There is a famous quote ascribed to Charles de Gaulle that goes something like this, "How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?" Well, General de Gaulle was actually a bit off - there were over 400 traditional French cheeses, and today there are more than one thousand varieties.

Of course, France produces a lot more than cheese. In fact, France is one of the world's largest exporters by volume. Currently, they are the sixth largest exporter in the world with a grand total of 380 billion pounds in exports in 2009.

Because of their obvious proximity, France has long been a strong trading partner with the UK. After Germany, Italy and Spain, no one imports more Products from France than the UK. What is coming in? Notwithstanding the de Gaulle quote, France exports a good deal of technologically advanced products and machinery. In fact, their most popular export is transportation equipment.

France is also a leading producer of aircraft, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. As they are rich in natural resources, the country also exports massive amounts of iron and steel. Unfortunately, the country has a dearth of oil reserves, which means that they must import most of their fossil fuels.

Then of course there are beverages and comestibles. French wine and cheeses are top sellers and make the list of top ten exports by volume. And since they are the undisputed centre of the fashion universe, dresses, handbags and accessories are also popular with foreign buyers.