Legend:
 Definition
 Field
Listing
 Rank
Order
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Background:
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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 efforts to develop
the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward
an EU foreign policy. |
|
Location:
|
metropolitan France: 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
French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the
North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname
Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean
Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico
Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean
Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean,
east of Madagascar |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W
Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W
Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W
Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E |
|
Map references:
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metropolitan France: Europe
French Guiana: South America
Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean
Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean
Reunion: World |
|
Area:
|
total: 643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan
France)
land: 640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan
France)
water: 3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France)
note: the first numbers include the overseas regions
of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly less than the size of Texas |
|
Land boundaries:
|
metropolitan France - 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
French Guiana - total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Saint Martin - total: 10.2 km
border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten)
10.2 km |
|
Coastline:
|
total: 4,668 km
metropolitan France: 3,427 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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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:
|
metropolitan France: 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
French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal
temperature variation
Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by
trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to
October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes)
every eight years on average
Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with
elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy
(November to April) |
|
Terrain:
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metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently
rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous,
especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to
hills and small mountains
Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with
interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation;
most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline;
dormant volcano
Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile
lowlands along coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m |
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Natural resources:
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metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc,
uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar,
gypsum, timber, fish
French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin,
niobium, tantalum, clay |
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Land use:
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arable land: 33.46%
permanent crops: 2.03%
other: 64.51%
note: French Guiana - arable land 0.13%, permanent
crops 0.04%, other 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other);
Guadeloupe - arable land 11.70%, permanent crops 2.92%,
other 85.38%; Martinique - arable land 9.09%, permanent
crops 10.0%, other 80.91%; Reunion - arable land 13.94%,
permanent crops 1.59%, other 84.47% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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total: 26,190 sq km;
metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
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metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter
windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the
Mediterranean
overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones),
flooding, volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique,
Reunion)
|
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Environment - current issues:
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some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from
industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban
wastes, agricultural runoff |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen
Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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largest West European nation |
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Population:
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total: 63,713,926
note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2007
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,063,181/female 5,776,272)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 20,798,889/female
20,763,283)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 4,274,290/female
6,038,011) (2007 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 39 years
male: 37.5 years
female: 40.4 years (2007 est.)
|
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Population growth rate:
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0.588% (2007 est.)
|
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Birth rate:
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12.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.002 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.708 male(s)/female
total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
|
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
|
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 80.59 years
male: 77.35 years
female: 84 years (2007 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.)
|
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.4% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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120,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 1,000 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French |
|
Ethnic groups:
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Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, Basque minorities
overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East
Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
|
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim
5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant,
Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan |
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Languages:
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French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and
languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan,
Basque, Flemish)
overseas departments: French, Creole patois |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique francaise
local short form: France |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Paris
geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
|
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Administrative divisions:
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26 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine,
Auvergne, Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy), Bourgogne,
Bretagne (Brittany), Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse
(Corsica), Franche-Comte, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French
Guiana), Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy), Ile-de-France,
Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Martinique,
Reunion, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la
Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote
d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes
note: France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions
(including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or
Corsica) and 4 overseas regions and is subdivided into 96
metropolitan departments and 4 overseas departments
|
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Dependent areas:
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Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French
Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso
Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Mayotte, New Caledonia,
Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica;
New Caledonia has been considered a "sui generis"
collectivity of France since 1999, a unique status falling
between that of an independent country and a French overseas
department |
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Independence:
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486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia
established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
|
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National holiday:
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Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often
incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration
actually commemorates the holiday held on the first
anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July
1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy;
other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National
Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July) |
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Constitution:
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adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October
1958
note: 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
in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a
five-year term; amended in 2005 to make the EU
constitutional treaty compatible with the Constitution of
France and to ensure that the decision to ratify EU
accession treaties would be made by referendum
|
|
Legal system:
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civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of
administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16
May 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Francois FILLON
(since 17 May 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president at 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 22 April and 6 May 2007 (next to
be held spring 2012); prime minister nominated by the
National Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results: Nicolas SARKOZY wins the election;
First Round: percent of vote - Nicolas SARKOZY 31.18%,
Segolene ROYAL 25.87%, Francois BAYROU 18.57%, Jean-Marie LE
PEN 10.44%, others 13.94%; Second Round: SARKOZY 53.1% and
ROYAL 46.9% |
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Legislative branch:
|
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or
Senat (331 seats, 305 for metropolitan France, 9 for
overseas departments, 5 for dependencies, and 12 for French
nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an
electoral college to serve nine-year terms; one third
elected every three years); note - between 2006 and 2010, 15
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; starting in 2008, members
will be indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve
six-year terms, with one-half elected every three years; and
the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats, 555
for metropolitan France, 15 for overseas departments, 7 for
dependencies; members are elected by popular vote under a
single-member majority system to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next
to be held in September 2008); National Assembly - last held
10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE
15, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
UMP 46.37%, PS 42.25%, miscellaneous left wing parties
2.47%, PCF 2.28%, NC 2.12%, PRG 1.65%, miscellaneous right
wing parties 1.17%, the Greens 0.45, other 1.24%; seats by
party - UMP 313, PS 186, NC 22, miscellaneous left wing
parties 15, PCF 15, miscellaneous right wing parties 9, PRG
7, the Greens 4, other 6 |
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Judicial branch:
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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 MRC [Jean Pierre
CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE
[Jacques PELLETIER] (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist
Parties, and PRG); French Communist Party or PCF
[Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yann WEHRLING]; Left Radical
Party or PRG [Jean-Michel BAYLET] (previously Radical
Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or
MRG); Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS];
National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; New Center of NC
[Herve MORIN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA];
Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French
Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular
Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]; Radical Party [Jean-Louis
BORLOO] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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)
French Guiana: NA
Guadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of
Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers
or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG;
Movement of Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist
Renewal Movement
Martinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC;
Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR];
Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants;
Proletarian Action Group or GAP
Reunion: NA |
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International organization participation:
|
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB,
Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
(observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IFTU, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,
MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF
(partner), Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN
Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Pierre VIMONT
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, San
Francisco |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
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 |
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Flag description:
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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
|
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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 government has partially or fully privatized
many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded
stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom,
Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence 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 government in 2006 focused on
introducing measures that attempt to boost employment
through increased labor market flexibility; however, the
population has remained opposed to labor reforms, hampering
the government's ability to revitalize the economy. The tax
burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of
GDP in 2005). The lingering economic slowdown and inflexible
budget items probably pushed the budget deficit above the
eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit in 2006; unemployment hovers near
9%. With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year,
France is the most visited country in the world and
maintains the third largest income in the world from
tourism. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$1.902 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate):
|
$2.151 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
2.2% (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$31,200 (2006 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 2%
industry: 20.7%
services: 77.2% (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
27.75 million (2006 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 24.4%
services: 71.5% (1999) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
8.7% (December 2006 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
6.2% (2004)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2004) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
26.7 (2002)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.7% (2006 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
20.5% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $1.152 trillion
expenditures: $1.211 trillion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
64.2% of GDP (2006 est.) |
|
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:
|
0.2% (2006 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
543.6 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
451.5 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
68.33 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
8.035 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production:
|
73,500 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
1.97 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports:
|
474,200 bbl/day (2005) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
1.89 million bbl/day (2005) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
159 million bbl (1 January 2006)
|
|
Natural gas - production:
|
1.4 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
47.26 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
863.2 million cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
47.02 billion cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
341 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Current account balance:
|
-$28.32 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$483.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities:
|
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel,
beverages |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Germany 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.2%, Belgium
7.2%, US 6.7%, Netherlands 4% (2006)
|
|
Imports:
|
$520.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft,
plastics, chemicals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Germany 19%, Belgium 11%, Italy 8.3%, Spain 7%, Netherlands
6.7%, UK 6.5%, US 4.6% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $10.1 billion (2006) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$98.24 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$3.461 trillion (30 June 2006)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
|
$697.4 billion (2006 est.) |
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
|
$1.005 trillion (2006 est.) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares:
|
$1.71 trillion (2005)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
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 |
|
Exchange rates:
|
euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054
(2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
|
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year
|
|
Airports:
|
476 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 292
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 97
914 to 1,523 m: 80
under 914 m: 74 (2007)
|
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 184
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 108 (2007) |
|
Heliports:
|
3 (2007) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km
(2006) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 29,370 km
standard gauge: 29,203 km 1.435-m gauge (14,778 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways:
|
total: 956,303 km (includes 5,083 km of roads in the
overseas departments)
paved: 951,220 km (metropolitan France; including
10,490 km of expressways) (2004) |
|
Waterways:
|
metropolitan France: 8, | |
