the lowest poverty rate amongst the large economies. According to World Bank and IMF figures, it is the third largest in Europe after Germany and the United Kingdom. It has substantial agricultural resources, a large industrial base, and a highly skilled workforce. A dynamic services sector accounts for an increasingly large share of economic activity (74% in 2006) and has been responsible for nearly all job creation in recent years. GDP growth averaged 2% between 1994 and 1998, with 3% recorded in 2000. Compared to other economies, France's GDP growth is relatively robust, the unemployment rate is high, at nearly 10%, and a rising trade deficit has characterised a malaise in the French economy since the global economic downturn in 2000. However, France's income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) has remained low compared to other economies where it has increased considerably (most notably in the United Kingdom and the United States). Moreover, France's poverty rate remains one of the lowest in the world, at 6% (compared to 18% in the UK and 15% in the US)" (Wikipedia.org)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_France

[ilv2]

agriculture and the cap among other things (tourism for example is huge for france, both w/ respect to foreign tourism and also within).

this should go in the NSR thread though

[SportBoy333]

Originally Posted by prostock

I cant really recall what the french do? For example, say, Japan? They make tons of everyday products and cars, Sony, Honda, Lexus, Motorola etc... I know France makes a good quality of bottled water, Evian(sp?) but asides from that i am clueless... Would someone please fill my knowledge?

wine ?

[Gotham PSG]

I have to say... ROFL
btw, Motorola is american

Anyway, France is the world's second agricultural producer, the world's top tourism destination, it is home to a lot of high tech companies, home to some big banks, and so on and so forth.
And Belgium isn't doing much either, but that doesn't stop them from being "rich" as you say

[Anti-footix]

Originally Posted by prostock

Hey i just have a question... How is france so rich? France is one of the healthiest, wealthiest countries in the world. And they have a strong economic influence. But why? I cant really recall what the french do? For example, say, Japan? They make tons of everyday products and cars, Sony, Honda, Lexus, Motorola etc... I know France makes a good quality of bottled water, Evian(sp?) but asides from that i am clueless... Would someone please fill my knowledge?

ask yourself who has built your Nuclear power stations or your high velocity trains and maybe you will understand why France is "so rich".
and by the way if South Korea was in Europe, maybe you would know more about renault, peugeot and citroën than about lexus and honda.
and what about Accor, Alcatel, Alstom, Air France, Airbus, Air Liquide, Arcelor, Areva, Auchan, Aventis, Bouygues, Carrefour, Danone, Elf, Eravia, Geodis, Hachette, Havas, JCDecaux, L'Oréal, Michelin, Sagem, Saint Gobain, Schneider Electric, STMicroelectronics, Total, Thales, UGC, Vinci...
the particularity of France economy is that France does a lot of BtoB outside Europe, but not a lot of BtoC. that's why French products are not known well known outside Europe.

[Pierre-Henri]

Plus, many french products are sold under un-french names. We've already talked about Gallet military armors, which are sold under another name in the USA. Same thing about Nissan, which is more or less a part of Renault. Same with banks or insurance companies. Many of them are french, but don't necessarily call themselves "Dupont Inc" or "Durand Corp".

[Nanbawan]

Originally Posted by Anti-footix

and by the way if South Korea was in Europe, maybe you would know more about renault, peugeot and citroën than about lexus and honda.

Or if he was following international motorsports.

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/f1/worldc.../standing.html

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/rall/world-10-t.html

This amusing website gave a list of products you'd have to boycott in the US if you wanted to put France into recession. It's seems to be a little more complicated than replacing French wines.

Air France. Air Liquide. Airbus. Alcatel. Allegra (allergy medication). Aqualung (including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest). AXA Advisors Bank of the West (owned by BNP Paribas). Beneteau (boats). BF Goodrich (owned by Michelin). BIC (razors, pens and lighters). Biotherm (cosmetics). Black Bush. Bollinger (champagne). Car & Driver Magazine. Cartier. Chanel. Chivas Regal (scotch). Christian Dior. Club Med (vacations). Culligan (owned by Vivendi). Dannon (yogurt and dairy foods). DKNY. Dom Perignon. Durand Crystal Elle Magazine. Essilor Optical Products. Evian. Fina Oil (billions invested in Iraqi oil fields). First Hawaiian Bank. George Magazine. Givenchy. Glenlivet (scotch). Grey Goose (Vodka). Hennessy. Jacobs Creek (owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989). Jameson (whiskey). Jerry Springer (talk show). Krups (coffee and cappuccino makers). Lancome. Le Creuset (cookware). L'Oreal (health and beauty products). Louis Vuitton. Marie Claire. Martel Cognac. Maybelline. Méphisto (shoes and clothes). Michelin (tires and auto parts). Mikasa (crystal and glass). Moet (champagne). Motel 6. Motown Records. MP3.com. Mumms (champagne). Nissan (cars; majority owned by Renault). Nivea. Normany Butter. Parents Magazine. Peugeot (automobiles). Pierre Cardin. Pierre Fabre Inc. Playstation Magazine. ProScan (owned by Thomson Electronics, France). ublicis Group (including Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising). RCA (televisions and electronics; owned by Thomson Electronics). Red Magazine. Red Roof Inns (owned by Accor group in France). Renault (automobiles). Road & Track Magazine. Roquefort cheese (all Roquefort cheese is made in France). Rowenta (toasters, irons, coffee makers, etc.). Royal Canadian. Salomon (skis). Seagram's Gin. Sierra Software and Computer Games. Smart & Final. Sofitel (hotels, owned by Accor). Sparkletts (water, owned by Danone). Spencer Gifts. Sundance Channel. Taylor Made (golf). Technicolor. T-Fal (kitchenware). Total gas stations. UbiSoft (computer games). Uniroyal. Universal Studios (music, movies and amusement parks; owned by Vivendi-Universal). USFilter. Veritas Group. Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Vittel. Vivendi. Wild Turkey (bourbon). Woman's Day Magazine. Yoplait (The French company Sodiaal owns a 50 percent stake). Yves Saint Laurent. Zodiac Inflatable Boats.

Jerry Springer...

[lefutur]

fashion and beauty products are king in france. luxury products with a french name will always sell. wines, cognacs, perfumes, cheese, clothing, jewelry, etc, etc, etc.

[vanGobbel redded]

How much of the national income is earned on the African continent i wonder? France still has huge interests over there, not?

And well, that the only French product the topicstarter knows is Evian..says enough about his intelligence