COTE D'AZUR
Economy
Economy
Popular destinations FRANCE
| Alsace | Ardeche | Auvergne |
| Brittany | Burgundy | Cevennes |
| Corsica | Cote d'azur | Dordogne |
| Jura | Languedoc-roussillon | Loire valley |
| Lot | Normandy | Picardy |
| Provence |
Economy
Grasse has been the centre of the French perfume industry for more than 400 years. Two thirds of all French perfumes originate from here and Grasse can therefore rightly be called the perfume capital of the world. In and around Grasse, there are more than 30 perfume factories (approx. 3,000 employees), which produce 90% of the world's essence ('concrète'), the raw material for perfume, and which mainly serve foreign customers from Germany, the United States, England and Switzerland. However, the production of flower-based perfume is declining sharply and is increasingly being replaced by synthetic perfumes. For a kilo of lavender 'essence', 200 kilos of lavender are needed; for a kilo of cabbage rose, 3000 kilos of roses are needed. The largest perfume manufacturers in Grasse are Fragonard, Galimard and Molinard.
For Collobrières, situated in the cork forests of the Massif des Maures, cork production is the most important industry.
Menton is the 'lemon capital' of the world. The slopes around the city are covered in citrus groves and the pleasant temperatures mean that harvesting is possible all year round.
The French version of the American Silicon Valley (high-tech industry) is located in Sophia-Antipolis near Valbonne.
The region around Antibes is a major European centre for the cultivation of flowers, especially carnations, anemones, tulips and especially roses. The greenhouses cover an area of about 300 ha.
For the South of France, olives and olive oil ("liquid gold") are an important source of income, although only 0.2% of world production. The PACA region (Provence, Alpes, Côte d'Azur) accounts for 65% of French olive production. Since 2007, Provence has had the A.O.C. label (appelation d'origine contrôlée).
Sources
Booren, R. van den / Côte d'Azur
ANWB
Côte d’Azur
Kosmos Reisgidsen
Côte d'Azur, Monaco
Lannoo
Simon, K. / Côte d'Azur
ANWB
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
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