McDonald's markets to the world

Every continent has a McDonald's restaurant, and more are on the way. By 2013--that's just a few months away--McDonald's will have 2,000 locations in China and more than its current 3,300 in Japan. The company is also expanding in India, where it will soon open all-vegetarian restaurants to cater to local tastes. McDonald's has operated in India since 1996, always avoiding beef, but the addition of vegetarian-only locations is a new approach for the global fast-food giant.

One of McDonald's biggest growth areas, however, is France. By giving French customers what they like (such as smaller sandwiches, table service, specialty cheeses and so on), McDonald's has increased the size of the average transaction in France well above the level of the average transaction in its US restaurants.

Speaking of the world of McDonald's, the fast-food firm has been bringing the world to UK restaurants with the return of the "Tastes of the World" menu. Above, the Spanish Grande.