France is bounded to the north and east by the English Channel Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and Spain, and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. France also includes the islands of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, and a large number of smaller islands in the Pacific Ocean. Principal Commercial Centres Paris is the economic and cultural hub of the nation. Other centres include Lyon, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Lille, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Toulon, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Rouen, Valenciennes and Nancy. Main Economic Activities France is one of the world s largest industrial powers with extensive and diversified industrial and commercial activity.
Principal crops are wheat, barley, maize and sugar beet.
The main exports for agriculture are cereals, sugar, dairy produce, wine and livestock. Other important crops are vegetables, apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots and potatoes. Major industries are motor vehicles, other road transport equipment and aircraft, electric and electronic equipment, mechanical goods, basic chemicals, steel, food processing, non-electrical machinery, fabricated metal products, metallurgy and textiles. Coal is the principal mineral produced, followed by petroleum, natural gas and metallic minerals, including iron and zinc. Telecommunications Direct dialling is available from South Africa on dial code 0933 followed by the area code and then subscriber s number.