How Powerful Is France? | Most Powerful Nations on Earth #3
France is not the largest country on Earth, nor the richest or the most populous, yet few nations carry as much weight in world affairs. With a population of about 68 million people and an economy worth around $3.37 trillion — the seventh largest in the world — France combines economic scale, military strength and global reach in a way that keeps it firmly in the top league of nations. Much of that reach comes from geography. France's overseas territories are scattered across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, giving it the world's second-largest maritime zone, covering more than 10 million square kilometres of ocean. Because its territories span the globe, France also stretches across 12 time zones — more than any other country — so the sun, quite literally, never sets on French territory. That global footprint is backed by serious military power. France spends roughly $65 billion a year on defence and maintains a fully independent armed forces, including around 290 nu...