ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical description of major events in France. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in France. France was rocked by other corruption scandals, including an illegal arms trafficking scandal involving Jean-Christophe Mitterand, the son of the late president, Francois Mitterand. French citizens can change their government democratically by directly electing the president and national assembly. France has drawn criticism for its treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers. The press in France is free, although the government's financial support of journalism and the registration of journalists have raised concerns about media independence. Labour rights in France are respected in practice, and strikes are widely and effectively used to protest government economic policy.
