Aquitaine Economy

Agriculture has been of importance in the Aquitaine economy for long time and still nowadays, especially with its well-known wine, foie gras and oyster productions.
The Bordeaux wine region is synonynous with very fine wines. Bordeaux is the most famous wine producing region of France and produces some of the most wonderful wines in the world, including those labelled with the AOC approved stamp.
Other famous gastronomic specialities having made the reputation of Aquitaine all over the world are the delicious foie gras and the oyster from the Arcachon Basin.
The Aquitaine economy is also governed by the industry sector that mainly specialize in alimentary, energy and aeronautic sectors.
The dynamical economy of the region is also due to its touristic success. Aquitaine is one of the favorite destinations for all the travelers and holidaymakers.

By living there, they contribute to dynamize the regional economy and to create jobs in the thermal, gastronomic and summer tourism industries.

	Key economic Data for Aquitaine
GDP	66.7 billion Euros, equivalent to 4.5% of national GDP*.
International Trade	Aquitaine region account for 3.1% of total French Imports and 2.3 % of total French Exports. Important trading partners: Spain, Germany, USA, Russia, Italy, Asia.
Total Companies	More than 150,000 companies are based in Aquitaine. 17,500 compagnies creation in 2004
Largest Companies	Maisadour, Solectron, Groupe Fayat, Ford Aquitaine Industry, Guyenne and Gascogne. According to their turnover (+ 500 million euros TO*).
Employment	Working population includes more than 1.1 million Aquitaine inhabitants. This is equivalent to 44.4% of the total population for the region.
Unemployment	9.9% of this working population is unemployed. This is equivalent to more than 90,000 people.
Students population	More than 99,000 students across Aquitaine.
Salary	Average salary = 13,253,9 €/year.
	Aquitaine Agriculture
Agricultural products	Vegetables: maize, carrot, strawberries, prunes, plums. Grapes for wine, poultry for foie gras. Oysters for seafood.
Key facts	Agriculture involves 82,000 people. Aquitaine is the 1st french region for farming production. Aquitaine is the 4th largest French oyster producing region.
	Aquitaine Industry
Sectors	Wood, Food, Textile, Energy, Chemistry, Plastic, and Electronic sectors including Aeronautic with the famous Airbus A380 project.
Key facts	Industry involves 173,000 people.
Building	The construction sector in Aquitaine consists of 14% of companies versus 12% for all the France. Increase of 23% of individual and public housing planning permission (40,000 units/year) and also increase of 20% of construction sites.
	Aquitaine Tertiary sector
Sectors	Commerce, Health, Administration, Education.
Key facts	833,000 people are involved in Services sector.
Tourism	Tourism is hugely popular in Aquitaine with 6 million holidaymakers per year including 1 million European and international tourists. Aquitaine is the 5th French region for total touristic stays.(average stay duration = 6 days) Hotels, Gîtes, Holiday Homes and Camping sites are abundant. that allows to welcome all these people looking for sun,surf, castles or ski (main season from mai to september). Restaurants and shops also take advantage of this touristic opportunity. This consumption is equivalent to 5.4 billion euros.