France, located in Western Europe along with many international islands and regions situated in various continents, is officially known as the French Republic. It is a founding member of the EU with more land area than any other member. It is a developed country, among one of the largest economies in the world and the 19th most populous nation in the world. France ranks third largest trading country in Western Europe and stands as the EU's leading agricultural producer. France is a modern industrialized nation and its leading sectors include telecommunications, aerospace and defense, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, ship building, automobile production and construction and civil engineering.