France

French RepublicRepublique Francaise

republicIndependence 486 (unified by Clovis)

France as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalParis

Area547,030 km2

LocationWestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany

Populationas each edition published it

57.57 million July 1993 est. · 56.36m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.48% 1993 est. · 0.2% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 38.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

78 years 1993 est. · 82.6 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.8 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$18,900 1992 · $54,500 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

1.1% 1992 · 1.2% in 2025

Geography

Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany

14 fields

Land useshare of 547,030 km2

arable land 32%permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 23%forest and woodland 27%other 16%irrigated 11,600 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

547,030km2

land area: 545,630 km2comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Coloradonote: includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Coastline

3,427km

(mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)contiguous zone: 12-24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,892.4km

total · Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km

Location

Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany

Map references

Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island;
Comoros claims Mayotte;
Mauritius claims Tromelin Island;
Seychelles claims Tromelin Island;
Suriname claims part of French Guiana;
Mexico claims Clipperton Island;
territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land);
Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime boundary dispute between Canada and France

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

Environment

most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral

People

14 fields

Population

57,566,091

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.48% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

13.24Death

9.3Net migration

0.87

Religions

Roman Catholic 90%Protestant 2%Jewish 1%Muslim (North African workers) 1%unaffiliated 6%

Labor force

24.17million

by occupation: services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1980)total population: 99%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 78 years
male:: 74.04 years
female:: 82.16 years (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective:: French

Ethnic divisions

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Languages

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

Government

Republic

22 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

54%

Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%Jacques CHIRAC 46%

Names

conventional long form:: French Republic
conventional short form:: France
local long form:: Republique Francaise
local short form:: France

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

note: the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)

Dependent areas

Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, 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)

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

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Rally for the Republic (RPR), Jacques CHIRAC;
Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of UREI, UC, RDE), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING;
Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET;
Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE;
Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND;
Socialist Party (PS), Michel ROCARD;
Left Radical Movement (MRG), Emile ZUCCARELLI;
Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS;
National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN;
Union of Republican and Independents (UREI);
Centrist Union (UC);
(RDE)

Other political or pressure groups

Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed);
Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members est.;
independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members (est.);
independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed);
National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais - CNPF or Patronat)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held by May 1995); results - Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%
Senate:: last held NA September 1992 (next to be held September 1995 - nine-year term, elected by thirds every three years);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (321 total; 296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 91, UDF 142 (UREI 51, UC 68, RDE 23), PS 66, PCF 16, independents 2, other 4
National Assembly:: last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (577 total) RPR 247, UDF 213, PS 67, PCF 24, independents 26

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)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Edouard BALLADUR (since 29 March 1993)

Member of

ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI
chancery:: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:: (202) 944-6000
consulates general:: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Pamela HARRIMAN
embassy:: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08, Unit 21551
mailing address:: APO AE 09777
telephone:: [33] (1) 4296-12-02 or 4261-80-75
FAX:: [33] (1) 4266-9783
consulates general:: Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg

Flag

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

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$18,900

(1992)

Real growth rate

1.1%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 0.2% (1992 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.5%

(end 1992)

Budget

Revenues

$220.5 billionExpenditures

$249.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $47 billion (1993 budget)

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.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.08 trillion (1992)

Exports

$212.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: 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)

commodities:: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, 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.)

External debt

$270 billion (December 1992)

Electricity

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

Industries

steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism

Agriculture

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

Economic aid

donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 130 ships by type

short-sea passenger 7cargo 10container 20multifunction large-load carrier 1roll-on/roll-off 27oil tanker 36chemical tanker 11liquefied gas 6specialized tanker 2bulk; note - France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia 10130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,224,945 GRT/5,067,252 DWT

Railroads

French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,322 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
12,434 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track;
99 km of various gauges (1.000-meter), privately owned and operated

Highways

1,551,400 km total;
33,400 km national highway;
347,000 km departmental highway;
421,000 km community roads;
750,000 km rural roads;
5,401 km of controlled-access divided autoroutes;
about 803,000 km paved

Inland waterways

14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled

Pipelines

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

Ports

coastal - Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Sete, Toulon; inland - Rouen

Airports

total:: 471
usable:: 461
with permanent-surface runways:: 256
with runways over 3,659 m:: 3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 37
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 136

Telecommunications

highly developed;
extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks;
large-scale introduction of optical-fiber systems;
satellite systems for domestic traffic;
39,200,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 41 AM, 800 (mostly repeaters) FM, 846 (mostly repeaters) TV;
24 submarine coaxial cables;
2 INTELSAT earth stations (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for the Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 3 for the Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT);
HF radio communications with more than 20 countries;
INMARSAT service;
EUTELSAT TV service