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Come Read all About the adventures of France. By Keilan 2015
Enviroment
Read more: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/France-ENVIRONMENT.html#ixzz3uR9Ts7q2
Economic
Current Economic Situation
For the first few years of the 21st Century, wealth per adult grew at an exceptional rate, tripling in value between 2000 and 2007. When the global recession occurred, France's economy entered later and emerged earlier than most comparable economies, with just 4 quarters of contraction. However, following recovery, France's GDP has been on a bit of a roller coaster. Growth was strong in the first quarter of 2011, 0.9 percent, but shrank in the second quarter by 0.1 percent and remained stagnant in 2012 and much of 2013. At the end of 2013, the economy again began showing slow growth of 0.3 percent.
Although primarily focused on private ownership with little government intervention, the government does play a significant role in the French economy. In 2014, government spending made up 56 percent of GDP. Moreover, France has some of the highest government standards for labor, including hours and wages, of any European nation. The government also owns shares in a number of corporations in key sectors, including banking, energy production and distribution, automobiles, transportation, and telecommunications.
Economic Forecast
After stagnating for the first half of 2014, economic activity recovered slightly over the summer. As a result, GDP growth should continue to grow in 2015, albeit at a slow pace. According to OECD, this growth rate should gain momentum in 2016. OECD predicts a growth rate of 0.8 percent in 2015 and 1.5 percent in 2016. This growth will flow from global economic recovery, favorable exchange rates, and several government reforms.
Political
The politics of France take place with the framework of a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic".[1] The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France's "attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789."
The political system of France consists of an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch. Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and ministers. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, and is responsible to Parliament. The government, including the Prime Minister, can be revoked by the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, through a "censure motion"; this ensures that the Prime Minister is always supported by a majority of the lower house (which, on most topics, has prominence over the upper house).
Parliament comprises the National Assembly and the Senate. It passes statutes and votes on the budget; it controls the action of the executive through formal questioning on the floor of the houses of Parliament and by establishing commissions of inquiry. The constitutionality of the statutes is checked by the Constitutional Council, members of which are appointed by the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, and the President of the Senate. Former presidents of the Republic also are members of the Council
Social
When you’re introduced to a French person, you should say ‘good day, Sir/Madam’ ( bonjour madame/ monsieur) and shake hands (a single pump is enough – neither limp nor knuckle-crushing). Salut (hi or hello) is used only among close friends and young people. When saying goodbye, it’s a formal custom to shake hands again. In an office, everyone shakes hands with everyone else on arrival at work and when they depart.
It’s also customary to say good day or good evening ( bonsoir) on entering a small shop and goodbye ( au revoir madame/monsieur) on leaving. Bonjour becomes bonsoir around 18.00 or after dark, although if you choose bonsoir (or bonjour), don’t be surprised if the response isn’t the same. Bonne nuit (good night) is used when going to bed or leaving a house in the evening.
On leaving a shop you may be wished bonne journée (have a nice day) or variations such as bon après-midi, bonne fin d’après-midi, bon dimanche or bon week-end, to which you may reply vous aussi, vous de même or et vous. The standard and automatic reply to merci is je vous en prie (‘you’re welcome’).
Titles should generally be used when addressing or writing to people, particularly when the holder is elderly. The president of a company or institution should be addressed as monsieur ( madame) le président ( la présidente), a courtesy title usually retained in retirement. The mayor must be addressed as Monsieur/Madame le Maire (even female mayors are le Maire!).
Recents Event
IMF head Christine Lagarde ordered to face trial over Bernard Tapie scandal
Court pulls France's former finance minister back into the financial scandal that has run for more than two decades