With a GDP of 1.7 trillion euros (1.7×1012 ; 2005 data), France is the fifth largest economy in the world in USD exchange-rate terms and the seventh largest by purchasing power parity. According to World Bank and IMF figures, it is the third largest in Europe after Germany and the United Kingdom. It has substantial agricultural resources, a large industrial base, and a highly skilled work force. A dynamic services sector accounts for an increasingly large share of economic activity (72% in 1997) and is responsible for nearly all job creation in recent years. …
