Since the early 1980s one of the most significant changes in energy supply has been the greatly increased role of nuclear power, at the expense of fuel oil and coal; even the production of hydroelectric power has stabilized, as most suitable sites have already been exploited, particularly those of the Rhine and Rhône valleys, the Massif Central, and the Alps. Imported coal had long supplemented indigenous production. The younger mountains and adjacent plains, Gaul and Germany at the end of the 5th century, The shrinking of the frontiers and peripheral areas, Austrasian hegemony and the rise of the Pippinids, The partitioning of the Carolingian empire, The development of institutions in the Carolingian age, The influence of the church on society and legislation, Economy, society, and culture in the Middle Ages (, Economy, society, and culture in the 14th and 15th centuries, The influence of Montesquieu and Rousseau, The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789–1815, The restoration and constitutional monarchy, The Great Depression and political crises, Society and culture under the Third Republic, The euro-zone crisis and the Socialist resurgence, Jewish Virtual Library - France Virtual Jewish History Tour, France - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), France - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). By the late 1990s, production was negligible, requiring a high level of imports, principally from the North Sea (Norway and the Netherlands), Algeria, and Russia. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What Are The Major Natural Resources Of Japan? The demand for different types of energy has changed considerably over time. There were more than 59 active nuclear plants as of 2010 with all of them contributing around 94.6% of all the primary electricity used in homes and factories around the country. Coal used to be the main mineral resource, but the last mine was closed in 2004. Forests of pine and fir mean that wood lumber, paper and pulp resources are available, although demand does exceed its availability. Much of it was used domestically instead. Sulfur is also another resource that is found in limited deposits of natural gas in Aquitaine. Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. Shellfish are abundant on the Atlantic coast, while the country's Mediterranean coast has fisheries on a much smaller scale. The country also has substantial amounts of renewable energy and is known for its extensive timber and fishing industries. France has many rivers that run through its vast landscapes creating waterfalls backed by reservoirs and dams that are harnessed to produce electricity for the masses. In addition, France’s installed solar capacity increased by almost 700 percent between 2009 and 2011, and its 2.5 gigawatts of production represented almost 4 percent of the world’s total. France was hit hard during World War I and in 1920 it established the Maginot Line of border defenses to protect itself from the rising power of Germany. Some of the natural resources found in France include the following: Coal was an essential resource that played a significant role in the industrial revolution wave that swept across European countries including France. Coal reserves are estimated at about 140 million tons, but French coal suffered from being difficult and expensive to mine and from its mediocre quality. As the world moves towards reducing reliance on nuclear energy and natural gas, other environmentally friendly sources of energy have been explored worldwide. Many markets are supplied with oil products by pipeline, which is also the distribution method for natural gas. Other energy resources are in short supply. By the end of the millennia, natural gas production was negligible and too small to support the country's needs forcing France to turn to imports. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. As the world changed and new sourc… However, when it comes to natural resources, France surprisingly has a limited reserve.
Lorraine has been the principal source of iron ore in France where large deposits of the precious natural resource alongside coal were responsible for the rapid population growth during the industrial revolution.
More recently development has slowed substantially, as demand has eased and environmental groups have campaigned against further investment. Oil has long been France’s principal energy import, which has led to the growth of a major refining industry, with plants concentrated in two areas of the lower Seine valley (Le Havre and Rouen) and in the region around Fos-sur-Mer and the Étang de Berre. Natural gas was first exploited in southwestern France (near Lacq) in 1957. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The country also has substantial amounts of renewable energy and is known for its extensive timber and fishing industries. By Joseph Kiprop on July 16 2018 in Economics. The country enjoys moderate summers and winters. Compared with its agricultural resources, the country is far less well-endowed with energy resources. The current French president has pledged to shut down all coal mining activities in France by the year 2021. Greater amounts of potash (mined in Alsace), sodium chloride (from mines in Lorraine and Franche-Comté and from salt marshes in western and southern France), and sulfur (derived from natural gas in Aquitaine) are produced, but again the trend is toward declining output as reserves are depleted. Low in metal content and difficult to agglomerate, Lorraine ores were thus long supplemented and have now been replaced by richer overseas supplies from such countries as Brazil, Sweden, and Australia. In 1958 annual production amounted to some 60 million tons; 40 years later this total had dropped to less than 6 million tons; and in 2004 the last coal mine was shuttered. Uranium is mined in the Massif Central, and, although recoverable reserves are estimated at approximately 50,000 tons, more than half of the annual consumption has to be imported. France has some coal, iron ores, bauxite, and uranium; but the coal veins are deep and difficult to work and are unsuitable for use in the manufacture of steel. Much of the natural minerals that were abundant across the nation were depleted after they were heavily exploited during the industrial revolution that played a huge part in turning France into what it is today. France has few oil reserves, and production from wells in Aquitaine and the Paris Basin is extremely limited. The vast land area in France and the nature of the landscape has given France a huge potential of maximizing on wind energy production which goes a long way in reducing the strain on nuclear and hydroelectric energies.
In the early postwar years, coal provided the larger part of energy needs. France's mineral resources have been heavily depleted over the years, but it still has significant deposits of potash (in Alsace), uranium (in the Massif Central), salt (in Lorraine and Franche-Comté) and sulfur (in Aquitaine). As the world changed and new sources of energy were discovered, coal mining in France drastically reduced until it was stopped in 2004. Uranium deposits are located in the Massif Central which at one time had uranium ore reserves estimated at 50,000 tonnes. Coal was an essential resource that played a significant role in the industrial revolutionwave that swept across European countries including France. In contrast, nuclear production, benefiting from major government investment from the early 1970s, expanded enormously in the 1980s, notably with the construction of sites in the Rhône and Loire valleys, a reflection of the need for large quantities of cooling water. The population of France is 65,630,692 as of July 2011. The quality of the ore was low and could not compete with coal from other nations. France is among the most powerful states in the world with an economy that is ranked 6th behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, China, and the United States. The strange thing about this particular bauxite mine is that not much has happened since the discovery, though the area has been undergoing routine maintenance with no large-scale extraction of the bauxite itself leaving the deposit mostly untouched. It has several overseas territories, namely, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, and Reunion. Iron ore output exceeded 60 million tons in the early 1960s, originating principally in Lorraine; but production has now ceased, despite the continued existence of reserves. One of the main consequences of these changes has been a reduction in the country’s previously high dependence on external sources of supply.