The majority in France is Roman Catholic, although there are significant minority Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim communities. France is a republic. The Senate is elected by an electoral college, with seats reserved for representatives of overseas departments and French nationals living abroad. Assembly members are elected under a single-member majoritarian system. Consequently, iron and steel products and manufactured goods account for much of the French economy and France is considered one of the most highly industrialized countries in the world.
Agriculture is also important to the French economy.
In addition to wineries that set the standard for quality around the world, France sports one of the world's largest annual fish catches. And lest we forget, tourism is a very iomportant part of the French economy, particularly in the Mediterranean region through which BikeAbout will travel. We'll review the site and consider adding it to our resource library. From the folks at Excite, this site has cultural, historical, and travel information, including weather reports and maps. Also includes links to other major sources of information about France.