...Both of France's most famous industries (fashion and wine) have suffered a decline of market share in recent years. Imports of ready-to-wear clothing from Asian and Mediterranean countries that came in at a cheaper price hurt the French fashion industry in the 1990s. Also, less expensive wines from Australia, Eastern Europe and South America have added more rivalry for French vineyards.
Like much of Europe, the French economy in the mid-1990s was in economic recession. The growth rate declined. For three weeks in late 1995 Paris was crippled by public sector strikes that battered the economy and increased the doubt that France could qualify for the scheduled European economic and monetary union. In 1996, France's unemployment rate was 13%. Efforts to normalize and update French industry have been slowed by the fact that small firms outnumber large conglomerates. In the late 20th century, France's major industries include steel, motor vehicles, aircraft, mechanical and electrical products, textiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food products, and luxury goods.
The modern French population is largely native-born and represents a fusion of many peoples of Celtic, Germanic, Latin, and Slavic origins. Contrary to what has happened in many other countries, the immigrants have blended so well into existing French society that today it is difficult to determine the ethnic origins of most French citizens. More ethnically prominent are the 20th-century immigrants, including an estimated 4 million foreigners - mainly Portuguese, Spanish, and Italians - and many French citizens, a large number of them Arabs, who entered France in the 1960s from former French colonies in Algeria and sub-Saharan Africa. In 1990 an estimated 2.5 million North Africans lived in France. About 80% of the population nominally belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, although only a minority of these participates regularly in church activities. Protestants constitute less than 2% of the population; Jews, about 1%; Muslims, who have entered France recently from former North African colonies, about 4% France is globally recognized for its outstanding cuisine and famous chefs.
But France did not earn this acknowledgment overnight. Food historians credit the ancient Romans for originally bringing cooking to the level of an art. But the pre-Renaissance food of France was heavy and highly spiced. Ironically, it was Italian-born Catherine de Medici, whose arrival in France in 1533 was crucial in the development of France's culinary arts. De Medici and her cooking staff introduced delicacies earlier unfamiliar to the French, as well as firm etiquette policies. Her presence in France not only raised the refined dining practice, but also influenced the future of French cuisine...

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