Map of France | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France lost many men, much wealth, its extensive empire, and its rank as a dominant nation-state. France has struggled since 1958_arguably with success_to construct a presidential democracy resistant to the severe instabilities inherent in the parliamentary democracy of early 20th century France. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe.


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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 reference: Europe

Area
Total: 547,030 km²
Land: 545,630 km²
Water: 1,400 km²
Note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Land boundaries
Total: 2,892.4 km
Border countries: (8) Andorra 60 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
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean

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
Extremes highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash

Land use
Arable land: 33%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 20%
Forests and woodland: 27%
Other: 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 km² (1995 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: flooding

Geography
Note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral


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Population: 58,609,285 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.35% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
Adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19% (male 5,712,739; female 5,449,139)
15-64 years: 65% (male 19,178,683; female 19,126,672)
65 years and over: 16% (male 3,687,216; female 5,454,836) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.35% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.98 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.08 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Air pollutants

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: 0.68 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 5.8 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.38 years
Male: 74.44 years
Female: 82.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (1980 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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: (10) 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: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
Head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%

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) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held 24 September 1995 (next to be held September 1998); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 94, UDF 127, PS 75, PCF 15, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7

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

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG
In the us chancery: 4,101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 944-6,000
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 944-6,166
In the us consulates general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela C. HARRIMAN (died in office 2 February 1997)
From the us embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75,382 Paris Cedex 08
From the us mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 9,777
From the us telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
From the us FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
From the us consulates general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor; the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: One of the four West European trillion-dollar economies, the French economy features considerable state control over its capitalistic market system. In running important industrial segments (railways, airlines, electricity, telecommunications), administering an exceptionally generous social welfare system, and staffing an enormous bureaucracy, the state spends about 55% of GDP. France has substantial agricultural resources and a diversified modern industrial sector. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make it the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. Largely self-sufficient in agricultural products, France is a major exporter of wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector generates about one-quarter of GDP, and the growing services sector has become crucial to the economy. Following stagnation and recession in 1991-93, French GDP expanded 2.4% in 1994 and in 1995 but at only 1.3% in 1996. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major problem for the government, as will the need to cut back on government spending to keep the economy internationally competitive and enable France to qualify for European Economic and Monetary Union, slated to introduce a common European currency in January 1999. The government also has laid plans to sell off much of its stake in the telecommunications and defense industries in 1997 as part of its bid to make domestic companies more competitive with foreign rivals. However, the socialist victory at the polls in June 1997 casts doubt on France's future policy toward economic union and privatization of domestic economic activity.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.3% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,900 (1996 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.4%
Industry: 26.5%
Services: 71.1% (1994)

Agriculture products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically

Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1996 est.)

Labor force
Total: 25.5 million
By occupation services: 69%
By occupation industry: 26%
By occupation agriculture: 5% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 12.7% (1966)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $250 billion
Expenditures: $300 billion, including capital expenditures of $34 billion (1996 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $275 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
Partners: Germany 17%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Spain 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia 0.7% (1996)

Imports
Total value: $255.5 billion f.o.b., 1996)
Commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products
Partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, Russia 1.5% (1996)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992)


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Electricity
Capacity: 102.94 million kW (1994)
Production: 492.7 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 6,278 kWh (1995 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: highly developed
Domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
International: 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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $47.7 billion (1995)
Percent of gdp: 2.5% (1995)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 460 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 382
With paved runways over 3047 m: 13
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 26
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 91
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 73
With paved runways under 914 m: 179 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 78
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 75 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1996 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km

Railways
Total: 34,123 km
Standard gauge: 33,524 km 1.435-m gauge; 32,275 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 13,741 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked
Narrow gauge: 599 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many being of very narrow gauge (1995)

Roadways

Waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled

Merchant marine
Total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,038,151 GRT/1,441,498 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 3, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1, container 7, liquefied gas tanker 3, multi-function large load carrier 1, oil tanker 13, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 1
Note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land; Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France; in 1992 an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone area of 12,348 km² to settle the dispute; claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin