6.1 The Economy: L'économie

3 min read•june 18, 2024

Claire Duggan

AP French 🇫🇷

52 resources

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Issues and Effects of Government and Economy

France has the fifth largest economy in the world. 70% of the country's economy stems from the service sector. In terms of manufacturing, France is a global leader when it comes to the automotive, aerospace, and railway sectors, as well as cosmetics and luxury goods. France has a highly educated labor force and the highest number of science graduates per thousand workers in Europe.

Of particular note, is the fact that France is the most visited country in the world, making tourism an important sector of the economy.

Now, this is clearly different from economic presence of other Francophone communities. Many other francophone countries, particularly those in Africa and the Caribbean, have economies that are less developed and more reliant on a single sector, such as agriculture or mining. This can create job availability issues as well as other economic snafus.

Especially in light of the recent pandemic, France and other Francophone communities have experienced economic changes and decline. This is also palpable and noticeable in other communities. How do you think modern life has impacted countries' economy and stability, and what do you think this does for citizens all around the globe?

Health and the Environment

Of course, economical gains determine the well-being of a country; the health of itself environmentally and its citizens as a whole.

Francophone countries, like many other countries, face a range of health and environmental issues. Health issues in francophone countries can include high rates of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS (le VIH/SIDA), malaria and tuberculosis (le paludisme et la tuberculose), as well as chronic diseases (la maladie chronique) such as diabetes and heart disease (le diabète et les maladies cardiaques) Many francophone countries also have limited access to healthcare and a shortage of healthcare professionals.

Climate change (le changement climatique) is a major concern for many Francophone countries, particularly those in Africa and the Caribbean, which are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts (les ouragans, inondations et sécheresses). Many francophone countries also have limited resources and infrastructure to deal with environmental problems.

There are also other specific issues that affect certain francophone countries. For example, in Haiti, deforestation has led to soil erosion and landslides, which has been detrimental to the population and the agricultural sector. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the mining sector has been linked to environmental degradation and human rights abuses. In Canada, the exploitation of natural resources such as oil and gas has led to environmental pollution and the displacement of Indigenous communities.

In short, the environment and the economy can have a lot of issues for citizens of any community. Consider this when answering the questions below.

Possible Prompts

What do you think is the biggest threat/problem in Francophone communities? Is this different than your own community?

Describe how you would go about handling the climate change crisis.

What do you think the most important contribution of an economy is? Why?

What do you think a government's top priority should be? Why?

Compare your community to a Francophone community through the lens of a health, safety, or other issue.

Strive for Five Vocabulary

La maladie: Disease

L'épidémie: Epidemic

Le virus: Virus

La pandémie: Pandemic