Profile on France: After taking the lead in the qualifying rounds, France's CAC 40 is now in sixth place in our World Markets Challenge (see the leaderboard here).  Ironically, France is the world's sixth largest economy.  Here is more on France By the Numbers.

Economy:
France is a member of the G7 Group of leading industrialized countries and is one of the founding members of the European Union.  According to the OECD, it is a top five importer and exporter of manufactured goods and in 2003 was the 2nd largest recipient of direct foreign investment.   

• France ranks #1 in foreign tourists with 81.9 million visitors in 2007
• France is the most energy independent Western country with nearly 80% of its electricity generated by nuclear power
• France currently presides over the EU's European Council and has 29 Council votes.  It also holds 78 seats in the European Parliament

Markets:
The CAC 40 is one of Europe's primary indices, representing 40 of the largest companies in France by market cap. 

• Its base value was set on December 31, 1987.
• It is now ~34% below its all time high of 6922, set in Sept. 2000
• The CAC-40 is dependent on the free-float market cap of its constituents.

YTD, the CAC 40 is down over 19%.  Here are some index member ADRs that are adding weight to the YTD performance:

Check in daily for more updates and country profiles.  bythenumbers.cnbc.com

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