Economy
The main economical resource is agriculture. Dairy farming is a prominent activity. Along the west coast, renowned vegetables are grown (carrots of Créances). The renown trademark "Florette" was created in Lessay
The region is also famous for its shellfish culture, like the oysters from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and Pirou, and the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages like cider and calvados, made from local grown apples and pears.
The region hosts two important nuclear power facilities. At Flamanville there is a nuclear power plant, where the second European Pressurized Reactor in the world is being constructed, with commissioning delayed to 2016 or later. COGEMA La Hague site, a large nuclear waste reprocessing and storage complex operated by Areva NC, is located a few miles to the north, at Beaumont-Hague. The facility stores all high level waste from the French nuclear power program in one large vault. Nuclear industry provides a substantial portion of jobs in the region. The roads used for transport of nuclear waste have been blocked many times in the past by environmental action group Greenpeace. Local environmental groups have voiced concerns about the radioactivity levels of the cooling water of both these nuclear sites, which is being flushed into the bay of Vauville; however, the emitted radioactivity is several orders of magnitude below natural background levels and does not pose any hazard.
Naval shipyards are based in Cherbourg. DCNS (controlled by the French Gov.) build the Nuclear submarine fleet since the 1960s. CMN (private shipyard) Build fregates and patrolers for various states, mostly from the middle east.
Tourism is also an important economic activity in this region. Many tourists visit the D-Day invasion beaches, Utah Beach Being the most western beach of all. Sainte-Mère-Église a few miles away from the beach, very famous for its paratroopers museum .
The "cite de la mer" in Cherbourg is dedicated to the underseas. A unique museum where Le Redoutable (first French Nuclear submarine, launched in the 60s) is the main attraction.
Read more about this topic: Cotentin Peninsula
Famous quotes containing the word economy:
“The basis of political economy is non-interference. The only safe rule is found in the self-adjusting meter of demand and supply. Do not legislate. Meddle, and you snap the sinews with your sumptuary laws.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The counting-room maxims liberally expounded are laws of the Universe. The merchant’s economy is a coarse symbol of the soul’s economy. It is, to spend for power, and not for pleasure.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Unaware of the absurdity of it, we introduce our own petty household rules into the economy of the universe for which the life of generations, peoples, of entire planets, has no importance in relation to the general development.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)