Environmental Influences Paper- France

Introduction

France, officially French Republic (République française), is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and that is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ("France", 2006) France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among the European nations. "Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy." (France, CIA, 2006) The marketing environment within France is affected by the demographics, social and cultural differences, political and legalities, economic structure and technological advances.

English: Map of the European Union with different ...

English: GDP (PPP) per capita of European Union co...

English: A map of Europe divided into countries; w...

Demographics

France has become the true melting pot of the world. It is currently estimated that about 40% of the population of France descends in varying amounts from different waves of migrations, making France the most ethnically diverse country of Europe, despite the still popular stereotypes of France as an essentially Gallic country. Different races and cultures blend well with the inhabitants in France. "After 1974, France's population growth stalled, and reached its nadir in the 1990s with only 0.39% annual growth, being now more in tune with the rest of Europe, which has entered demographic decline. First results from the 2004 French census have greatly surprised demographers. From 1999 to 2003, annual population growth was 0.58%. In 2004, population growth was 0.68%, almost reaching North American levels.

2004 was the year with the highest increase in French population since 1974. France is now well ahead...