Background: France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Geographic coordinates:

Map reference:

Area
Total: 551,500 km² (metropolitan France) 549,970 km² (metropolitan France) 1,530 km² (metropolitan France)
Land: 640,427 km²
Water: 3,374 km²
Rank: 44
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Border countries: (8) Andorra 55 km; , Belgium 556 km; , Germany 418 km; , Italy 476 km; , Luxembourg 69 km; , Monaco 6 km; , Spain 646 km; , Switzerland 525 km
Metropolitan France total: 2,751
French Guiana total: 1205

Coastline:

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean Sea)
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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 the mistral;

Terrain:

Elevation
Mean elevation: 375 m
Lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
Highest point: Mont Blanc 4,810: note: to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively 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, arable land, fish, French Guiana, gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use
Agricultural land: 52.7% (2011 est.)
Forest: 29.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 18.1% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: metropolitan France: 26,000 km² (2012)
Note: 26,950 km² (2012)

Natural hazards:

Geography
Note: largest West European nation; most major French rivers - the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne - flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea

Population
Distribution: much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second:
Rank: 21
Growth rate: 0.37% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 166
Below poverty line: 14.2% (2015 est.)

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

Ethnic groups:

Languages:

Religions:

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.48% (male 6,366,789 /female 6,082,729)
15-24 years: 11.8% (male 4,065,780 /female 3,884,488)
25-54 years: 37.48% (male 12,731,825 /female 12,515,501)
55-64 years: 12.42% (male 4,035,073 /female 4,331,751)
65 years and over: 19.82% (male 5,781,410 /female 7,569,011) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 59.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 29.1 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 30.2 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.3 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.5 years (2018 est.)
Male: 39.7 years
Female: 43.2 years
Rank: 40

Population growth rate: 0.37% (2018 est.)
Rank: 166

Birth rate: 12.1 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 162

Death rate: 9.4 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 51

Net migration rate: 1.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 60

Population distribution: much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

Urbanization
Urban population: 80.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.72% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 10.958 million PARIS (capital), 1.705 million Lyon, 1.603 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.058 million Lille, 1.011 million Toulouse, 957,000 Bordeaux (2019)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 28.1 years (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 3.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.9 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 209

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82 years (2018 est.)
Male: 78.9 years
Female: 85.3 years
Rank: 19

Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 106

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 78.4% (2010/11)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 11.5% (2016)

Physicians density: 3.23 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 6.5 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 1.1% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 1.3% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 87
People living with hivaids: 180,000 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 31
Deaths note: <500 (2018 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.6% (2016)
Rank: 87

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 42

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2016)

Country name
Conventional long form: French Republic
Conventional short form: France
Local long form: Republique francaise
Local short form: France
Etymology: name derives from the Latin Francia meaning Land of the Franks; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D. who merged with Gallic-Roman populations in succeeding centuries and to whom they passed on their name

Government type: semi-presidential 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; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunionetymology: name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C., but who were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then just Paris

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas:

Independence: no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)

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
History: many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly; amended many times, last in 2008; note - in May 2018, the prime minister submitted a bill to the National Assembly to amend several provisions of the constitution (2018)

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of France
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister Edouard PHILIPPE (since 15 May 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 April with a runoff on 7 May 2017 (next to be held in April 2022); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24.%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20.%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions - 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: appellate courts or Cour dAppel; regional courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; first instance courts or Tribunal dinstance; administrative courts: note: in April 2018, the French Government announced its intention to reform the country's judicial system

Political parties and leaders: Presidential majority Parties [Edouard PHILIPPE]   La Republique en Marche! or REM [Richard FERRAND]   Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU]   Movement of Progressives or MDP Robert HUE]Parliamentary right Parties [Francois BAROIN]   The Republicans or LR [Annie GENEVARD]   Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI [Jean-Christophe CAMBADELIS] Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Tradition or (CPNT) [Eddie PUYJAION]   CEParliamentary left Parties [Bernard CAZENEUVE]   Sociatlist Party or PS [Jean-Christophe CAMBADEMAND]   Radical Party of the Left or PRG [Sylvia PINEL]   Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean-Luc LAURENT]   Martinican Progressive Party or PPM [Aiem CESAIRE]National Front or FN [Marine LE PEN]La France Insoumise or FI [Jean-Luc MELENCHONLIS]Europe Ecologists - the Greens or EELV [David CORMAND]French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT]Debout la France or DLF [Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN]

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
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: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jamie D. McCOURT (since 18 December 2017); note - also accredited to Monaco
From the us telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
From the us embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75,008 Paris
From the us mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 9,777
From the us FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
From the us consulate:

Flag description:

National symbols: Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification); national colors: blue, white, red

National anthem
Name: La Marseillaise (The Song of Marseille)
Lyricsmusic: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle: note: adopted 1795, restored 1870; originally known as 'Chant de Guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin' (War Song for the Army of the Rhine), the National Guard of Marseille made the song famous by singing it while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolutionary Wars

Economy overview: The French economy is diversified across all sectors. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. France is the most visited country in the world with 89 million foreign tourists in 2017. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that mitigate economic inequality.France's real GDP grew by 1.9% in 2017, up from 1.2% the year before. The unemployment rate (including overseas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.2% in 2015, before falling to 9.0% in 2017. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from 24.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2017.France’s public finances have historically been strained by high spending and low growth. In 2017, the budget deficit improved to 2.7% of GDP, bringing it in compliance with the EU-mandated 3% deficit target. Meanwhile, France's public debt rose from 89.5% of GDP in 2012 to 97% in 2017.Since entering office in May 2017, President Emmanuel MACRON launched a series of economic reforms to improve competitiveness and boost economic growth. President MACRON campaigned on reforming France’s labor code and in late 2017 implemented a range of reforms to increase flexibility in the labor market by making it easier for firms to hire and fire and simplifying negotiations between employers and employees. In addition to labor reforms, President MACRON’s 2018 budget cuts public spending, taxes, and social security contributions to spur private investment and increase purchasing power. The government plans to gradually reduce corporate tax rate for businesses from 33.3% to 25% by 2022.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 10

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 141

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 40

Gross national saving:
Rank: 77

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 54.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 23.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.9% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 30.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -32% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 19.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 78.8% (2017 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: 2% (2017 est.)
Rank: 130

Labor force: 30.68 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 20
By occupation agriculture: 2.8% (2016 est.)
By occupation industry: 20% (2016 est.)
By occupation services: 77.2% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 136

Population below poverty line: 14.2% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.6%
Highest 10: 25.4% (2013)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 137

Budget
Revenues: 1.392 trillion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.459 trillion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 116

Taxes and other revenues: 53.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 10

Public debt:
Rank: 20

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 64

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 153

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 193

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 5

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 5

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 5

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 8

Current account balance:
Rank: 195

Exports:
Rank: 7
Partners: Germany 14.8%, Spain 7.7%, Italy 7.5%, US 7.2%, Belgium 7%, UK 6.7% (2017)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Imports:
Rank: 6
Commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Partners: Germany 18.5%, Belgium 10.2%, Netherlands 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, Spain 7.1%, UK 5.3%, US 5.2%, China 5.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 15

Debt external:
Rank: 3

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 12

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 9

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 529.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 9
Consumption: 450.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 10
Exports: 61.41 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 3
Imports: 19.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 10
Installed generating capacity: 130.8 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 9
Generation sources fossil fuels: 17% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 198
Generation sources nuclear: 50% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 1
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 102
Generation sources other renewable sources: 19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 42

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 16,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 71
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 126
Crude oil imports: 1.147 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 9
Crude oil proven reserves: 65.97 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 75

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1.311 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 15
Products consumption: 1.705 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 13
Products exports: 440,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 19
Products imports: 886,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 8

Natural gas
Production: 16.99 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 90
Consumption: 41.88 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 24
Exports: 6.031 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 26
Imports: 48.59 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 10
Proven reserves: 8.41 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 81

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 341.2 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 22

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 38.687 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 58 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 6
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 69.017 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 22

Telephone system
General assessment: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system; highly developed; 3rd largest in Europe; broadband subscriber rate remains strong at 4% (2018)
Domestic: 58 per 100 persons for fixed-line and 103 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2018)
International: country code - 33; landing points for Circe South, TAT-14, INGRID, FLAG Atlantic-1, Apollo, HUGO, IFC-1, ACE, SeaMeWe-3 & 4, Dunant, Africa-1, AAE-1, Atlas Offshore, Hawk, IMEWE, Med Cable, PEACE Cable, and TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medex submarine cables providing links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa 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 (2019)
Overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; landing points for Ella Link, Kanawa, Americas II to South America, Europe, Caribbean and US; Guadeloupe - 590; landing points for GCN, Southern Caribbean Fiber, and ECFS around the Caribbean and US; Martinique - 596; landing points for Ameicas II, ECFS, and Southern Caribbean Fiber to South America, US and around the Caribbean;  Mayotte - 262; landing points for FLY-LION3 and LION2 to East Africa and East African Islands in Indian Ocean; Reunion - 262; landing points for SAFE, METISS, and LION submarine cables to Asia, South and East Africa, Southeast Asia and nearby Indian Ocean Island countries of Mauritius, and Madagascar (2019)

Broadcast media: a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned France television stations operate 4 networks, one of which is a network of regional stations, and has part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; a large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services provide a large number of channels; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and operates services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; a large number of commercial FM stations, with many of them consolidating into commercial networks

Internet
Country code: metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re
Users total: 57,226,585
Users percent of population: 85.6% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 12

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 28.429 million
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (2017 est.)
Rank: 7

Military expenditures:
Rank: 61

Military and security forces: Army (Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air Force (Armee de l'Air (AdlA); includes Air Defense), National Guard (Reserves), National Gendarmerie (paramilitary police force that is a branch of the Armed Forces but under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior; also has additional duties to the Ministry of Defense) (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2013)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 30 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 485 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 65,039,503 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 4,098,310,000
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: F (2016)

Airports: 464 (2013)
Rank: 17
With paved runways total: 294 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 14 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 25 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 97 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 83 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 75 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 170 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 64 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 105 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 15,322 km gas, 2,939 km oil, 5,084 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 29,640 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 29,473 km
Note: 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2014)
Narrow gauge: 167 km
Rank: 10

Roadways
Total: 1,053,215 km (2011)
Urban: 654,201 km (2011)
Nonurban: 399,014 km (2011)
Rank: 7

Waterways: metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)

Merchant marine
Total: 555
By type: container ship 24, general cargo 73, oil tanker 29, other 429 (2018): note: includes Monaco
Rank: 39

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Brest, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,
Container port: Le Havre (2,870,000) (2017)
LNG terminal: Fos Cavaou, Fos Tonkin, Montoir de Bretagne
River port: Paris, Rouen (Seine)
Cruiseferry port: Calais, Cherbourg, Le Havre: Strasbourg (Rhine) Bordeaux (Garronne)

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
Refugees: 23,918 (Sri Lanka), 18,534 (Afghanistan), 16,484 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 15,898 (Russia), 15,822 (Syria), 14,700 (Sudan), 13,778 (Serbia and Kosovo), 11,196 (Turkey), 11,193 (Cambodia), 9,264 (Guinea), 8,131 (Iraq), 7,821 (Vietnam), 6,617 (Laos), 5,419 (Mauritania) (2018)
Stateless persons: 1,493 (2018)

Illicit drugs: