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Ember Zora's Mom Answers Activity
Ember Zora is a star in these topics:
Getting Pregnant > Could I Be Pregnant? (5 helpful answers)
Pregnancy > Pregnancy Sleep & Dreams (4 helpful answers)
Pregnancy > Giving Birth (5 helpful answers)
why no one helps me!?
Most recent answer (03/19/2013):
I know this is old ,but i'm new here and it takes days for people to answer.posted by a BabyCenter Member
is it safe to have pets at home while pregnant?
Most recent answer (02/08/2013):
It's not dangerous for you to be around it... you just need to have someone else clean up the cage :)posted by ak47izme
When do you usually get the first ultrasound?
Most recent answer (02/07/2013):
My 1st appt was at 7 weeks pregnant and they did a vaginal ultrasound. Baby was too small to see with regular ultrasound where they put i...posted by carson2012_mommy
is it safe to eat coconut milk in a meal?
Most recent answer (02/07/2013):
Coconut milk is really good for you and shrimp are small and shouldn't be a concern when it comes to mercury content unless you ate a ton...posted by Ember Zora
Hi I'm 17 weeks can I continue to drink coffee and coke as much as I use to?
Most recent answer (02/07/2013):
My OB reccomended 150mg of caffiene intake a day was a safe amount. I drank coffee and soda every day with DS and I had zero complication...posted by Ember Zora
Most recent answer (02/07/2013):
Join a board. The mom answers section of this website isn't used as much. Community boards are more resourceful and tend to have more peo...posted by a BabyCenter Member


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Toronto, ON The You Can Play Project, founded by Patrick Burke, Brian Kitts, and Glenn Witman, is making great strides to create safe locker rooms for all athletes despite sexual orientation. Now, I don't mean to take away from this great cause by talking about my own personal plight with discrimination in the fan community. I have a degree in Sexual Diversity Studies, and I support this project 100%. You Can Play delivers the message that an athlete shouldn't be judged, or terrorized, or overlooked based on his/her sexual preferences, so why is it OK for female hockey fans to continue to be ostracized and belittled for theirs?
For many female hockey fans, especially teenagers, the rink is an unsafe and unhealthy environment. While hockey fans may cast the cold eye of scrutiny on a player after he takes a stupid penalty, many female hockey fans endure that same scrutiny for all 60 minutes of regulation, and the duration of the intermissions, too! All night long people around the rink watch them looking for telltale signs that these women are there to meet the players, are there because they are sleeping with the players, or are there because they want to sleep with the players. Such signs may include that their hair is too blonde, or their pants too tight, or, gasp, they may have decided to put on some lipstick. And how about the women who try desperately to land their dream jobs in sport, and have to fight 110% harder to prove their knowledge of the game and authenticity as a "non-puck bunny" to their coworkers? Or the women who start blogs or join online hockey communities, but shy away from providing a female's perspective on the game out of fear that it will be interpreted as membership to Club Bunny? Being a fan is supposed to be fun, and yet for most of us it is exhausting.
Maybe you don't see this as discrimination against sexual orientation, but I do. I mean isn't chauvinism rooted in the belief that women are meant to be submissive and subservient to men both in and out of the bedroom? In hockey women have been given artificial status solely on the fact that we like men (or are assumed to like men). Is it really so wrong if we find a hockey player attractive? Do we change as people if we choose to involve ourselves with one? Not so much.
Of course for you Psycho Lady Hockey regulars, none of this is new territory. What I think pisses me off the most, is not that we are judged for being attracted to hockey players, but that we are also labeled as whores who are continually used, abused, and humiliated by the players. This is obviously a common sentiment among jock sniffers. Not sure why. They must be jealous or something. Why is it that no one ever stops to consider that "puck bunnies" (a.k.a. any woman ever sexually involved with a hockey player) are actually in control of their sex lives? Do you really assume that we are all stupid and use sex as a way to trap a man that would never want us?
I'm going to talk about myself for a minute. Shocking, right? An example of the aforementioned stupidity came when I posted my last article on my OHL/AHL game experiences so far this season. Some guy left the usual moronic comment about how I'm just bitter that no hockey player will ever take me seriously. I'm not really sure what that had to do with the article, but it got me to thinking about how I've never taken a hockey player "seriously," so why is it a crime if none of them have seen me as wife material? People always make assumptions about the women who have been involved with hockey players. For some reason the assumption is that we throw ourselves at their feet (read: crotch), they take advantage of us, and then break our stupid slut hearts. Hmm… I can't speak for all girls, but I can estimate with a lot of confidence that hockey players do the pursuing 95% of the time. I've never "thrown myself" at anyone – both hockey players, and non. Oh, and believe it or not, most women have the brain cells to know that if they are consenting to something casual that it's not going to be something more than that. Painting us all as deserving victims is unbelievably offensive. We have needs (and brains), too.
I guess the other eyebrow that was raised by people who assume I am just the "average" slutty mess patrolling arenas for a good time, is that I'm not even "on the market" right now. Relax, I'm still single. Not that it's any of your business, but I've just returned from 15 months in Japan. It messed with my head probably more than any of you could ever understand. I lived in the middle of nowhere. I was the only visible foreigner in the entire place. I was stared at wherever I went. It would not be uncommon for people to act aggressively toward me because I was visibly different. At 5'9" I was much taller, and much bigger than most people, so even though I am not overweight, it was hard not to feel like I was practically obese. Also, western women are typically treated like prostitutes. I don't think I have to remind you about the Starbucks masturbator. So, naturally, I was celibate the entire time. Maybe this wouldn't have been the case if I was living in a big city like Tokyo, or my city in Korea, but I wasn't. And because of this I have a very warped sense of what I even look like right now. So, since I am a mighty female with a grasp on my sexuality and sexual limitations, I know that it is probably not a good idea to get involved with anyone (seriously or casually) until my brain clicks back over to North America. So, yeah, I can say with all honesty that hockey players (and guys in general) are not on my radar at the moment, and the thought is definitely not even crossing my mind at the rink, but, unfortunately, the truth isn't going to stop strangers from judging me or any other girl at the game.
So I guess what I'm trying to say with this whole rant is that I think the female hockey community needs their own You Can Play project. There isn't enough being done for women's equality in sport. If you have a love for the game, or just a damn ticket, then I think you should be allowed to watch it in peace. Two years ago, James Wisniewski of the New York Islanders was suspended for making a homophobic, cock sucking gesture to Sean Avery. The League was right to come down on the incident, and stamp out the flames of homophobia which are so prevalent in sport. However, every time a female hockey fan is scrutinized because of her sexual preferences or basic anatomy, she is labeled a puck bunny. And, well, we all know the implications that go along with that label, so really, this is no different than reducing us all to nothing more than a bunch of cock suckers.
Click here to check out You Can Play.
Tags: female hockey fans, You Can Play

subset: commoncrawl


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The Time Flies Baby And Everything Else BluesSerge Bielanko
Violet is three years old now, which makes me think back to when she was three days old. Back then, I can recall wondering to myself, "Man oh man, I wonder what she is going to be like/who she is gonna be, when she is three years old?"
As soon as people find out that you have a baby at home they want to let you know that time flies by.
"Pay attention, hoss," they tell you with a stern smile, "You pay good close attention because kids grow up real fast and the whole damn thing goes by in the squeak of a frog's fart."
To be honest, I took their warnings for granted for awhile. But, you know, I was wrong; I'm always wrong.
Now, my little girl is three and I keep looking around, trying hard to figure out when exactly we pulled in to this particular station. I got on a big bus about thirty seconds ago, people. So what's going on?
How is this happening?
And in all seriousness: why?
You can stand there in your Levis that you've been wearing for like two weeks straight, holding a chewed-up Frisbee while the dog keeps firing perfectly spaced shotgun shells off on the front stoop outside the rickety screen door of your ear, barking his commands at you as if he came and picked you out of a litter four years ago and took you down to the store and bought you a leash and some food and some plastic sheets for you to poop on in the car if you had to take things in that direction while he drove you home to be his muse and his pillow and to lick his bowl when he is done.
You can stand there in all that savage noise of your life popping off/the two p.m. sun beating down on you with a stick made out of sky/and you can watch your daughter chasing one of those dime-a-dozen white butterflies across the yard, the kind that look like two communion wafers eloping on some thermal wind, and you can see her legs carrying her over the new green grass. You can watch, and almost feel it, as her naked feet move her so swift, tagging down in some lush uncut clump of emerald and then launching her back into space as she reaches out to grab at something wilder than any mountain on Earth, something she could never catch in a million years, and when it finally slams into the back of your aging skull that she is growing up now and she is so much more than you could have ever freaking dreamed she would be that first moment you touched her face/her hot pinkishness and fell so madly in love with her that God himself stopped his fishing for a minute and peered down off of the side of his bass boat to see just what a proud papa was hatching down there on that little blue and green rock in the shallows of the deep dark lake: only then will you realize that you are always gonna be a couple of steps behind all the love in your heart because it's too damn big, man, for even you handle.
Only then, hoss, are you gonna remember to remember what they told you all along.
That it's fast/fast/fast.
And it's quick/quick/quick.


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INDIANAPOLIS Manti Te'o climbed the steps of a stage he'd kept waiting for weeks.
He addressed hundreds of reporters for nearly 15 minutes.
In the end, the former Notre Dame linebacker and center to arguably the strangest sports story in recent memory ended his cool, composed and, certainly, coached responses to questions with maybe his most genuine thought about an odd, odd episode.
"Hopefully after this," Te'o said, "I answered the things I needed to answer, and we can move on with football."
On Saturday, Te'o faced an open forum in his first news conference since being apparently duped into loving a man who was pretending to be a girl and later faked the factious girl's death. Te'o reportedly learned about the hoax in December but continued to publicly mourn the girl he once described meeting after a football game.
Te'o has already begun speaking with teams at the NFL Combine.
All of them, he said, have asked about Lennay Kekua, the conjured girlfriend.
"I've learned just to be honest in anything and everything you do, from the big things to the small things," Te'o said. "Secondly, to keep your circle (of friends) very small and to understand who's really in your corner and who's not. I think going off of the season my team and I had, there's a lot of people in our corner. Then when January 16 happened, there's a lot of people in the other corner.
"I just learned to appreciate the people that I have that are with me and to just make sure you always try to turn a negative thing into a positive."
Teams will continue to interview Te'o through the draft process.
He said he's scheduled for 20 formal interviews with teams at the NFL Combine. On Monday, questions must be answered on the field, where he'll participate in athleticism drills and tests at Lucas Oil Stadium. There are concerns about his speed, but he is still expected to be chosen in the first two days of the draft.
As for the hoax Te'o addressed on center stage, he called the whole ordeal "embarrassing."
He hopes the worst is behind him.
"I think the toughest moment, to be honest with you," Te'o said, "was a phone call that I got from my sister where she told me that they had to sneak my own family in their home because there were people parked out in the yard and stuff like that. That had to be the hardest part.
"And for me, something that I've always had a problem with is when I can't do something about it; I can't help. To know that my family was in this situation because of the actions I committed was definitely the hardest part for me."
Escobar's time
When Gavin Escobar dipped his head across the finish line Saturday in the 40-yard dash, the electronic timer stopped at 4.84 seconds.
Record breaking? No.
Enough? Could be.
The former San Diego State tight end posted, yes, a less-than-spectacular time in the vertical speed measurement, but it's not sure to persuade evaluators to downgrade him. Hand-held timers registered Escobar more favorably — closer to the sub-4.8 area — and with his game film, that may do just fine.
Escobar is a fluid receiver and presents a large target at 6-feet-6 and 254 pounds.
He caught 51 passes for 780 yards and seven touchdowns in 2011 and followed with 42 receptions, 543 yards and six scores as a junior.
Escobar declared for the draft early and has drawn favorable comparisons from Mike Mayock throughout the Combine.
The NFL Network draft analyst said Saturday that Escobar "looked like Gronkowski" on a catch he made against TCU on a seam route. He's also said evaluators have likened his skill set to Tony Gonzalez.
Escobar had the second fastest time among tight ends in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, timing at 7.07 and 4.31 seconds, respectively.


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Townhome Fireplace, Built-ins, Wainscoting, and Molding - Before and After from an amaturecomments (1) April 20th, 2011 in Project Gallery
My own home by an amature wood worker. After looking at sky-rocketing cost estimates and generic options offered, I decided to take on the task of creating a quality classical Living, Dining Room, and Kitchen finishes myself. This included a Fire place mantle surround that had an odd size requiring a custom mantle & surround, built-in shelving flanking the fireplace, crown molding, and to really challenge me - let's try some wainscoting for the first time.
1. Wainscoting - after searching options for custom, prefab, etc. I could not find what I liked until one day I ran across the November 1996 Fine HomeBuilding article "Installing Elegant Wainscot Paneling". SHIZZAM, a light went on!!! I followed his recommendations to a "T" and WOW!, it looks awesome and is actually not that hard. Everyone that visits thinks it was done by a carpentar. Cost including material and some of the tools I did not have ran about $20-$25 per foot when all was done. Being a perfectionist, the hardest part was finding the overlay moulding I liked; the top chair rail was made to dimension with stock and profiling to my liking with rounding router bit. Jim Chestnut, you rock!
2. Fire Place - I had an odd size smaller fire place wall, so I could not find any stone or wood surround mantel pre-made. So, I worked with the folks over at White River Moldings (www.whiteriver.com) to come-up with details for a built-in-place custom surround. Throw in some marble surround facing and Holy Mantel Batman! It came out great. Costs for the mantle surround marble, S8 popler wood, ornament & molding pieces from White-River, etc. came out to a around $1400.
Tip: Run through the details many times. Enlist the free design services that these vendors offer for free. www.whiteriver.com
3. Crown Molding - Contractor estimates were coming in above $30 per foot installed for cheap / generic molding pieces. Besides being costly, the proposals just looked like standard Home Depot stock, blah!!! So, with tall 11' ceilings, I decided to splurge on one of White-River Molding's more expensive $12 to $14 per foot larger paint grade molding with a terriffic egg & dart detail (bought from www.manufacturer.com), I spent about $3,400 to install roughly 250ft of molding in 5 rooms and an entry hallway.
As this was 6" - 7" molding, the key task that took the longest was creating the molding support and nailing block system...wanting this to be quality, I created a hidden nailing block the full run of the molding. It did not cost me anything for the moulding nailing system as I was able to use scrap plywood from my wainscoting project to build the molding nailing & support system.
Tip: Don't skimp on the nailing block system, but don't make tolerences too close to the molding so you have room to adjust the moulding when installing if needed.
4. Built-ins Shelving surrounding the fireplace - I created beautiful surround shelves flanking the fireplace, with glass shelving and mirrored backs, and hidden lighting for about $1300. (Popler Wood, frame lumber, mirror backing, glass shelving, low voltage lighting, and ornamental wood detail)
Normally, the professionals would build the main box off-site and bring it in, but because I had some settled structure and drywall that was not straight, I decided to measure and build-in-place a floating system. what the Heck, my labor was cheap :)
I finished it off with glass shelves and a mirrored back to make it look professional, and custom high end. Within the shelving frame design, I ran conduit so I install low voltage lighting, with a hidden static sensor switch to turn on the lighting with the touch of a finger.
Key Tip - take your time to get the upfront design and details you want front before you start. You will be thankful you did. Go with quality lighting detail, it is worth it. If including low voltage lighting, make sure you mount the transformer within the shelf where if can be acessed if needed. I created a removable hidden panel to access.
Also, for better looking built-ins, run the shelving up to the top of the ceiling, and create an eve that better integrates the shelf in with the rest of the room and ceiling moulding. In my opinion, seeing these tall ceilings with squat looking shelving that stops 3/4 up does not look built in.
Design or Plan used: Fine Homebuilding Nov 1996 - Installing Elegant Wainscot Paneling - Jim Chestnut
posted in: Project Gallery, kitchen, finish carpentry, cabinets, walls, living room, built-ins, dining room, fireplaces and chimneys, federal, biscuit joiner, crown moulding, fireplace surround, wainscot, panel moulding, shelves, white-river
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Posted: 9:09 am on April 26th
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Ultimate Deck Build 2016: Critical Connections Part 1: Ledger
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Though drug trafficking was the theme of some of her songs, she was not considered a singer of "narco corridos," or ballads glorifying drug lords like other groups, such as Los Tigres del Norte. She was better known for singing about her troubles in love and disdain for men.
Her parents were Mexicans who had migrated to the United States. Two of her five brothers, Lupillo and Juan Rivera, are also well-known singers of grupero music.
She studied business administration and formally debuted on the music scene in 1995 with the release of her album "Chacalosa". Due to its success, she recorded two more independent albums, "We Are Rivera" and "Farewell to Selena," a tribute album to slain singer Selena that helped expand her following.
At the end of the 1990s, Rivera was signed by Sony Music and released two more albums. But widespread success came for her when she joined Fonovisa and released her 2005 album titled "Partier, Rebellious and Daring."
Besides being a singer, she is also a businesswoman and actress, appearing in the indie film Filly Brown, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, as the incarcerated mother of Filly Brown.
She was filming the third season of "I love Jenni," which followed her as she shared special moments with her children and as she toured through Mexico and the United States. She also has the reality shows: "Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis and Raq-C" and her daughter's "Chiquis 'n Control."
In 2009, she was detained at the Mexico City airport when she declared $20,000 in cash but was really carrying $52,167. She was taken into custody. She said it was an innocent mistake and authorities gave her the benefit of the doubt and released her.
In 2011, her brother Juan assaulted a drunken fan at a popular fair in Guanajuato. In the face of heavy criticism among her fans and on social networks, Rivera publicly apologized for the incident during a concert in Mexico City, telling her fans: "Thank you for accepting me as I am, with my virtues and defects."
On Saturday night, Rivera had given a concert before thousands of fans in Monterrey. After the concert she gave a press conference during which she spoke of her emotional state following her recent divorce from former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who played for teams including the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
"I can't get caught up in the negative because that destroys you. Perhaps trying to move away from my problems and focus on the positive is the best I can do. I am a woman like any other and ugly things happen to me like any other woman," she said Saturday night. "The number of times I have fallen down is the number of times I have gotten up."
Rivera had announced in October that she was divorcing Loaiza after two years of marriage.
There have been several high-profile crashes involving Learjets, known as swift, longer-distance passenger aircraft popular with corporate executives, entertainers and government officials.
A Learjet carrying pro-golfer Payne Stewart and five others crashed in northeastern South Dakota in 1999. Investigators said the plane lost cabin pressure and all on board died after losing consciousness for lack of oxygen. The aircraft flew for several hours on autopilot before running out of fuel and crashing in a corn field.
Former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker was severely injured in a 2008 Learjet crash in South Carolina that killed four people.
That same year, a Learjet slammed into rush-hour traffic in a posh Mexico City neighborhood, killing Mexico's No. 2 government official, Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, and eight others on the plane, plus five people on the ground.
Associated Press Writer Galia Garcia-Palafox and Olga R. Rodriguez contributed to this report from Mexico City.
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Much of central and eastern Pennsylvania was shut down Thursday. Schools closed, businesses shuttered and government workers were told to stay home as the state awoke to perhaps the worst storm of the season—but appeared poised to avoid the power outages and large-scale traffic problems that plagued it last week.
Friday was shaping up to be a similar ghost-town scene in many communities, with many schools and businesses making the call to remain closed or open late because of a second round of snow falling Thursday night into Friday morning.
In New Cumberland, across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, people were clearing snow from their driveways even as falling snowflakes piled up on their coats and caps.
"It's like having childhood again," said Kelly Hambright, who cleared off her van Thursday morning as two of her children played in the yard.
"The kids love it, it's a lot of fun and my husband is a snow plower," the 39-year-old said. "This is a blessing for us. I know for everyone else it's a hassle and a pain, but it's been good because in the winter they don't work unless it snows."
Others had nothing good to say about the nasty weather.
Shoveling snow in front of a Philadelphia row house, Ricardo Perez said he was tired before he even started.
Perez said he took a bus from another section of the city to get to work, but the vehicle got stuck. Perez and another man had to help the driver get the bus back on its way.
"So I had to do twice the work the today," he said. "I got here super-tired."
By mid-afternoon, snow amounts ranged from 2.5 inches in Union County, north of State College, to more than 16 inches in the Philadelphia suburb of Uwchlan Township, Chester County.
Gov. Tom Corbett said about 1,600 customers remained without power as of 4 p.m., down from a peak of 5,851 at noon, a far cry from the hundreds of thousands affected by last week's ice storm.
Nearly 800 National Guard troops were deployed to local armories as a precaution against emergencies resulting from the storm, but Corbett spokesman Steve Chizmar said there were no major problems that required their services as of Thursday evening.
"They're there waiting for calls," he said. "I hope we don't get the calls, but we're prepared."
In Hershey, the snow was blamed as the likely cause of a partial collapse of the roof of a maintenance storage facility at the Hershey Nursery on Thursday morning, according to PennLive.com.
No one was injured. Damage was estimated at $70,000, Scott Stein, assistant chief of the Hershey Volunteer Fire Co., told the website.
Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia contributed to this report.


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Why Hello there I am CARNAGEWOLFF and I luv drawing and art.
I came to Australia at the age of two from the far away land known as London (England of course). Also being part Irish and Italian I LOVE pasta <3
My fav animal is a Wolf as you could probably tell from my art..
I love funny random things and enjoy drawing little stick men on everything when im bored. I love art and hope you like my art just as much as I liked drawing or creating it
In the future I would enjoy being an art teacher
Deviantartists that have shown up in some of my art


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RISMEDIA, April 10, 2009-This week's headlines from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS include: REALTORS® say FHA is key to the housing rebound; financial solutions offered through NAR's REALTOR Benefits® Program; and April savings through the Right Tools, Right Now initiative.
FHA Key to Housing Rebound, Say REALTORS®
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Paris. Source: Taxiarchos228/Wikipedia
France is a nation of sixty-five million people located in western Europe (Metropolitan France which includes the island of Corsica and has sixty-three million people) and in five overseas regions ( French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion with a combined two million people).
It the largest nation in western Europe by area, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the United Kingdom; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain.
Its major environmental issues include:
- some forest damage from acid rain;
- air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
- water pollution from urban wastes, and agricultural runoff
Metropolitan France is susceptible to flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; and forest fires in south near the Mediterranean.
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 hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations.
In recent decades, 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.
In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper. For details of these regions, see their individual articles.
Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island. There is a territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana. France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land). France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia.
Location: metropolitan France: 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
Geographic Coordinates: metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
Area: 643,801 sq km (land: 640,427 sq km; water: 3,374 sq km;) -- metropolitan France - 551,500 sq km (land: 549,970 sq km; water: 1,530 sq km) Note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion
Land Boundaries: metropolitan France: 2,889 km (Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km).
Coastline: 4,853 km (metropolitan France: 3,427 km)
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural Hazards: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; and forest fires in south near the Mediterranean.
Terrain: metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east The highest point is highest point: Mont Blanc (4,807 m) and the lowest point is the Rhone River delta (-2 m). Note: in order to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit
Climate: metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
Topology of metropolitan France with cities with populations over 100,000 indicated. Source: David Monniaux/Wikipedia
Ecology and Biodiversity
See: Ecoregions of France
Ecoregions of France. Source: World Wildlife Fund.
Atlantic mixed forests include coastal vegetation formations of dunes and heathlands with vegetation that thrives in salty soil. Sand dune systems occur along the southwestern coast of France, the region known as Les Landes, covered by both natural and planted forests of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster).
Western European broadleaf forests are found through the middle of France, extending into Germany.
Alps conifer and mixed forests are located in Southeastern France and are very important as they contribute much of what is left of the original forest cover of central and southern Europe.
Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests are located in the Southeast corner bordering Italy.
Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests encompass Southern France.
Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests are located in the Pyrenees, a mountain system that bridges Central and Mediterranean Europe and contains high levels of biodiversity and many endemic species.
Cantabrian mixed forests serve as a transition ecotonal zone between the Eurosiberian and the Mediterranean biogeographic regions in Europe, which spreads in a west-east direction along 600 kilometers (km), from the Galician Atlantic coasts (Finisterre Cape) to the Western extreme of the Pyrenees.
On Corsica:
Corsican montane broadleaf and mixed forests (PA1204) are located on Corsica, north of Sardina in the Mediterranean Sea.
Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests extend along the coastal lowlands of Corsica.
See also:
|This true-color MODIS image centered on France shows snow dusting the Alps, which separate France from Italy, to the southeast. North of Italy are Switzerland and the western edge of Austria. Further north are Germany, and the Netherlands. In between the Netherlands and France is Belgium. In the lower left, the Pyrenees separate France from Spain. Source: NASA
|Limestone cliffs near Étretat, Normandy. Source: Wikimedia Commons
|The Dordogne river, as seen from Domme in the Aquitaine department is southwest France. France. Source; Wikimedia Commons
|Lavender field, Provance. Source: Wikimedia Commons
People and Society
Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, travel, and invasion. Three basic European ethnic stocks--Celtic, Latin, and Teutonic (Frankish)--have blended over the centuries to make up its present population. France's birth rate was among the highest in Europe from 1945 until the late 1960s. Since then, its birth rate has fallen but remains higher than that of most other west European countries. Traditionally, France has had a high level of immigration.
The government does not keep statistics on religious affiliation; according to a January 2007 poll, 51% of respondents describe themselves as Catholic, and another 31% describe themselves as having no religious affiliation. There also are Muslim, Protestant, and Jewish minorities. France is home to both the largest Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe. More than 1 million Muslims immigrated to France in the 1960s and early 1970s from North Africa, especially Algeria. In 2004, there were over 6 million Muslims, largely of North African descent, living in France.
Education is free, beginning at age 2, and mandatory between ages 6 and 16. The public education system is highly centralized. Private education is primarily Roman Catholic. Higher education in France began with the founding of the University of Paris in 1150. It now consists of 91 public universities and 175 professional schools, including the post-graduate Grandes Ecoles. Private, college-level institutions focusing on business and management with curriculums structured on the American system of credits and semesters have been growing in recent years.
The French language derives from the vernacular Latin spoken by the Romans in Gaul, although it includes many Celtic and Germanic words. Historically, French has been used as the international language of diplomacy and commerce. Today it remains one of six official languages at the United Nations and has been a unifying factor in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean.
Population: 65,630,692 (July 2012 est.)Note: the above figure is for metropolitan France and five overseas regions; the metropolitan France population is 62,814,233
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 6,180,905/female 5,886,849)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 21,082,175/female 21,045,867)
65 years and over: 16.8% (male 4,578,089/female 6,328,834) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 0.497% (2012 est.)
Birthrate: 12.72 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Death Rate: 8.85 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 81.46 years
male: 78.35 years
female: 84.73 years (2012 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 2.08 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Languages: French (official) 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: (age 15 and over can read and write): 99% (2003 est.)
Urbanization: 85% of total population (2010) growing at an annual rate of change of 1% (2010-15 est.)
France was one of the earliest countries to progress from feudalism to the nation-state. Its monarchs surrounded themselves with capable ministers, and French armies were among the most innovative, disciplined, and professional of their day. During the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), France was the dominant power in Europe. But overly ambitious projects and military campaigns of Louis and his successors led to chronic financial problems in the 18th century. Deteriorating economic conditions and popular resentment against the complicated system of privileges granted the nobility and clerics were among the principal causes of the French Revolution (1789-94). Although the revolutionaries advocated republican and egalitarian principles of government, France reverted to forms of absolute rule or constitutional monarchy four times--the Empire of Napoleon, the Restoration of Louis XVIII, the reign of Louis-Philippe, and the Second Empire of Napoleon III. After the Franco-Prussian War (1870), the Third Republic was established and lasted until the military defeat of 1940.
World War I (1914-18) brought great losses of troops and material. In the 1920s, France established an elaborate system of border defenses (the Maginot Line) and alliances to offset resurgent German strength. France was defeated early in World War II, however, and was occupied in June 1940. That July, the country was divided into two: one section being ruled directly by the Germans, and a second controlled by the French ("Vichy" France) and which the Germans did not occupy. German and Italian forces occupied all of France, including the "Vichy" zone, following the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. The "Vichy" government largely acquiesced to German plans, namely in the plunder of French resources and the forceful deportations of tens of thousands of French Jews living in France to concentration camps across Europe, and was even more completely under German control following the German military occupation of November 1942. Economically, a full one-half of France's public sector revenue was appropriated by Germany. After 4 years of occupation and strife in France, Allied forces liberated the country in 1944.
France emerged from World War II to face a series of new problems. After a short period of provisional government initially led by Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the Fourth Republic was set up by a new constitution and established as a parliamentary form of government controlled by a series of coalitions. French military involvement in both Indochina and Algeria combined with the mixed nature of the coalitions and a consequent lack of agreement caused successive cabinet crises and changes of government.
Finally, on May 13, 1958, the government structure collapsed as a result of the tremendous opposing pressures generated by 4 years of war with Algeria. A threatened coup led the Parliament to call on General de Gaulle to head the government and prevent civil war. Marking the beginning of the Fifth Republic, he became prime minister in June 1958 and was elected president in December of that year. The Algerian conflict also spurred decades of increased immigration from the Maghreb states, changing the composition of French society.
Seven years later, for the first time in the 20th century, the people of France went to the polls to elect a president by direct ballot. De Gaulle won re-election with a 55% share of the vote, defeating Francois Mitterrand. In April 1969, President de Gaulle's government conducted a national referendum on the creation of 21 regions with limited political powers. The government's proposals were defeated, and de Gaulle subsequently resigned. Succeeding him as president of France have been Gaullist Georges Pompidou (1969-74), Independent Republican Valery Giscard d'Estaing (1974-81), Socialist Francois Mitterrand (1981-95), neo-Gaullist Jacques Chirac (1995-2007), and center-right Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-present).
While France continues to revere its rich history and independence, French leaders have increasingly tied the future of France to the European Union (EU). France was integral in establishing the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 and was among the EU's six founding states. During his tenure, President Mitterrand stressed the importance of European integration and advocated the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty on European economic and political union, which France's electorate narrowly approved in 1992.
Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., France has played a central role in counterterrorism efforts. French forces have participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan. France did not, however, join the coalition that liberated Iraq in 2003.
In October and November 2005, 3 weeks of violent unrest in France's largely immigrant suburbs focused the country's attention on its minority communities. In the spring of 2006, students protested widely over restrictive employment legislation. In May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy was elected as France's sixth president under the Fifth Republic, signaling French approval of widespread economic and social reforms, as well as closer cooperation with the United States. By midway through his 5-year term, Sarkozy faced mounting pressure to revive the economy, lower unemployment, and reduce the government's sizable budget deficit. The most notable reform in 2010 was raising the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 and from 65 to 67 for full benefits. A poll in November 2011 showed a 40% approval rating for Sarkozy, a 12-month high and up from 29% in April.
On the international front, President Sarkozy has reintegrated France into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), confirmed France's commitments to Afghanistan, and worked closely with the United States on the Iran nuclear issue. Although a 2005 French referendum was responsible for the defeat of a treaty to establish a constitution for Europe, France later backed the Lisbon Treaty--a main priority of Sarkozy during France's EU presidency in the latter half of 2008. The Lisbon Treaty took effect in December 2009. France continues to play a leading role in the EU, particularly in the development of a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). In July 2008, France was instrumental in launching the Union for the Mediterranean (UM), a continuation of the EU Barcelona Process. France and Egypt held the first rotating co-presidency, which serves as a forum for political and economic cooperation between the EU and its Mediterranean neighbors. The second biennial conference scheduled for 2010 was indefinitely postponed due to heightened tensions in the Middle East. France has held the rotating presidencies of the G-8 and G-20 and was instrumental in spring 2011 in assembling the international coalition that engaged in military operations in Libya.
The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by public referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the powers of the executive in relation to those of Parliament. Under this constitution, presidents were elected directly for a 7-year term. Beginning in 2002, the presidential term of office was reduced to 5 years, and a constitutional reform passed on July 21, 2008 limits presidents to two consecutive terms in office. The next presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for 2012.
The main components of France's executive branch are the president, the prime minister and government, and the permanent bureaucracies of the many ministries. The president names the prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed forces, and concludes treaties. The president can submit questions to a national referendum and can dissolve the National Assembly. In certain emergency situations, with the approval of Parliament, the president may assume dictatorial powers and rule by decree. Led by a prime minister, who is the head of government, the cabinet is composed of a varying number of ministers, ministers-delegate, and secretaries of state. Traditionally, presidents under the Fifth Republic tended to leave day-to-day policy-making to the prime minister and government, and the 5-year term of office was expected to make presidents more accountable for the results of domestic policies. Nicolas Sarkozy has been a hands-on manager and policymaker.
Parliament meets for one 9-month session each year. Under special circumstances the president can call an additional session. Under the constitution, the legislative branch has few checks on executive power; nevertheless, the National Assembly can still cause a government to fall if an absolute majority of the total Assembly membership votes to censure. The Parliament is bicameral, with a National Assembly and a Senate. The National Assembly is the principal legislative body. Its deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral college and, under new rules passed in 2003 to shorten the term, serve for 6 years, with one-half of the Senate being renewed every 3 years. (As a transitional measure in 2004, 62 Senators were elected to 9-year terms, while 61 were elected to 6-year terms; subsequently, all terms will be 6 years.) The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament, although the constitutional reform passed in July 2008 granted new authority to the Parliament to set its own agenda. The government also can declare a bill to be a question of confidence, thereby linking its continued existence to the passage of the legislative text; unless a motion of censure is introduced and voted, the text is considered adopted without a vote. The constitutional reform passed in July 2008 limited the process to the vote of the national budget, the financing of the social security, and to one bill per session of the Parliament. As of September 2009, impact assessment is mandatory for all draft laws going to the Council of State and the Parliament.
Traditionally, decision-making in France has been highly centralized, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. In 1982, the national government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization continues, albeit at a slow pace.
Government Type: Republic
Capital: Paris (population: 10.41 million est. 2009)
Other major cities: Marseille-Aix-en-Provence 1.457 million; Lyon 1.456 million; Lille 1.028 million; Nice-Cannes 977,000 (2009)
Administrative Divisions: France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions). Thus, there are 27 regions (regions, singular - region);
Metropolitan Regions
Overseas Regions:
Independence Date: no official date of independence:
- 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship);
- 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire);
- 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown);
- 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded);
- 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)
Legal System: civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts.France has not submitted an International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction declaration; but accepts International criminal court (ICCt) jurisdiction. A distinctive feature of the French judicial system is that the Constitutional Council protects basic rights when they might be potentially violated by new laws, and the Council of State protects basic rights when they might be violated by actions of the state. The Constitutional Council examines legislation and decides whether it conforms to the constitution. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, it considers only legislation that is referred to it by Parliament, the prime minister, or the president. Moreover, it considers legislation before it is promulgated. The Council of State has a separate function from the Constitutional Council and provides recourse to individual citizens who have claims against the administration. The Ordinary Courts--including specialized bodies such as the police court, the criminal court, the correctional tribunal, the commercial court, and the industrial court--settle disputes that arise between citizens, as well as disputes that arise between citizens and corporations. The Court of Appeals reviews cases judged by the Ordinary Courts.
International Environmental Agreements
France is party to international agreements on: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, and Wetlands, Whaling
Foreign Relations
France plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the WTO, la Francophonie, and other multilateral institutions. Among NATO members, France is second only to the United States in terms of troops deployed abroad. In 2011, President Sarkozy led the call for military intervention in Libya, and France took a leading role in the international community's efforts. France took over leadership of the G-20 on November 1, 2010 and of the G-8 on January 1, 2011. France's priorities during its G-20 presidency included structural reforms, such as pension reform, investments in infrastructure and education, and improved financial sector regulations, including global reforms. President Sarkozy has been a strong proponent of UN Security Council expansion, including the need for one or more permanent seats for Africa.
A charter member of the United Nations, France is a member of most of its specialized and related agencies. France is also America's oldest ally; French military intervention was instrumental in helping Britain's American colonies establish independence. Because many battles in which the United States was involved during World War I and World War II took place in France, more American soldiers have been killed on French soil than on that of any other foreign country.
France is a leader in Western Europe because of its size, location, and large economy, membership in European organizations, strong military posture, and energetic diplomacy. France generally has worked to strengthen the global economic and political influence of the EU and its role in common European defense. It views Franco-German cooperation and the development of a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) with other EU members as the foundation of efforts to enhance European security.
France supports Quartet (U.S.-EU-Russia-UN) efforts to implement the Middle East roadmap, which envisions establishment of a Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive peace agreement, France supports the involvement of all Arab parties and Israel in a multilateral peace process. France also supports an easing of the Gaza blockade, stating that it will serve the interest of all parties concerned in the conflict. Since coming to office in 2007, President Sarkozy has worked hard to elevate France's status as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. France has raised the status of the Palestinian Authority's representatives in Paris from "delegation" to a "diplomatic mission" led by an Ambassador.
Since 2006, France has actively and repeatedly publicly stressed the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran and worked with the U.S. and other members of the P5+1 group (China, Russia, the U.K., the U.S., and Germany) to demand that Iran end its enrichment-related and preprocessing activities. In June 2010 France actively supported and voted for UNSC Resolution (UNSCR) 1929 regarding sanctions on Iran, as a means to persuade Iran to live up to its international obligations. In May 2009, France opened its first permanent military base in the Gulf region, in the United Arab Emirates.
France continues to play an important role in Africa, especially in its former colonies, through aid programs, commercial activities, military agreements, and cultural impact. The Sarkozy government announced a change in its sub-Saharan African policy shortly after it came to power, intending to modernize and rationalize relations in a future-oriented manner. The French military presence in Africa has been diminishing, with an increased emphasis on cooperating with Africa's sub-regional organizations such as Southern African Development Community (SADC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). France closed its former military base in Cote d'Ivoire and downsized its base in Senegal, while maintaining its bases in Gabon and Djibouti and its long-term deployment in Chad. Despite these reductions in its military presence, France is likely to continue to play an important role in promoting stability in the region. French support to the Government of Chad was crucial in 2008 in fending off a rebel attack, and in 2007, France played a leading role in the EU's formation of a peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic designed to complement international efforts in Sudan and Darfur. France played an important role in ensuring a transition to democracy in Guinea in 2010. It was a leading member of the international community's efforts to support the United Nations and to give effect to 2010 elections in Cote d'Ivoire, which culminated in the entry into office of democratically elected President Alassane Ouattara in April 2011; Ouattara was formally inaugurated in May.
Beginning in Tunisia in December 2010, massive protests demanding democratic reform gave rise to a wave of movements in other countries known as the "Arab Spring" in 2011, trends that Foreign Minister Juppe called "irreversible," saying the situation offered "an excellent opportunity that we should not be afraid of." Uprisings in Libya against Colonel Mu'ammar Qadhafi resulted in a state-sponsored campaign of brutal and deadly repression against Libya's own citizens. President Sarkozy strongly condemned these actions and called for Qadhafi to step aside. On February 23, Sarkozy suspended all economic and financial relations with Libya. March 17, 2011 marked the beginning of the UN-sanctioned no-fly zone in Libya. France played a leading role in the international coalition operations against Qadhafi's ground forces and the enforcement of the no-fly zone.
France has extensive political and commercial relations with Asian countries, including those of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan, as well as an increasing presence in regional forums. It has strong links to Vietnam, a former French colony, and there is a large Vietnamese community in Paris. The country was an architect of the 1991 Paris Accords, which ended the conflict in Cambodia. France is seeking to broaden its commercial presence in China and will pose a competitive challenge to U.S. business, particularly in aerospace, high-tech, and luxury markets. France has strong trade relations and good overall ties with Japan. Japan often looks to France for support in areas such as North Korean denuclearization, relations with China, and a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Maintaining close contact with the French also allows Japan a better understanding of Africa, where France has a much larger presence.
The Government of France responded quickly to the 2011 Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster diplomatically, financially, and with humanitarian aid. France led the call for a meeting of G-7 central bankers and finance ministers to discuss how to provide financial and monetary support to Japan, mainly through buying Japanese bonds. President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon established a working group for Japan with senior ministers, nuclear agencies, and nuclear industry representatives to determine how best to respond to the crisis and assist with recovery. Additionally, Government of France-controlled utility provider Electricite de France sent advanced, post-Chernobyl-designed robots to Japan to help monitor radiation, remove wreckage, and perform other tasks related to post-disaster relief.
Total Renewable Water Resources: 189 cu km (2005)
Freshwater Withdrawal: 33.16 cu km/yr (16% domestic, 74% industrial, 10% agricultural)
Per Capita Freshwater Withdrawal: : 548 cu m/yr (2000
France is the European Union's leading agricultural exporter, accounting for about 17% of all agricultural land within the EU-27. The share of agriculture value-added in GDP has shown a steady decline since the early 1980s, representing less than 1.7% of France's GDP in 2010. Agricultural production not including subsidies fell 8.5% from the preceding year to €60.6 billion ($80 billion) in 2009. Northern France is characterized by large grain farms. Dairy, pork, poultry, and apple production is concentrated in the western region. Beef production is located in central France, while the production of corn, fruits, vegetables, and wine ranges from central to southern France. France is expanding its forestry and fishery industries. France remains extremely cautious about the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) plants at the domestic and EU levels. France is a proponent of the European preference principle and is attentive to protecting its interests in further agricultural trade liberalization at the EU and World Trade Organization (WTO) levels.
France is the world's second-largest agricultural producer after the United States. The destination of 66% of its 2011 exports was other EU member states, according to French Customs. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. exports of agricultural, fish, and forest products to France totaled $763.15 million in 2010. During the first 10 months of 2011 they totaled $615.5 million, up 5% compared to the same period in 2010. The top 10 products exported by the U.S. to France include tree nuts ($78.6 million), soybeans ($55.8 million), planting seeds ($31.4 million), vegetable oils ($25 million), wine and beer ($24.8 million), forest products ($24.6 million), hides and skins ($20.7 million), grapefruit ($19.6 million), surimi ($19 million), and salmon ($15.3 million.) The United States, the sixth-largest exporter to France in recent data, faces stiff competition from domestic production, other EU member states, and third countries. U.S. imports of agricultural, fish, and forest products from France totaled $1.99 billion in 2010. During the first 10 months of 2011 they were at $2 billion, up 24% compared to the same period in 2010. Half of it consisted of wine and beer.
Agricultural products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Irrigated Land: metropolitan France: 26,700 sq km (2008)
Natural Resources: metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish
Land Use:
arable land: 33.46%
permanent crops: 2.03%
other: 64.51%
With a GDP of $2.2 trillion, France is the world's ninth-largest economy (ahead of Italy and slightly behind Russia, Brazil and the United Kingdom). It has substantial agricultural resources, a large industrial base, and a highly skilled work force. A dynamic services sector accounts for an increasingly large share of economic activity and is responsible for nearly all job creation in recent years. Government economic policy aims to promote investment and domestic growth in a stable fiscal and monetary environment. Creating jobs and reducing the high unemployment rate has been a top priority.
France is transitioning from an economy that has featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms but is in the midst of a euro-zone crisis.
The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries.
With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism.
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.
France's real GDP contracted 2.6% in 2009, but recovered somewhat in 2010 and 2011. The unemployment rate increased from 7.4% in 2008 to 9.3% in 2010 and 9.1% in 2011. Lower-than-expected growth and increased unemployment have cut government revenues and increased borrowing costs, contributing to a deterioration of France's public finances. The government budget deficit rose sharply from 3.4% of GDP in 2008 to 7.5% of GDP in 2009 before improving to 5.8% of GDP in 2011, while France's public debt rose from 68% of GDP to 86% over the same period.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) downgraded its forecast for French GDP growth to 0.3% in 2012. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is likely to revise its forecast for French GDP growth of 1.4% in 2012. The unemployment rate in metropolitan France increased to 9.3% in the third quarter of 2011, up from 9.2% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
France joined 10 other European Union countries in adopting the euro as its currency in January 1999. Since then, monetary policy has been set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. On January 1, 2002, France, along with the other countries of the euro zone, dropped its national currency in favor of euro bills and coins.
France has been very successful in developing dynamic telecommunications, aerospace, and weapons sectors. According to a Google-commissioned McKinsey study, 25% of French growth is attributable to Internet-related products and services. Despite significant reform and privatization over the past 15 years, the government continues to control a large share of economic activity. Government spending, at 56.2% of GDP in 2010, is among the highest in the G-7. The government continues to own shares in corporations in a range of sectors, including banking, energy production and distribution, automobiles, transportation, and telecommunications.
The French government has said that reducing budget deficits would help ensure sustainable growth, with structural reforms helping offset the recessionary effect of budget cuts. Structural reforms include pension reform, investment in infrastructure and education, and improved financial sector regulation, including global reforms that France planned to pursue through its presidency of the G-20. The government aims to continue budget cuts through the attrition of civil servants. Budget spending is set to increase 0.5% per year (excluding inflation) between 2012 and 2015, compared to 0.8% per year between 2011 and 2014. The government's target for the budget deficit is 5.5% of GDP for 2011 and 4.6% of GDP for 2012.
In 2008, in a move to make France more competitive, the National Assembly passed four bills introduced by the French Government to modernize the economy and reform the labor market. In October 2007, under President Sarkozy's impetus, overtime work beyond the 35-hour work week was exempted from income and payroll taxes, a move aimed at improving worker productivity. President Sarkozy is also credited with eliminating the annual flat business tax and increasing the tax credit for investments in small and medium enterprises that increase a firm's equity capital. In July 2009, the French Parliament approved a controversial bill allowing more businesses to stay open on Sundays.
Membership in France's labor unions accounts for approximately 5% of the private sector work force and is concentrated in the manufacturing, transportation, and heavy industry sectors. Most unions are affiliated with one of the competing national federations, the largest and most powerful of which are the communist-dominated General Labor Confederation (CGT), the Workers' Force (FO), and the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT).
With virtually no domestic oil production, France has relied heavily on the development of nuclear power, which now accounts for about 80% of the country's electricity production. Since the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan, the Government of France has been reviewing France's dependence on nuclear energy, and whether or not new safety standards should be developed. French anti-nuclear environmental groups stepped up efforts to spark public opposition to nuclear power in France, and Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande has suggested reducing France's dependence on nuclear power by 50% by 2025. Henri Proglio, chief executive of the government-controlled utility provider Electricite de France, estimated in a November 2011 interview that a switch to fossil fuel-derived energy would require an investment of $544 billion and endanger up to 400,000 jobs.
Under President Sarkozy, Paris implemented austerity measures that eliminated tax credits and froze most government spending in an effort to bring the budget deficit under the 3% euro-zone ceiling by 2013 and to highlight France's commitment to fiscal discipline at a time of intense financial market scrutiny of euro-zone debt levels.
Socialist Francois Hollande won the May 2012 presidential election, after advocating pro-growth economic policies, as well as measures such as forcing banks to separate their investment and savings businesses, increasing taxes on bank profits, introducing a new top bracket on income taxes for people earning over ?1 million ($1.3 million) a year, and hiring an additional 60,000 civil servants during his five-year term of office.
GDP: (Purchasing Power Parity): $2.214 trillion (2011 est.)
GDP: (Official Exchange Rate): $2.808 trillion (2011 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $35,000 (2011 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.7%
industry: 18.5%
services: 79.8% (2011 est.)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
See: Energy profile of France; La Rance; Odeillo Font-Romeu, France
Currency: Euros (EUR)
|The Verdon canyon, seen from the Trescaire viewpoint. This picture is a cropped vertical panorama made from two pictures. Source: Benh Lieu Song/Wikimedia Commons
|Calanques de Sugiton, near Marseille. Source: Wikimedia Commons
|The lighthouse on the cliffs of Cap Frehel peninsula, in department of Côtes d'Armor, in the Britanny region of northwest France.
|Vineyard in Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France. Source: Stefan Bauer/Wikimedia Commons
France is the second-largest trading nation in Western Europe (after Germany). France ran a $70 billion trade deficit in goods (Customs basis, f.o.b.) in the first 11 months of 2011. Total trade in goods for the first 11 months of 2011 amounted to $1.183 trillion, over 42% of GDP, 59% of which was with the other EU-27 countries. In 2010, U.S.-France trade in goods and services totaled $97 billion. U.S. industrial chemicals, aircraft and engines, electronic components, telecommunications, computer software, computers and peripherals, analytical and scientific instrumentation, medical instruments and supplies, and broadcasting equipment are particularly attractive to French importers. Principal French exports to the United States are aircraft and engines, beverages, electrical equipment, chemicals, cosmetics, and luxury products. France is the eighth-largest trading partner of the United States.


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