Industrial production is the leading sector of the French economy. It accounts for 20% of the national GDP and half of all products exported by the state. Moreover, about 27% of all employed people in the country work in this area. The main branches of specialization of French industry are mechanical engineering, energy, metallurgy and automotive industry.
Engineering
This segment of the country's economy accounts for about 40% of employed industrial workers and the value of products. The leading role of the region belongs to general and transport engineering. The state occupies one of the leading positions on the planet in such an indicator as the production and export of machines for various purposes. An interesting feature of the industry is that it is largely (about 25%) concentrated in Paris and its environs. The international specialization of French industry in this area is associated primarily with such areas as the production of cars, weapons, space and aviation technology, as well asequipment for nuclear power plants.
Up to 4 million cars roll off the assembly lines of French companies every year. It is not surprising that this direction is often called one of the foundations of the national industrial structure. Renault and Peugeot-Citroen are considered the leading manufacturers of passenger cars. They account for more than 90% of all produced cars.
The aircraft-rocket industry of France, which is the leader in Western Europe, also deserves special mention. The country produces aircraft and helicopters for military and civilian purposes, as well as missiles. Almost all factories operating in this area are state-owned. They are located in Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse and other major cities.
Energy
Due to the fact that the country cannot boast of large deposits of traditional resources, after the end of World War II, the government began to pay much attention to the development of nuclear energy. The specialization of French industry in this direction has not changed even today. To a greater extent, the industry relies on its own raw material and scientific and technical base. The country produces up to three thousand tons of uranium ore annually. At the same time, part of it is imported from African countries (mainly Gabon and Niger). As of today, more than 50 nuclear power units are operating in the state, producing more than 70% of electricity. In terms of the level of development of nuclear energy, it is second only to the United States.
At the same time, the total amount of extracted resources, including oil, natural gas and coal, is only half enough to provide the country. This makes it heavily dependent on energy imports. Thus, the state policy of the government in this area is aimed at reducing energy consumption. This, in turn, gave impetus to the development of alternative types of it. As a result, the use of wind, solar and tidal energy has become quite developed.
Metallurgy
The level of development of ferrous metallurgy and aluminum smelting in the country is quite high. At the same time, due to high competition from other countries, these industries in France have been characterized by a slight decline in recent years. Be that as it may, local enterprises annually smelt about 19 million tons of steel and almost 14 million tons of pig iron. Most of the industry's factories are located in Lorraine, where they work using iron ore, which is also mined there. Iron and steel works, located in the cities of Fose and Dunkirk, also became very important. Their distinguishing feature is the location near the sea, which allows you to significantly save on the transportation of imported raw materials arriving at the ports. It is impossible not to mention the electrometallurgy, which is developed near the hydroelectric power station in the mountainous regions of the country. Its products include non-ferrous metals, ferroalloys, and high-quality steels.
Textile industry
In such a segment as the light industry of France, the most importanttextile industry. It no longer plays such an important role for the country's economy as before, however, it is in one of the leading positions in Western Europe. Its main distinguishing characteristic was the high proportion of consumption of wool with cotton. At the same time, the percentage of use of synthetic fibers is insignificant. As of today, the industry employs more than 250 thousand workers, while the average annual cash turnover in it is estimated at 28 billion euros. About 30% of the industry's products are exported to other countries.
In general, there are several main areas where most of the enterprises of this industry in France are concentrated. In the north of the state there are mainly jute, linen and woolen factories. The same region is the center of cotton spinning. Knitwear is made mainly in Paris, Roubaix and Troyes. As for the manufacture of fabrics from chemical fibers, the largest factories specializing in this are located in Lyon. Alsace became the center of cotton production.
Chemical industry
In terms of production and export of various chemicals, the state is among the top five world leaders. Due to the presence of its own raw material base, the country has a well-developed production of mineral fertilizers, plastics and synthetic rubber. Large enterprises from this sphere operate in almost all regions.
French chemical industry inAlsace is represented by the production of potash fertilizers, soda production and coal chemistry are established in Lorraine, and wood chemistry prevails in the Landes. As for Paris, here significant progress has been made in such areas as perfumery and pharmaceuticals. A significant share of production is concentrated near ports. Such factories use mainly imported raw materials.
Manufacturing
France's manufacturing industry has undergone a number of changes over the past few decades. First of all, in this case we are talking about reducing its energy intensity and dependence on the material base. While electrical production increased during this period, some traditional areas of mechanical engineering were characterized by a significant reduction (manufacture of machine tools and equipment, the tonnage of ships launched significantly decreased).
In the chemical industry, preference began to be given to the production of synthetic resins and plastics, while the role of inorganic chemistry was practically reduced to zero. The process of curtailment of industries that used to play a leading role in the state economy has become clear. For example, steel smelting by traditional methods was reduced by 30%. On the other hand, this process has been significantly modernized, so now the product is produced by the oxygen converter method or by means of electric furnaces.
Agri-food industry
The main consumer of agricultural products is the agri-food industryFrance. In short, it provides a turnover of more than 122 billion euros annually. This gives every reason to call this area of the economy one of the most important for the state. A significant share in this area of activity falls on the processing of products of animal origin. Companies specializing in the processing of vegetables and fruits, as well as in the production of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, can also boast of fairly high rates. A large number of manufactured products are exported abroad.
Aerospace
Every fifth job in the country is provided by the latest industries. The French aerospace industry is one of them. The sphere is largely concentrated in the Paris district and the southwestern part of the country. More than half of its production is exported.
Most of the local companies operating in the segment are state-owned. The presence of mutually beneficial relations with foreign partners allows local enterprises to effectively resist competition in the international arena. A striking example here is the world famous company Airbus, which was the result of cooperation between France, England, Germany and Spain.
Conclusion
Summarizing, it should be noted that the French industry is characterized by a very uneven distribution. About 20% of all production is produced in the capital of the state and its environs. Suchthe same share belongs to the Northern and Lyons regions. At the same time, the level of industrialization in the eastern and northern regions significantly exceeds that of the center, south and west of the country. In this article, only the leading areas of French industry are considered in more detail. It is worth considering the fact that the electrical and construction industries, the bioindustry and many other industries are now at the proper level of development in the country.
