Global Focus 2024-25: France: Home

France

Demographic

The Republic of France, known as France, is the largest country in Western Europe. The area is 210,026 square miles (543,965 square kilometers) with a population of 64,641,000. (Encyclopedia Britannica 1994-2017). The flag of France has three vertical color bands of blue, white, and red known as the “Le drepeau tricolore (French Tricolor). The blue and red colors represents Paris and the white represent the Bourbon Dynasty. (Rothstein et al. 2015) The capital of France is Paris. The official language is French. Christianity, predominantly Roman Catholicism, is the most practiced religion followed by Protestantism, Islam, and Judaism. France’s scenery varies with extensive plains, rivers, and mountain ranges with a temperate climate of pleasant summers and cool winters. Atlantic, mediterranean, continental, and alpine are France’s four regional climates due to the country’s size and location. (Encyclopedia Britannica 1994 – 2017; Rothstein et al. 2015).

Economy

France is the world’s fourth largest economy and one of the most developed countries with strong agricultural, manufacturing, and service sectors. Economic issues France experiences are slow growth due to over-regulation, including labor laws, high unemployment rate, and decline of traditional industries such as iron, steel, metallurgy, and textiles (Rothstein et al. 2015; DK Publishing 2011).

Politics

France’s government is a democracy that operates on a mixed presidential system. The president serves as head of state but assign a substantial amount of authority to a prime minister and cabinet. Presidents are elected by popular vote and serves a five-year term. Duties of the president are serving as commander-in-chief of armed forces and appointing officials such as judges and senior civil servants. (Rothstein et al. 2015).

France’s parliament is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate who is responsible for all legislation. National Assembly members (or deputies) are elected for five-year terms by popular vote in their individual districts. Senators serve a nine-year term and are elected by local administrative units known as departments by an electoral college. (Rothstein et al. 2015)

France’s judicial system is based on Roman law. Types of courts the system have are civil courts, criminal courts, The Assize Court, and the Supreme Court of Appeal.  (Rothstein et al. 2015).

Chronology History (DK Publishing 2011)

• 1914 - 1918 1.4 million Frenchmen killed in World War I
• 1918 - 1939 Economic recession and political instability: 20 prime ministers and 44 governments
• 1940 Capitulation to Germany. Puppet Vichy regime. Abroad Gen. de Gaulle leads "Free French."
• 1944 Liberation of France
• 1946 - 1958 Fourth Republic. Political instability: 26 governments. Nationalizations. France takes leading role in EEC formation
• 1958 Fifth Republic. De Gaulle becomes president with strong powers
• 1960 Most French colonies gain independence
• 1962 Algerian independence after bitter war with France
• 1966 France withdraws from NATO military command
• 1968 General strike and riots over education policy and low wages. National Assembly dissolved; Gaullist victory in June elections
• 1969 De Gaulle resigns after defeat in referendum on regional reform; replaced by Georges Pompidou
• 1974 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing president. Center right coalition
• 1981 Left wins elections; François Mitterrand president
• 1983 - 1986 Government U-turn on economic policy
• 1986 Cohabitation between socialist president and new right-wing government led by Jaques Chirac. Privatization program introduced
• 1988 Mitterrand wins second term. PS-led coalition returns
• 1993 Center right wins elections. Second period of cohabitation
• 1995 Jacques Chirac president
• 1996 Unpopular austerity measures to prepare for adopting euro
• 1997 PS-led government takes office in reversed cohabitation
• 2002 January, euro fully adopted. Center-right wins presidential and legislative elections
• 2003 Strikes over pension reform. Heatwave kills 15,000 people
• 2004 Regional polls dent center-right ascendancy
• 2005 Referendum says "no" to EU constitution. November, weeks of riots sweep across urban France
• 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy of UMP wins presidential election, defeating Socialist Ségolène Royal
• 2008 "Rogue trader" scandal costs Société Générale five billion euros
• 2009 Sarkozy leads France back into NATO command

References

DK Publishing. "France." Financial Times World Desk Reference, Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc., 2011. search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MjcwNzAxMg==?aid=17856. Accessed 20 June 2024.

Encyclopedia Britannica. "France." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Britannica Digital Learning, 1994-2017. search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDU4NzU4?q=France&aid=17856. Accessed 20 June 2024.

Philip's Encyclopedia. "France." Philip's Encyclopedia, Philip's, 2007. search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MTA4NTc5Ng==?summaryArticle=true&aid=17856. Accessed 20 June 2024.

Rothstein, Lisa, et al. "France." Countries, Peoples & Cultures: Western Europe, Salem Press, 2015. online-salempress-com.proxy091.nclive.org/articleDetails.do?bookId=730&articleName=CWE_0011&searchText=France%20Demographics&searchOperators=any&category=History&activationcode=isotherm. Accessed 20 June 2024.

Kovarik, Patrick. "French Fans Wave France's National Flags Before the UEFA Euro 2012." Getty's Images, 11 October 2011, login.proxy091.nclive.org/login?url=https://explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/1950970208?accountid=11634.

"15th-16th Arrondissement. The "Tour Eiffel" (Eiffel Tower) Viewed from the Pont Bir-Hakeim. (PAR176937)" Magnum Photos, 01 January 1999. ProQuest eLibrary, login.proxy091.nclive.org/login?url=https://explore-proquest-com.proxy091.nclive.org/elibrary/document/1987815555?accountid=11634