Contemporary France

France approaches the year 2000 as a major global economic power. It is a political and military power of immense significance. France also plays an important role as a bastion of history, culture, intellectual life and fashion. Within France, the focus of this economic, political and cultural activity lies in Paris, in many ways the real capital of Europe. The book draws on both the old and the new approaches; it is a geography of contemporary France, a human geography profoundly influenced by both its physical background and its history. The individuality of French culture and identity is always emphasized, but the generality of trends and processes operating in an era of global capitalism is also acknowledged. Successive chapters deal with the physical environment, demography, rural France, industry, the urban system, Paris, region, state and nation. -from Author