from
CIA World Factbook 2006
France
Introduction
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 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.
Geography
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 46 00 N, 2 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 547,030 sq km
land: 545,630 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the
overseas administrative divisions
Area - slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
comparative:
Land total: 2,889 km
boundaries: border countries: 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 territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: 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: 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 lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
extremes: highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony,
resources: arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber,
fish
Land use: arable land: 33.46%
permanent crops: 2.03%
other: 64.51% (2005)
Irrigated 26,000 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought;
hazards: forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Environment - some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from
current industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from
issues: urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
agreements: 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - largest West European nation
note:
People
Population: 60,876,136 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 5,704,152/female 5,427,213)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,886,228/female 19,860,506)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,103,883/female
5,894,154) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 39.1 years
male: 37.6 years
female: 40.7 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.35% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 11.99 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 4.21 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 4.71 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 79.73 years
expectancy at male: 76.1 years
birth: female: 83.54 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.4% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 120,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, Basque minorities
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%,
Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and
languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican,
Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique francaise
local short form: France
Government republic
type:
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
Administrative 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace,
divisions: 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, Miquelon)
Dependent Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,
areas: 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 Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although
holiday: 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 concerning election of president
in 1962; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC
Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 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
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of
administrative but not legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
branch: 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Dominique DE
VILLEPIN (since 31 May 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on 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 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next
to be held, first round April 2007, second round May
2007); prime minister nominated by the National
Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president;
percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR)
81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN) 18.04%
Legislative bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the
branch: 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);
note - between 2004 and 2010, 25 new seats will be
added to the Senate for a total of 346 seats - 326 for
metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New
Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and
Miquelon, 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 the seats being renewed
every three years; and the National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by
popular vote under a single-member majority system to
serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next
to be held September 2008); National Assembly - last
held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held not later than
June 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23,
RDSE 15, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF
29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22
Judicial Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges
branch: 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 Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre
parties and CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or
leaders: RDSE (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties,
and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or
PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yan WEHRLING,
national secretary]; Left Radical Party or PRG
(previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left
Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement
for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National
Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for France or
RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois
HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois
BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas
SARKOZY]
Political historically-Communist labor union (Confederation
pressure Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000
groups and members (claimed); left-leaning labor union
leaders: (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or
CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);
independent labor union (Confederation Generale du
Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members
(est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation
Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed);
employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France)
or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)
International ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB,
organization Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
participation: (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU,
FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris
Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN
Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE
representation chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
representation embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
from the US: mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
Flag three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white,
description: 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
Economy
Economy - France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do
overview: 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. It retains controlling stakes in several
leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom,
Renault, and Thales, and is dominant 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. The
government has lowered income taxes and introduced
measures to boost employment and reform the pension
system. In addition, it is focusing on the problems of
the high cost of labor and labor market inflexibility
resulting from the 35-hour workweek and restrictions on
lay-offs. The tax burden remains one of the highest in
Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering
economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have
pushed the budget deficit above the eurozone's
3%-of-GDP limit; unemployment stands at 10%.
GDP $1.794 trillion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $2.055 trillion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 1.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $29,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 2.2%
composition by industry: 21.4%
sector: services: 76.4% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 27.72 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 4.1%
by occupation: industry: 24.4%
services: 71.5% (1999)
Unemployment 9.9% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 6.5% (2000)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.8%
income or highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 32.7 (1995)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 1.7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 19.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.06 trillion
expenditures: $1.144 trillion; including capital
expenditures of $23 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: 66.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes;
products: beef, dairy products; fish
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,
aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing;
tourism
Industrial 0.2% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 536.9 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 8.2%
production by hydro: 14%
source: nuclear: 77.1%
other: 0.7% (2001)
Electricity - 433.3 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 72.2 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 6.2 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 76,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 2.06 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 409,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 2.281 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved 144.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 1.566 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 43.74 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 1.725 billion cu m (2001 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 40.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 14.33 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-38.78 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $443.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft,
commodities: plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and
steel, beverages
Exports - Germany 14.7%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.7%, UK 8.3%, US
partners: 7.2%, Belgium 7.1% (2005)
Imports: $473.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft,
commodities: plastics, chemicals
Imports - Germany 18.9%, Belgium 10.7%, Italy 8.2%, Spain 7%,
partners: Netherlands 6.5%, UK 5.9%, US 5.1% (2005)
Reserves of $74.36 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $2.826 trillion (30 June 2005)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)
donor:
Currency euro (EUR)
(code): note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union
introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by
financial institutions of member countries; on 1
January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for
everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code: EUR
Exchange euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
rates: 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 35.7 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 48.058 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: highly developed
system: domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay;
extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic
satellite system
international: country code - 33; 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
Radio AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation
broadcast and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
stations:
Radios: 55.3 million (1997)
Television 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 34.8 million (1997)
Internet .fr
country code:
Internet 3,148,379 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 62 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 29.521 million (2006)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 477 (2006)
Airports - total: 292
with paved over 3,047 m: 13
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 96
914 to 1,523 m: 81
under 914 m: 74 (2006)
Airports - total: 185
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 108 (2006)
Heliports: 3 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 29,085 km
standard gauge: 28,918 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 891,290 km
paved: 891,290 km (including 10,390 km of expressways)
(2003)
Waterways: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric
tons) (2000)
Merchant total: 61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 875,777 GRT/
marine: 1,318,605 DWT
by type: cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 5,
liquefied gas 6, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32,
petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 2,
Monaco 1, Norway 1, NZ 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 2,
Switzerland 2)
registered in other countries: 154 (Antigua and Barbuda
1, Australia 3, Bahamas 37, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1,
French Polynesia 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands
36, Gibraltar 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 1,
South Korea 12, Liberia 3, Luxembourg 14, Malta 6,
Mexico 1, Morocco 1, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 8, UK 4, Wallis and Futuna 5) (2006)
Ports and Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre,
terminals: Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
Military
Military Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light
branches: aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force
(includes air defense), National Gendarmerie
Military 17 years of age for voluntary military service;
service age conscription ended in the 1990s; women serve in
and non-combat military posts (2001)
obligation:
Manpower males age 17-49: 13,676,509
available for females age 17-49: 13,504,539 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 17-49: 11,262,661
for military females age 17-49: 11,079,472 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 389,204
reaching females age 17-49: 372,719 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $45 billion FY06 (2005)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.6% FY06 (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da
international: 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
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of South American
cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European
synthetics