Question | Answer |
Alsace | Left bank of the Rhine, Links France to Germany, Strong economy and diversified industry. Capital is Strasbourg, the home of the European Parliament. |
Aquitaine | Home of famous Bordeaux Vineyards. Vast pine forests. Varied coastline (Biarritz, St Jean-de-Luz, Arcachon) leads to tourism. New TGV train has given area boost. Industry but still needs improvement. Capital is Bordeaux. |
Auvergne | Mountainous region in middle of France with a number of natural spas. Isolated. Beef and cheese. Tourism. Some industry. Notably Michelin Tire in capital, Clermont-Ferrand. |
Brittany | Recently improved access through road and rail links. France's main agricultural area. Tourism . Important to fishing industry. Recent industry: Motor Vehicle Plant in Rennes, the capital. Engineering & Electronics in Brest. |
Burgundy | Main "road" for European north-south axis. Varied economy: wine, beef, metallurgy, enginnering. Famous for architectural and gastonomy treasure, good for tourism. Capital is Dijon. |
Centre-Val-de-Loire | Capital: Orléans. Very high agricultural importance, especially cereal production. Vast historical heritage to attract tourists. Recent movement of companies from Paris has benefitted the area: motor vehicle, electronic, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. |
Champagne-Ardenne | Capital: Châlons-sur-Marne. Rish agricultural: cereal, vineyards famous for Champagne production. Industry changing from iron foundries and textiles to electronics, agri-foodstuffs, etc. |
Corsica | Capital: Ajaccio. Island. Small population. Little industry and limited agriculture. Tourism very important. Long coastlines, great climate, and beauty lends. |
Franche-Compté | Capital: Besançon, known for clock making and precision engineering. Most work in industry.
Montbéliard-Sochaux, home of the Peugeot car firm. Traditional also: cheese, woodwork, etc. |
Ile-de-France | Capital: Paris. 18% of French population. Highest industrial concentration. All government, national headquarters, and head offices here. Strong education and research. Major press and arts area. International organizations like UNESCO and the OECD. |
Languedoc-Roussillon | Capital: Montpellier, imporant university center. Slow econimic industry due to lack of manufacturing and crisis in wine production. Improving due to diversification of agriculture, expansion of tourism, &establishment of adv tech industries/research. |
Limousin | Capital: Limoges. Industries: Agri-foodstuffs and leather. Industry: "Porcelaine de Limoges," world famous luxury wares. |
Lorraine | Capital: Metz. Ecnomic problems because of difficulties in iron, steel, and coal industries. Area now trying to update and diversify. Nancy is the university center. |
Midi-Pyrénées | Capital: Toulouse, center of aerospace industry. Airbus assembled here. Second in adv tech: research, data process, computers, & robotics. Largest metropolitan area. Traditionally agricultural, but recent exodus of rural population causing difficulty. |
Nord-Pas-de-Calais | Capital: Lille. Industry: Coal & textile in 19th, developing modern industries. Taking opportunities from Channel tunnel and the TGV-Nord, high speed train. |
Lower Normandy | Capital: Caen. Tourism significant, esp along coastline. Seaports: Cherbourg and Caen, services to the UK. Essentially agricultural but adding some light industry. |
Upper Normandy | Capital: Rouen, 5th largest port. Development along the lower Seine of the ports, Le Havre (2nd) and Rouen, significant in economy. Industry: oil, chemicals, motor vehicles. Agriculture: food. Tourism. Proximity to Paris is great asset. |
Pays de la Loire | Capital: Nantes. 1st in livestock. 2nd in agriculture. Economy diversifying into electronics, engineering, clothing & footwear. Atlantic beaches. Nantes-Saint Nazaire port, 4th largest. TGV to Paris in 2 hours. |
Picardy | Capital: Amiens. Rich agricultural: sugar, flouar. Key geo position between the Ile-de-France and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions, allowing devleopment of industry: chemical, tire-manufacturing and other industries. |
Poitou-Charentes | Capital: Poitiers. Rural region. Beef. Vineyard for Cognac. Light industry growing. La Rochelle Seaport and Altantic beaches help economy also. |
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Capital: Marseille, largest French port & 2nd European. Wealthy, Mediterraneon coastline, Climate, Beauty. Nice & Côte d'Azur for tourism. Grasse for perfume. Numerous high-tech companies, oil refineries, iron and steel production, chemical, foodstuffs. |
Rhône-Alpes | Capital: Lyon, 2nd most important manufacturing & services center, 2nd financial center, famous for universities. 2nd largest population. Tourist area. Host of 1992 Winter Olympics. Industry: electic, mech engineering, chemicals, & clothing. |