ts, used in the chemical industry, are extensive in the vicinity of Mulhouse. Natural gas deposits have been worked since 1951(Country Reports). Small amounts of petroleum are produced at the Parentis oilfield in the southwest, and the search for petroleum deposits continues off the coast of Brittany and in the Bay of Biscay (Country Reports).PowerFrance's fuel resources are inadequate. The country has to import three-quarters of the fuel, mainly petroleum, needed to meet its requirements. However, production of electrical energy is significant. In 1988 output reached 372 billion kW h, with nuclear energy representing 70% of the total (Martinique). France is the world's second-largest supplier of nuclear power after the United States (Martinique). Hydroelectric plants operate on the Isre, Durance, Rhine, Rhne, and Dordogne rivers. A tidal power plant is located on the Rance River in Brittany (Martinique). Agriculture and FishingFrance is the leading agricultural nation in Europe and about 7% of the labor force are engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (Country Reports). Three-fifths of the land area is used for farming; about 31% are cultivated, 3% is in vineyards and orchards, and 24% is used as meadow and pasture (Country Reports). In 1988, 47.6% of France's farm income came from livestock raising (Country Reports). Cattle are raised mainly in the north and west; sheep and goats are raised primarily in the drier, more mountainous south and east, and pigs and chickens are raised throughout the country. France is Europe’s leading producer of beef, veal, poultry, and cheese and a leading producer of milk and eggs (Martinique).Crops contribute about 52% of farm income, with cereals and sugar beets the most important products (Country Reports). Wheat is widely grown in the Paris Basin, and France ranks fifth in world wheat production (Martinique). Other grains grown are barley, corn, and oats, which, with sugar beet factory ...
