World Facts

conventional long form: French Republic
Capital: Paris
Type of Government: republic-
Administrative Divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, 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
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 18.4% (male 5,717,761/female 5,440,060)
Agriculture: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports: 478 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 288
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 547,030 sq km. slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
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.
Birth rate: 12.15 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.06 trillion
Coastline: 3,427 km-
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
Communications:
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
Currency: euro (EUR)-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $2.826 trillion (30 June 2005)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE
Disputes - international: Madagascar claims 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-
Distribution of family income:
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)-
Economic aid - recipient:
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. 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%.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment - 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
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.79697 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
Exports: $443.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Germany 15%, Spain 9.5%, UK 9.3%, Italy 9%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.7% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.118 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.816 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.5%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $29,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
Geography - note: largest West European nation-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 120,000 (2003 est.)
Heliports: 3 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8%
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics
Imports: $473.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: Germany 19.2%, Belgium 9.9%, Italy 8.8%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 5.1% (2004)
Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)
Industrial production growth rate: 0.3% (2005 est.)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate: total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (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, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), 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
Internet country code: .fr
Internet hosts: 2,396,761 (2004)
Internet users: 21.9 million (2003)-
Investment (gross fixed):
Irrigated land: 20,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Labor force: 27.72 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,889 km
Land use: arable land: 33.53%
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.6 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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-
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 17-49: 13,676,509 (2005 est.)-
Manpower fit for military service:
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 389,204 (2005 est.)
Map references: Europe
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 38.85 years
Merchant marine: total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $45 billion FY06 (2005)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.6% FY06 (2005 est.)-
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - proved reserves: 12.86 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish
Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 2.06 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: 409,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports: 2.281 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - production: 76,300 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 144.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)-
People - note:
Political parties and leaders: Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; 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 NF [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Greens [Yann WEHRLING, national secretary]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Nicolas SARKOZY]-
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Population: 60,656,178 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 6.5% (2000)
Population growth rate: 0.37% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
Public debt: 66.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways: total: 29,519 km-
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Roadways: total: 891,290 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed
Telephones - main lines in use: 33,905,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 41,683,100 (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 10% (2005 est.)
Waterways: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)