Abstract
France is one of the 27 member States of the European Union. This means it enjoys the four fundamental freedoms within the European market: freedom of movement for people, money, services and goods. France is located in Western Europe, a developed area with all the necessary infrastructures for the circulation of goods and people (by road, railway, air and sea transport). It also enjoys a very good network for telecommunication, high speed Internet. All these elements have a positive effect on the French economy.
France is a country located in Western Europe (north hemisphere), with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. In this study, we focus on metropolitan France.
Number of inhabitants: 64,350,759 people (on 1st January 2009).
Three types of climate may be found within France: oceanic, continental, and Mediterranean.
The oceanic climate prevails in the western parts of the country. It is characterized by small temperature range, ample rainfall, cool summers, and cool but seldom very cold winters. The continental climate, found over much of eastern and central France, is one of warmer summers and colder winters than areas farther west; rainfall is ample, and winters tend to be snowy, especially in the higher areas.
