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.

Map reference: Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 547,030 km²
Land: 545,630 km²

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)
Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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

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

Land use
Arable land: 32%
Permanent crops: 2%
Forest and woodland: 27%
Other: 16%

Irrigated land: 11,600 km² (1989 est.)

Population: 57,566,091 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.48% (1993 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate: 0.48% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 13.24 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 9.3 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.87 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Environment
Current issues:
Current issues note: largest West European nation

Infant mortality rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78 years
Male: 74.04 years
Female: 82.16 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Total population: 99%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
By occupation: services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)

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:

Dependent areas:

Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of theBastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, ammended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI
In the us chancery: 4,101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: (202) 944-6,000
In the us consulates general:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela HARRIMAN
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,777
From the us telephone: 33 (1) 4,296-12-02 or 4,261-80-75
From the us fax: 33 (1) 4,266-9,783
From the us consulates general: Bordeaux, 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 have been the basis for a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas

Economy overview: One of the world's most developed economies, France has substantial agricultural resources and a highly 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. France is largely self-sufficient in agricultural products and 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. The French economy is entering its fourth consecutive year of sluggish growth after a strong expansion in the late 1980s. Growth averaged only 1.3% in 1990-92 and is expected to drop to between zero and -0.5% in 1993. The government budget deficit rose to 3.2% of GDP in 1992 and is expected to be far larger than planned in the 1993 budget. Paris remains committed to maintaining the franc-deutsch mark parity, which has kept French interest rates high despite France's low inflation. Although the pace of economic integration within the European Community has slowed down, integration presumably will remain a major force shaping the fortunes of the various economic sectors.

Real gdp growth rate: 1.1% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $18,900 (1992)

Agriculture products: accounts for 4% of GDP (including fishing and forestry; one of the world's top five wheat producers; other principal products - beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall net exporter of farm 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: growth rate 0.2% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10.5% (end 1992)

Budget: revenues $220.5 billion; expenditures $249.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $47 billion (1993 budget)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $212.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
Partners: Germany 18.6%, Italy 11.0%, Spain 11.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.1%, UK 8.8%, Netherlands 7.9%, US 6.4%, Japan 2.0%, former USSR 0.7% (1991 est.)

Imports: $230.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991) chemicals, iron and steel products
Partners: Germany 17.8%, Italy 10.9%, US 9.5%, Netherlands 8.9%, Spain 8.8%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.5%, UK 7.5%, Japan 4.1%, former USSR 1.3% (1991 est.)

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988)

Electricity
Production: 110,000,000 kW capacity; 426,000 million kWh produced, 7,430 kWh per capita (1992)

Airports
Usable: 461
With permanentsurface runways: 256
With runways over 3659 m: 3
With runways 2440-3659 m: 37
With runways 1220-2439 m: 136

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

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

Merchant marine:

Disputes international: