Economy
According to the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (INSEE), Alsace had a gross domestic product of 44.3 billion euros in 2002. With a GDP per capita of €24,804, it was the second-place région of France, losing only to Île-de-France. 68% of its jobs are in the services; 25% are in industry, making Alsace one of France's most industrialised régions.
Alsace is a région of varied economic activity, including:
- viticulture (mostly along the Route des Vins d'Alsace between Marlenheim and Thann)
- hop harvesting and brewing (half of French beer is produced in Alsace, especially in the vicinity of Strasbourg, notably in Strasbourg-Cronenbourg, Schiltigheim and Obernai)
- forestry development
- automobile industry (Mulhouse)
- life sciences, as part of the trinational BioValley and
- tourism
- potassium chloride (until the late 20th century) and phosphate mining
Alsace has many international ties and 35% of firms are foreign companies (notably German, Swiss, American, Japanese, and Scandinavian).
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