Map of France | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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 advent of the euro in January 1999. Presently 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 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: 2,889 km
Border countries: (8) 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
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; 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
Extremes highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal iron ore bauxite zinc potash timber fish

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; avalanches

Geography
Note: largest West European nation


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Population: 59,551,227 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 0.37% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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) 3% unaffiliated 4%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.68% (male 5,698,604; female 5,426,838)
15-64 years: 65.19% (male 19,424,018; female 19,399,588)
65 years and over: 16.13% (male 3,900,579; female 5,701,600) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.37% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 12.1 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.09 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes agricultural runoff
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 4.46 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.9 years
Male: 75.01 years
Female: 83.01 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.44% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 2000 (1999 est.)

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
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
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 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 nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president
Election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN (PS) 47.36%

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); 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 99, UDC 52, DL 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, MEI 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); 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: Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; French Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; Independent Ecological Movement or MEI [Antoine WAECHTER]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Liberal Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR) [Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DEVILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michelle ALLIOT-MARIE]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of UDC FD RRRS PPDF) [Francois BAYROU]; Union of the Center or UDC [leader NA]

International organization participation: ACCT AfDB AsDB Australia Group BDEAC BIS CCC CDB (non-regional) CE CERN EAPC EBRD ECA (associate) ECE ECLAC EIB EMU 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 InOC Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO ITU MINURSO MIPONUH MONUC NAM (guest) NATO NEA NSG OAS (observer) OECD OPCW OSCE PCA SPC UN UN Security Council UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL UNIKOM UNITAR UNMEE UNMIBH UNMIK UNOMIG UNRWA UNTAET UNTSO UNU UPU WADB (nonregional) 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, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Howard H. LEACH; Charge d'Affaires Douglas L. McELHANEY
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/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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: France is in the midst of transition from an economy that featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The government remains dominant in some sectors particularly power public transport and defense industries but it has been relaxing its control since the mid-1980s. The Socialist-led government has sold off part of its holdings in France Telecom Air France Thales Thomson Multimedia and the European Aerospace and Defense Company (EADS). 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 has done little to cut generous unemployment and retirement benefits which impose a heavy tax burden and discourage hiring. It has also shied from measures that would dramatically increase the use of stock options and retirement investment plans; such measures would boost the stock market and fast-growing IT firms as well as ease the burden on the pension system but would disproportionately benefit the rich. In addition to the tax burden the reduction of the work week to 35-hours has drawn criticism for lowering the competitiveness of French companies.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.1% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.3%
Industry: 26.1%
Services: 70.6% (1999)

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: 3.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 25 million (2000)
By occupation services: 71%
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation agriculture: 4% (1997)

Unemployment rate: 9.7% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 25.1% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $210 billion
Expenditures: $240 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2000 est.)

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: $325 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment aircraft plastics chemicals pharmaceutical products iron and steel beverages
Partners: EU 63% (Germany 16% UK 10% Spain 9% Italy 9% Belgium-Luxembourg 8%) US 8% (1999)

Imports: $320 billion (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment vehicles crude oil aircraft plastics chemicals
Partners: EU 62% (Germany 16% Belgium-Luxembourg 11% Italy 9% UK 8%) US 7% (2000 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $106 billion (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001) 1.0854 (2000) 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999) 5.8995 (1998) 5.8367 (1997) 5.1155 (1996)


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Electricity
Production: 497.26 billion kWh (1999)
Production by source fossil fuel: 9.69%
Production by source hydro: 14.39%
Production by source nuclear: 75.43%
Production by source other: 0.49% (1999)
Consumption: 398.752 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 68.7 billion kWh (1999)
Imports: 5 billion kWh (1999)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 34.86 million (yearend 1998)
Mobile cellular: 11.078 million (yearend 1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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
Country code: .fr
Service providers isps: 62 (2000)
Users: 9 million (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $39.831 billion (FY97)
Percent of gdp: 2.5% (FY97)

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: 475 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 268
With paved runways over 3047 m: 14
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 30
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 94
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 72
With paved runways under 914 m: 58 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 207
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 73
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 130 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2000 est.)

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

Railways
Total: 31,939 km (31,939 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked)
Standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998)

Roadways

Waterways: 14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)

Merchant marine
Total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 942,333 GRT/1,304,754 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 1, liquefied gas 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 3
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2000 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; territorial dispute between Suriname and French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs