France

French RepublicRepublique Francaise

republicIndependence 486 (unified by Clovis)

France as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 110 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

Position46 00 N, 2 00 E

Area547,030 sq km

LocationWestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English

Populationas each edition published it

58.98 million July 1999 est. · 56.36m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.27% 1999 est. · 0.48% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 38.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

78.63 years 1999 est. · 78 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.61 children per woman 1999 est. · 1.8 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

5.62 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 6 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$22,600 1998 est. · $18,900 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1998 est. · 1.1% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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, including the advent of the euro in January 1999.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 547,030 sq km

arable land 33%permanent crops 2%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 27%other 18% (1993 est.)irrigated 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Area

547,030sq km

land: 545,630 sq kmwater: 1,400 sq kmnote: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisionsslightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Coastline

3,427km

contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitationexclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)territorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

4,807m

Mont Blanclowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m

Land boundaries

2,892.4km

border countries: 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 Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain southeast of the UK;
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Geographic coordinates

46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references

Europe

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

Natural hazards

flooding; avalanches

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-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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:: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note

largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

People

15 fields

Population

58,978,172

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 0.27% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

11.38Death

9.17Net migration

0.53

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)78.63

74.76 · 82.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1980 est.)99%

99% · 99%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 19% (male 5,638,462; female 5,375,911)
15-64 years:: 65% (male 19,302,121; female 19,235,235)
65 years and over:: 16% (male 3,825,232; female 5,601,211) (1999 est.)

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:: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.61 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

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; President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995); Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

52.64%

-Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002)

Legislature, 577 seatsseats by party

-PS 245RPR 140UDF 109PCF 37PRS 13Ecologists 8MDC 7LDI-MPF 1FN 1various left 9various right 7

Country name

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

Data code

Government type

republic

Capital

Paris

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

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 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)

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution

28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992;
amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
head of government:: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002);
prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results:: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot--Jacques CHIRAC 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN 47.36%

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the 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) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)

elections:: Senate--last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); National Assembly--last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002)
election results:: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--RPR 99, Centrist Union 52, Republicans and independents 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29;
National Assembly--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, Ecologists 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7

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 members 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 parties and leaders

Rally for the Republic or RPR

Political pressure groups and leaders

Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, 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 or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members (est.);
independent white-collar union or Confederation Generale des Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed);
National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais) or CNPF or Patronat

International organization participation

ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUA, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG
chancery:: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general:: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Felix G. ROHATYN
embassy:: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
mailing address:: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
consulate(s) general:: 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 are similar to 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

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$22,600

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 3.9% (1998)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.7%

(1998)

Unemployment rate

11.5%

(1998)

GDP--composition by sector(1997)

agriculture 2.4%industry 28.4%services 69.2% (1997)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

16%

Germany

17%

10%

Italy

10%

6.5%

Spain

Belgium-Luxembourg

4.5%

Netherlands

Japan

China

2.5%

0.9%

Russia

Exports $289 billion (f.o.b., 1998)Imports $255 billion (f.o.b., 1998)(1997)

Budget

Revenues

$222 billionExpenditures

$265 billion (1998 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 8.72%hydro 12.92%nuclear 78.25%other 0.11% (1996)

Electricity production

480.783 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

411.743 billion (1996)Electricity exports

72.64 billion (1996)Electricity imports

3.6 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

One of the four West European trillion-dollar economies, France matches a growing services sector with a diversified industrial base and substantial agricultural resources. Industry generates one-quarter of GDP and more than 80% of export earnings. The government retains considerable influence over key segments of each sector, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and telecommunication firms.

It has been gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early 1990s. The government is slowly selling off its holdings in France Telecom, in Air France, and in the insurance, banking, and defense industries. Meanwhile, large tracts of fertile land, the application of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the leading agricultural producer in Western Europe.

A major exporter of wheat and dairy products, France is practically self-sufficient in agriculture. The economy expanded by 3% in 1998, following a 2.3% gain in 1997. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major problem for the government. France has shied away from cutting exceptionally generous social welfare benefits or the enormous state bureaucracy, preferring to pare defense spending and raise taxes to keep the deficit down.

The JOSPIN administration has pledged both to lower unemployment and trim spending, pinning its hopes for new jobs on economic growth and on legislation to gradually reduce the workweek from 39 to 35 hours by 2002. France joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$1.32 trillion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

25.4 million

Labor force--by occupation

services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1995)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes;
beef, dairy products;
fish

Exports

$289 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports--commodities

machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing

Imports

$255 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports--commodities

crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products

Debt--external

$117.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid--donor

ODA, $8.4 billion (1995)

Currency

1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

French francs (F) per US$1--5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994)

note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed rate of 6.55957 French francs per euro;

the euro will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

35 million

(1987 est.)

Telephone system

highly developed

domestic:: extensive cable and microwave radio relay;
extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable;
domestic satellite system
international:: 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 broadcast stations

AM 41, FM 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0

Radios

49 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

310 (in addition, there are about 1,400 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

29.3 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 64 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,826,364 GRT/2,962,338 DWT

bulk 5cargo 5chemical tanker 6combination bulk 1container 6liquefied gas tanker 4multifunction large-load carrier 2oil tanker 20passenger 3roll-on/roll-off cargo 5short-sea passenger 6specialized tanker 1note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1998 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 73

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

129

total: 207 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 75

Networkskm

Highways

892,900Railways

32,027Waterways

14,932

Highways: paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways) · unpaved: 0 km (1997 est.) · Railways: ( 31,940 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 13,803 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked) · standard gauge: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many being of very narrow gauge (1996) · Waterways: ; 6,969 km heavily traveled

Railways

total:: 32,027 km ( 31,940 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 13,803 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked)
standard gauge:: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:: 99 km 1.000-m gauge

note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many being of very narrow gauge (1996)

Highways

total:: 892,900 km
paved:: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 0 km (1997 est.)

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 and harbors

Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg

Airports

474 (1998 est.)

Heliports

3 (1998 est.)

Military

Army (includes Marines), Navy (includes Naval | Air), Air Force (includes Air Defense, National Gendarmerie

7 fields

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

2.5%

(1995)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes--international

Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island;
Comoros claims Mayotte;
Mauritius claims Tromelin Island;
territorial dispute between Suriname and French Guiana;
territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land);
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

Central Intelligence Agency. “France.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/france/1999.

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