Unemployment rates

Here is a graph of the unemployment rate in France compared to just Metropolitan France:

The unemployment rate in France as of 2010 is 9.5%

The labor force division by occupation is as follows:

Agriculture: 3.8%

Industry: 24.3%

Services: 71.8

6.2% of the population is below the poverty line

Since I cannot figure out how to post this image of the US and Mississippi unemployment rates I will share this link for comparison

US and MS unemployment graph

"Insee - Indicator - Decrease in the Unemployment Rate in Q4 2010." INSEE - Institut National De La Statistique Et Des Etudes Economiques - National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies - France. Web. 21 May 2011.<http://www.insee.fr/en/themes/info-rapide.asp?id=14&date=20100902>

"Unemployment - Google Public Data." Google. Web. 21 May 2011. <http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=usunemployment&ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=unemployment_rate&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=state&idim=state:ST280000&tdim=true&tstart=631152000000&tunit=M&tlen=255&hl=en&dl=en>

Inequalities

As health was the topic I chose at the beginning of this project, I find it interesting that healthcare is one of the main inequalities in France.  From 1980 to the present there have been many major changes to the origination of jobs and employment in France, which has led to concern for healthcare inequalities. One of the main changes to note is that those people working in "'precarious'" positions have had cost-free medical care extended to them by the government. Most Frenchmen are covered by some form of insurance; however, when in need of medical attention, visits to the the doctor and prescriptions must be paid in part up front. About 70% is paid back by the government and the rest by the medical insurance which is taken out by both the individual and the employer. This point is where inequality is introduced because of those unemployed, "'sans domicile fixe'" or "people with no stable residence," and others in similar situations. However, since 1998 France has begun to deal with this problem as it began to increase greatly. The main ways France has dealt with this problem is by instituting new laws on the insurance and creating some new institutions to deal with this. 


"Health Inequalities in France." Oxford Journals | Medicine | International Journal of Epidemiology. Web. 21 May 2011. <http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/3/628.full>

Interesting Facts/ important extra info

France is the most visited country in the World and has the third highest income in the world from Tourism



Le Cordon Bleu is the best culinary school in the world and its main location is in Paris



The first TV chef,  Julia Child, trained at Le Cordon Bleu





The median age is 39.9 with a life expectancy of 81.19



Literacy rate: 99%



fertility rate: 1.96 children/ woman



"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 19 May 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>



http://change-production.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/wordpress_copies/gayrights/2009/08/julia-childz.jpg

Closure

France has always been one of the global powers of the world. Although its economy has struggled throughout its history, mainly after wars and during the recent global recession, France has for the most part been on the rise economically. Being the tourism capital of the world, France has always been a popular country both politically and from the perspective of the layman.

Major Cities!

Paris is the capitol of France:

The population of Paris is 10.41 million

Another major city in France is Marseille-Aix-en-Provence:

Population: 1.457 million

The third largest city in France is Lyon:

Population: 1.456 million

For comparison The Population of New York City is 19.3 million

"Paris France | World Restaurants Travel Guide." Top of the World Restaurant. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.worldrestaurantsp.com/paris-france/>

"Aix-en-Provence Attractions and Sightseeing Nearby: Attractions Near Aix-en-Provence Area, France." Aix-en-Provence Tourism and Tourist Information: Holiday Information about Aix-en-Provence Area, France. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.aix-en-provence.world-guides.com/aix_provence_attractions2>.

"City of Lyon, France." Our World Travels | Travel with Us. Web. 11 May 2011. <http://www.ourworldtravels.com/lyon/sightseeing/view-of-the-lyon.html>.

"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 11 May 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>

"CIA - The World Factbook." Welcome to the CIA Web Site — Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 11 May 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html>

Currency

The currency used in France is the Euro with an exchange rate of .755 euros per one US dollar. The current inflation rate in France is .1%. The GDP Per Capita is 33,300 US dollars.

"CIA - The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 11 May. 2011. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html

Gross Domestic Product

A graph of the flux of GDP in France over 20 years shows the following:

History of France!

France has almost always been one of the prominent developed nations. During the reign of Louis XIV, France was the dominant power. However, because Louis XIV was overambitious France had many economic problems during the 18th century. Many economic problems were brought upon France during World War I and II because the French military system was not strong enough to support the country. On May 13, 1958, the government system collapsed which caused France to pick up the democratic political system. France has played a prominent role in counterterrorism efforts since the September 11th attack on the United States. 

"France History | GlobalEDGE." GlobalEDGE - Your Source for Global Business Knowledge. Michigan State University. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/france/history/>.

Government and Politics!

Type of Government: Republic

Capital: Paris

The executive branch of the government is dived into the chief of state, President Nicolas Sarkozy, head  of government, Prime Minister Francois Fillon, and the cabinet. The president is elected for 5-year terms. The legislative branch is bicameral and is divided into the senate and  the National Assembly. The Senate contains 348 seats and the National Assembly contains 577 seats. The judicial branch is a Supreme court where three members are elected by the president, three by the National Assembly and three by Council of State. 

"CIA - The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>.

Imports and Exports

France spends about 577.7 billion dollars on imports which is 6th in the world and makes about 508.7 billion dollars in exports which is also 6th in the world.

Top Imports: "machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals"


Top 3 Import partners:
-Germany (19.41%)
-Belgium (11.61%)
-Italy (7.97%)


Top Exports: "machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages"


Top 3 Export Partners:
-Germany (15.88%)
-Italy (8.16%)
-Spain (7.8%)


"CIA - The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>.

Demography!

France has a large population of 65,102,719 people. Compared to the rest of the world it has the 21st largest population. The median age for a French person is about 40 years old. France also has a a population growth rate of 0.5% each year, a birth rate of 12.29 births for ever 1000 people, there are 8.76 death per 1000 people. Also the infant mortality rate is 3.29 per 1000 live births. The life expectancy is about 80 years.

"CIA - The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>.

Geography and Political Land Divisions

France is located in Western Europe. Interestingly enough France is slightly smaller than Texas; however, it is the largest West European nation. It has mostly flat plains and rolling hills with mountains in the south and the east; however, it has very significant political geography. It is divided into 21 regions and 1 territory each with its own atmosphere. The regions are then subdivided into 96 departments which in turn divide into 329 arrondissements further divided into 3879 cantons and finally into 36568 communes. 


"CIA - The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>.


"France." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France>.

Map of France

Tourizm Maps. Map. 2006. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.

     <http://www.map-of-france.co.uk/physical-map-of-france.htm>.

Welcome!

This blog is intended to introduce the reader to the economics of France. The blog will explore various  economic issues of France. It exists to help myself and the reader understand the basic economy of France and all the aspects of France.