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| France |
France is ranked the 14th best place to live in the world - see report
and 6th best place in the world to retire.
The French recently hosted the G20 in Cannes admist very troubled times for the Euro and the world financial markets.
France is at an interesting crossroads itself as it heavily invests in its Nuclear Energy program.Whilst other nations like Germany turn away from Nuclear and focus on renewable energy after the after effects of the Tsunami in Japan.
A staggering 75% of French electricity comes from its Nuclear program and France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation.
All France's 58 nuclear reactors have been put through stress tests in recent months, following the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant which was hit by an earthquake and tsunami.
Capital - Paris
World Cities 2012
Alpha+ Cities - Paris
Gamma Cities - Lyon
Gamma- Cities - Marseilles
Population - 65m
Area - 543,965 sq km
Currency - Euro €
Language - French
GDP - 2,130 trillion (8th)
Current Credit Rating AAA
WELT - France ranked 5th largest economy in the world.
You Tube Censorship - 180 Videos Removed Jan-June 2011
Arable as % of total land - 34%
Urban Population - 76.3%
Drive on the - right
Calling Code - +33
Internet TLD - .fr
HDI - Ranked 8th (0.961)
HDR Index 2010 - France 14th
Press Freedom Index - 44/178 (low for Europe)
HIV/AIDS Rate - Rank 26th France
EU Accession - 25th March 1957
EU Member - France
G20 Member - France
Worlds Best Place to Retire - France Ranked 6th 2011
Hard Rock Cafes - Paris
PocketInfo Roundup
Week ending 14th Nov 2010 - France 1 ArticleBook a hotel in France - No Booking Fee
France Rank 18th FIFA 2011World Cup Winners - 1998 (1)
World Cup Hosts - 1990 (1)
French Newspapers Online - Le Monde
WWF - French Site
Events France
Renewable Energy Expo in Lyon, France (February15-18) World Rich List - Rank 7th Bernard Arnault Age 61 Wealth 27.5bn
Top Hotels 2011 (£150 Range) Mama Shelter, Paris
Cheap but chic, with quirky decor by Philippe Starck, and a buzzing bar and restaurant attracting cool Parisians. Beds feel luxurious; standard extras include Kiehl’s toiletries, free Wi-Fi and iMac televisions. The bedside fancy-dress masks are possibly not for everyone, but the price is.
PocketInfo Random Fact - Biarritz France
The Basque Language (Euskera) has no swear words. Basque speakers borrow insults from French , Spanish and sometimes English to get their point across.
New Music France
M83 Midnight City - Came 5th in 2011 Song of the Year on Triple J 100
Events | 2012
Volvo Ocean Race | Lorient is the penultimute port stop for the Volvo Ocean Race.The ocean boats are coming in from Lisbon in Portugal after a relatively short leg of 1940nm.
They are in the French port around the 17th of June 2012
News - Jan 2012 | Famous French Millau Viaduct surpassed by this engineering marvel in Mexico.
Global 500 Companies | France
| Country Rank | Company | Global 500 rank | Revenues ($ millions) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total | 6 | 234,674 | Courbevoie |
| 2 | BNP Paribas | 24 | 136,096 | Paris |
| 3 | Carrefour | 25 | 129,134 | Levallois-Perret |
| 4 | Société Générale | 43 | 104,378 | Paris |
| 5 | Crédit Agricole | 46 | 103,582 | Paris |
| 6 | GDF Suez | 53 | 99,419 | Paris |
| 7 | Électricité de France | 57 | 94,084 | Paris |
| 8 | AXA | 73 | 80,257 | Paris |
| 9 | Peugeot | 75 | 79,560 | Paris |
| 10 | France Télécom | 77 | 78,290 | Paris |
| 11 | Saint-Gobain | 102 | 64,109 | Courbevoie |
| 12 | Groupe Caisse d'Épargne | 110 | 61,551 | Paris |
| 13 | Groupe Auchan | 126 | 57,792 | Croix |
| 14 | Renault | 130 | 55,314 | Boulogne-Billancourt |
| 15 | Veolia Environnement | 135 | 53,901 | Paris |
| 16 | Vinci | 150 | 48,972 | Rueil-Malmaison |
| 17 | Bouygues | 156 | 47,882 | Paris |
| 18 | Foncière Euris | 176 | 43,133 | Paris |
| 19 | Sanofi-Aventis | 181 | 42,179 | Paris |
| 20 | CNP Assurances | 196 | 38,482 | Paris |
| 21 | Vivendi | 207 | 37,166 | Paris |
| 22 | SNCF | 209 | 36,867 | Paris |
| 23 | Air France-KLM Group | 240 | 33,855 | Roissy |
| 24 | PPR | 277 | 30,663 | Paris |
| 25 | La Poste | 280 | 30,487 | Paris |
| 26 | Lafarge | 322 | 27,858 | Paris |
| 27 | Schneider Electric | 330 | 26,802 | Rueil-Malmaison |
| 28 | Alstom | 334 | 26,461 | Levallois-Perret |
| 29 | Christian Dior | 338 | 26,248 | Paris |
| 30 | L'Oréal | 346 | 25,676 | Clichy |
| 31 | Alcatel-Lucent | 360 | 24,859 | Paris |
| 32 | Michelin | 376 | 24,016 | Clermont-Ferrand |
| 33 | Groupe Danone | 413 | 22,277 | Paris |
| 34 | Crédit Industriel & Commercial | 431 | 21,582 | Paris |
| 35 | Groupama | 439 | 21,057 | Paris |
| 36 | Sodexo | 456 | 20,377 | Issy-les-Moulineaux |
| 37 | Eiffage | 473 | 19,463 | Asnières-sur-Seine |
| 38 | AREVA | 480 | 19,309 | Paris |
| 39 | L'Air Liquide | 484 | 19,179 | Paris |
| 40 | Rexel | 490 | 18,825 | Paris |
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| Dijon Owl | Notre Dame Bourgogne |
10 Good Luck Symbols - La Chouette; Dijon, France
Although Dijon is associated more with its mustard than its good luck symbols, the town's beloved owl is thought to bring such good luck that it's nearly rubbed out.(see pic from Owlmania) Carved into the wall of a centuries-old church, the figure is said to bring luck to those who touch it with their left hand.
World Book Night 23rd April 2012 | Books About France
Birdsong Sebastian Faulks
Set mostly in France spanning the years before and during the First World War, this book presents the drama and destruction of that era as it tells the story of Stephen, a young Englishman who is impelled through a series of extreme experiences.
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