Map of France | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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 hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations. 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.


top of page


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 reference

Area
Total: 643,427 km²; 551,500 km²
Rank: 42
Land: 640,053 km²; 549,970 km² (metropolitan France)
Water: 3,374 km²; 1530 km² (metropolitan France)
Note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique and Reunion
Comparative: slightly less than the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Metropolitan france total: 2,889 km
Border countries: (2) Brazil 673 km; Suriname 510 km
French guiana total: 1183 km

Coastline
Total: 4,668 km
Metropolitan france: 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
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
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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
Extremes highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Extremes note: in order to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc its surface and peak have been extensively and periodically measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit

Natural resources
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

Land use
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)

Irrigated land
Total: 26,190 km²;
Metropolitan france: 26,000 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 189 km³ (2005)

Natural hazards
Metropolitan france: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding; volcanic activity (Guadeloupe Martinique Reunion)

Geography
Note: largest West European nation


top of page


Population
Total: 64,057,792
Rank: 21
Note: 62,150,775 in metropolitan France (July 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 0.549% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 150
Below poverty line: 6.2% (2004)

Nationality
Noun: Frenchman Frenchwoman(women)
Adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic Slavic North African Indochinese Basque minorities
Overseas departments: black white mulatto East Indian Chinese Amerindian

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88% Protestant 2% Jewish 1% Muslim 5%-10% unaffiliated 4%
Overseas departments: Roman Catholic Protestant Hindu Muslim Buddhist pagan

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.6%
15-64 years: 65% (male 20,963,124/female 20,929,280)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,403,248/female 6,155,767) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 39.4 years
Male: 38 years
Female: 40.9 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.549% (2009 est.)
Rank: 150

Birth rate: 12.57 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 162

Death rate: 8.56 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 92

Net migration rate: 1.48 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 50

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 77% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.33 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 217
Male: 3.66 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.99 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.98 years
Rank: 9
Male: 77.79 years
Female: 84.33 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 132

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 83
People living with hivaids: 140,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 38
Deaths: 1600 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 65

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5.7% of GDP (2005)
Rank: 46

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: French Republic
Conventional short form: France
Local long form: Republique francaise
Local short form: France

Government type: republic

Capital
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
Note: applies to metropolitan France only not to its overseas departments collectivities or territories

Administrative divisions: 26 regions (regions singular - region); Alsace Aquitaine Auvergne Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy) Bourgogne (Burgundy) 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 Midi-Pyrenees Nord-Pas-de-Calais Pays de la Loire Picardie Poitou-Charentes Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur Reunion Rhone-Alpes
Note: France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the 'territorial collectivity' of Corse or Corsica) and 4 overseas regions (including French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique and Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 4 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)

Dependent areas: (1) Clipperton Island French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Mayotte New Caledonia Saint Barthelemy Saint Martin Wallis and Futuna
Note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a 'sui generis' collectivity of France since 1998 a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department

Independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)

National holiday: 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)

Constitution: adopted by referendum 28 September 1958; effective 4 October 1958; amended many times
Note: amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty 1997 Amsterdam Treaty 2003 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: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY
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 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%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (343 seats 321 for metropolitan France and overseas departments 2 for New Caledonia 2 for Mayotte 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon 1 for Saint-Barthelemy 1 for Saint-Martin 3 for overseas territories and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms; one third elected every three years); note - between 2006 and 2011 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 348 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments 2 for New Caledonia 2 for Mayotte 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon 1 for Saint-Barthelemy 1 for Saint-Martin 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 21 September 2008 (next to be held in September 2014); National Assembly - last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held in June 2012)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 151 PS 116 UC-UDF 29 CRC 23 RDSE 17 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

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: Communist Republican and Citizen or CRC; Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF); Democratic and Social European Rally or RDSE [Yvon COLLIN] (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties and PRG); French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Cecile DUFLOT]; 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 or NC [Herve MORIN]; Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT and Georges SARRE]; Socialist Party or PS [Martine AUBRY]; Union Centrist-UDF or UC-UDF [Michel MERCIER]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Xavier BERTRAND]

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member) AfDB (nonregional member) Arctic Council (observer) Australia Group BDEAC BIS BSEC (observer) CBSS (observer) CE CERN EAPC EBRD EIB EMU ESA EU FAO FZ G-20 G-5 G-7 G-8 G-10 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IEA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO InOC Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MINURCAT 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 UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIFIL Union Latina UNITAR UNMIL UNOCI UNOMIG UNRWA UNTSO UNWTO UPU WADB (nonregional) WCL WCO WEU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pierre VIMONT
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 consulate general: Atlanta Boston Chicago Houston Los Angeles Miami New Orleans New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Mark A. PEKALA
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 consulate 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


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. Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. During 2007-08 the government implemented several important labor reforms including a de facto extension of the 35-hour workweek by allowing employees to work longer overtime hours. During 2009 the government is expected to delay or even renounce other reform efforts due to the on-going financial crisis. GDP growth dropped to 0.3% in 2008; the French government plans to increase public investment and continue injecting capital into the banking sector to alleviate the negative effects of the crisis during 2009. As a result of lower fiscal revenues and increased expenditures the general government deficit is expected to exceed the euro-zone ceiling 3% of GDP. France's tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe - at nearly 50% of GDP in 2005. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 9
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 194

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 39
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2%
Industry: 20.4%
Services: 77.6% (2008 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: -1.8% (2008 est.)
Rank: 149

Labor force: 27.97 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 20
By occupation agriculture: 3.8%
By occupation industry: 24.3%
By occupation services: 71.8% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (2007 est.)
Rank: 93

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 6.2% (2004)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 24.8% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 32.7 (1995)
Rank: 98

Budget
Revenues: $1.407 trillion
Expenditures: $1.506 trillion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 67.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 16

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2007 est.)
Rank: 35

Central bank discount rate: 5% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 94
Note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 8.13% (31 December 2008)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $3.397 trillion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 6

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 6

Current account balance: -$31.25 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 187

Exports: $546 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 6
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment aircraft plastics chemicals pharmaceutical products iron and steel beverages
Partners: Germany 14.3% Italy 8.7% Spain 8.3% UK 7.8% Belgium 7.6% US 5.8% Netherlands 4.2% (2008)

Imports: $600.9 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 6
Commodities: machinery and equipment vehicles crude oil aircraft plastics chemicals
Partners: Germany 17.9% Belgium 11.7% Italy 8.3% Spain 6.9% Netherlands 6.8% UK 5.1% US 4.3% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $115.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 14

Debt external: $4.88 trillion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 4

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $1.026 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 4

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.399 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 2

Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.) 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 535.7 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 9
Consumption: 447.2 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 9
Exports: 58.69 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 10.68 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 920 million m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 64
Consumption: 49.27 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 16
Exports: 1 billion m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 34
Imports: 49.35 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 7
Proven reserves: 6.937 billion m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 84

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 35.909 million; 35.0 million (metropolitan France) (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 8
Mobile cellular: 59.259 million; 57.972 million (metropolitan France) (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 18

Telephone system
General assessment: highly developed
Domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
International: country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe Asia Australia the Middle East and US; satellite earth stations - more than 3 (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
Overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Reunion - .re
Hosts: 14.327 million; 14,341,000 (metropolitan France) (2009)
Hosts rank: 6
Users: 42.912 million; 42.315 million (metropolitan France) (2008)
Users rank: 9

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 61

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary military service; no conscription; 12-month service obligation; women serve in noncombat military posts (2008)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 475 (2009)
Rank: 16
With paved runways total: 297
With paved runways over 3047 m: 14
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 27
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 97
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 82
With paved runways under 914 m: 77 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 178
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 70
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 107 (2009)

Heliports: 1 (2009)

Pipelines: gas 14,688 km; oil 3,036 km; refined products 5,080 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 29,213 km
Rank: 9
Standard gauge: 29,046 km 1.435-m gauge (15,164 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 951,500 km
Rank: 7
Paved: 951,500 km (metropolitan France; includes 10,950 km of expressways)
Note: there are another 5,100 km of roadways in overseas departments (2006)

Waterways
Metropolitan france: 8,501 km
Rank: 16
French guiana: 3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers 3,300 km by native craft) (2008)

Merchant marine
Total: 138
Rank: 43
By type: bulk carrier 2 cargo 1 chemical tanker 32 container 25 liquefied gas 12 passenger 3 passenger/cargo 33 petroleum tanker 23 roll on/roll off 7
Foreign owned: 38 (Belgium 6 China 5 Denmark 2 Germany 1 Italy 2 Japan 1 NZ 1 Norway 5 Saudi Arabia 1 Singapore 2 Sweden 9 Switzerland 3)
Registered in other countries: 127 (Antigua and Barbuda 1 Australia 1 Bahamas 30 Belgium 2 Bermuda 1 Hong Kong 1 Indonesia 1 Isle of Man 1 Italy 2 Liberia 5 Luxembourg 17 Malta 5 Morocco 14 Netherlands 1 Norway 3 Panama 5 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6 Singapore 1 Taiwan 1 UK 23 Wallis and Futuna 6) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Bordeaux Calais Dunkerque Le Havre Marseille Nantes Paris Rouen Strasbourg


top of page


Disputes international: Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India Europa Island Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs
Metropolitan france: transshipment point for South American cocaine Southwest Asian heroin and European synthetics
French guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe
Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe