What has France Become?

France is now an independent nation in Western Europe and has become the center of a large overseas administration. It is the third-largest European nation. Since the 17th century, France has played a major role in European and world events. In the 20th century, it experienced numerous crises, including the devastation of two world wars, political and social upheavals, and the loss of a large empire in Indochina, Algeria, and West and Africa. It has, however, survived and emerged from the ruins of World War II to become an important world supplier of agricultural and industrial products and a major partner in the EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (EC, or Common Market).