Definition Field Listing Rank
Order
Background: |
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and
II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth,
manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France
today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a
leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a
presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in
earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its
reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to
the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a
common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present,
France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the
momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified
and capable European defense and security apparatus.
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Location: |
Western
Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between
Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, between Italy and Spain |
Geographic coordinates: |
46 00 N, 2
00 E |
Map references: |
Europe
|
Area: |
total:
547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km water: 1,400
sq km note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes
the overseas administrative divisions |
Area - comparative: |
slightly
less than twice the size of Colorado |
Land boundaries: |
total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6
km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km,
Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km |
Coastline: |
3,427 km
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the
Mediterranean) continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the
depth of exploitation |
Climate: |
generally
cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers
along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry,
north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral |
Terrain: |
mostly flat
plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is
mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont
Blanc 4,807 m |
Natural resources: |
coal, iron
ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar,
fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish |
Land use: |
arable
land: 33.53% permanent crops: 2.07% other:
64.4% (2001) |
Irrigated land: |
20,000 sq km
(1998 est.) |
Natural hazards: |
flooding;
avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south
near the Mediterranean |
Environment - current issues: |
some forest
damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle
emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
|
Environment - international agreements: |
party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Geography - note: |
largest West
European nation Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Population: |
60,424,213
(July 2004 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 18.5% (male 5,724,185; female 5,446,716) 15-64
years: 65.1% (male 19,698,497; female 19,663,776) 65
years and over: 16.4% (male 4,049,970; female 5,841,069) (2004
est.) |
Median age: |
total: 38.6 years male: 37 years
female: 40.1 years (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate: |
0.39% (2004
est.) |
Birth rate: |
12.34
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Death rate: |
9.06
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Net migration rate: |
0.66
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65
years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
4.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.83 deaths/1,000
live births female: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 79.44 years male: 75.8 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.) |
Total fertility rate: |
1.85 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.4% (2003
est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
120,000 (2003
est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than
1,000 (2003 est.) |
Nationality: |
noun:
Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
|
Ethnic groups: |
Celtic and
Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque
minorities |
Religions: |
Roman
Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%,
unaffiliated 4% |
Languages: |
French 100%,
rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal,
Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99%
female: 99% (1980 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France local long
form: Republique Francaise local short form: France
|
Government type: |
republic
|
Capital: |
Paris |
Administrative divisions: |
22 regions
(regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne,
Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne,
Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France,
Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees,
Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes,
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note:
metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the
"territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided
into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas
departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the
overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and
Miquelon) |
Dependent areas: |
Bassas da
India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French
Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island,
New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note:
the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica |
Independence: |
486 (unified
by Clovis) |
National holiday: |
Bastille
Day, 14 July (1789) |
Constitution: |
28 September
1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to
comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam
Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in
1993; amended to change the seven-year presidential term to a
five-year term in 2000 |
Legal system: |
civil law
system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not
legislative acts |
Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of
state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) head
of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May
2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the suggestion of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term (changed from seven-year term in October 2000);
election last held 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first
round NA April 2007, second round NA May 2007); prime minister
nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the
president election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected
president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR)
81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN) 18.04% |
Legislative branch: |
bicameral
Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats -
296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and
territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are
indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms;
elected by thirds every three years); note - between now and 2010,
25 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 346 seats -
326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New
Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 3 for
overseas territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members
will be indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year
terms, with one-half the seats being renewed every three years; and
the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are
elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to
serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 23
September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2004); National
Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held not later than
June 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - RPR 83, PS 68, UDF 37, DL 35, RDES 16,
PCF 16, other 66; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7,
Greens 3, other 22 |
Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the
president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary);
Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three members
appointed by the president, three appointed by the president of the
National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the
Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat |
Political parties and leaders: |
Citizen and
Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and
European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly RAD. and PRG) [Jacques
PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET];
Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS
and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement
for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; Rally for France or RPF
[Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Greens
[Gilles LEMAIRE, Francine BAVAY, Jean DESESSARD, Christophe
PORQUIER, Maud LELIEVRE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (formed
when RPR and DL fused and dissolved) [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a
Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF)
[Alain JUPPE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du
Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed);
left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du
Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);
independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force
Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar
union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members
(claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or
MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed) |
International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT,
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CE, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MICAH, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC,
UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE chancery: 4101
Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1]
(202) 944-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston,
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco |
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Howard H. LEACH embassy: 2 Avenue
Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 mailing address: PSC 116,
APO AE 09777 telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83 consulate(s)
general: Marseille, Strasbourg |
Flag description: |
three equal
vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the
"Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag
dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or colors
are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium,
Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the
official flag for all French dependent areas Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Economy - overview: |
France is in
the midst of transition, from a well-to-do modern economy that has
featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that
relies more on market mechanisms. The Socialist-led government
partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and
insurers, but the government retains controlling stakes in several
leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and
Thales, and is dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public
transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is
gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain
committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by
means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income
disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and
welfare. The current government has lowered income taxes and
introduced measures to boost employment. The government is focusing
on the problems of the high cost of labor and labor market
inflexibility resulting from the 35-hour workweek and restrictions
on lay-offs. The government is also pushing for pension reforms and
simplification of administrative procedures. The tax burden remains
one of the highest in Europe (43.8% of GDP in 2003). The current
economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the 2003
deficit to 4% of GDP, above the EU's 3% debt limit. Business
investment remains listless because of low rates of capital
utilization, sluggish demand, high debt, and the steep cost of
capital. |
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $1.661 trillion (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: |
0.5% (2003
est.) |
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 2.7% industry: 24.4%
services: 72.9% (2003 est.) |
Investment (gross fixed): |
19.2% of GDP
(2003) |
Population below poverty line: |
6.5% (2000)
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1995) |
Distribution of family income - Gini
index: |
32.7 (1995)
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.1% (2003
est.) |
Labor force: |
27.39 million
(2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
4.1%, industry 24.4%, services 71.5% (1999) |
Unemployment rate: |
9.7% (2003
est.) |
Budget: |
revenues: $882.8 billion expenditures: $955.4
billion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (2003 est.)
|
Public debt: |
68.8% of GDP
(2003) |
Agriculture - products: |
wheat,
cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products;
fish |
Industries: |
machinery,
chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles,
food processing; tourism |
Industrial production growth rate: |
-0.3% (2003)
|
Electricity - production: |
520.1 billion
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - consumption: |
415.3 billion
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports: |
72.6 billion
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports: |
4.2 billion
kWh (2001) |
Oil - production: |
34,920
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
Oil - consumption: |
2.026 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
Oil - exports: |
409,600
bbl/day (2001) |
Oil - imports: |
2.281 million
bbl/day (2001) |
Oil - proved reserves: |
144.3 million
bbl (1 January 2002) |
Natural gas - production: |
1.898 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption: |
42.01 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
Natural gas - exports: |
1.725 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
Natural gas - imports: |
40.26 billion
cu m (2001 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
12.86 billion
cu m (1 January 2002) |
Current account balance: |
$13.8 billion
(2003) |
Exports: |
$346.5
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
Exports - commodities: |
machinery
and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals,
pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages |
Exports - partners: |
Germany
14.9%, Spain 9.6%, UK 9.4%, Italy 9.3%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.8% (2003
est.) |
Imports: |
$339.9
billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
|
Imports - partners: |
Germany
19.1%, Belgium 9.4%, Italy 9%, Spain 7.4%, Netherlands 7%, UK 7%, US
5.4% (2003 est.) |
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: |
$70.76
billion (2003) |
Debt - external: |
NA |
Economic aid - donor: |
ODA, $5.4
billion (2002) |
Currency: |
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial
institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became
the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member
countries |
Currency code: |
EUR |
Exchange rates: |
euros per US
dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000),
0.9386 (1999) |
Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
33,905,400
(2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
41,683,100
(2003) |
Telephone system: |
general
assessment: highly developed domestic: extensive
cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of
fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean
and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20
countries |
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 41, FM
about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many
repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) |
Television broadcast stations: |
584 (plus
9,676 repeaters) (1995) |
Internet country code: |
.fr |
Internet hosts: |
2,396,761
(2004) |
Internet users: |
21.9 million
(2003) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Railways: |
total:
32,175 km standard gauge: 32,008 km 1.435-m gauge (14,320
km electrified) narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
|
Highways: |
total:
894,000 km paved: 894,000 km (including 11,500 km of
expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
Waterways: |
8,500 km
(1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000) |
Pipelines: |
gas 13,946
km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2003) |
Ports and harbors: |
Bordeaux,
Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon,
Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint
Malo, Strasbourg (2003) |
Merchant marine: |
total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705
DWT by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 2,
liquefied gas 4, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off
2, short-sea/passenger 4 foreign-owned: Germany 1, Monaco
2, New Caledonia 1, Sweden 5 registered in other
countries: 118 (2003 est.) |
Airports: |
477 (2003
est.) |
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 281 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to
3,047 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95 914 to 1,523
m: 82 under 914 m: 63 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 196 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to
1,523 m: 70 under 914 m: 123 (2003 est.) |
Heliports: |
3 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Military branches: |
Army
(includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy
(including naval air), Air Force (including Air Defense), National
Gendarmerie |
Military manpower - military age: |
18 years of
age (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 14,487,165 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males age
15-49: 12,044,827 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 394,413 (2004 est.) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$45,238.1
million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.6% (2003)
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