France
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. 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 advent of the euro in January 1999. Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.
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 Area:
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado Land boundaries:
Coastline: 3,427 km Maritime claims:
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 Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash Land use:
Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.) Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
Population: 59,329,691 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 0.38% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 12.27 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6% Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: FR 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
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
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:
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)
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: Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic Force or FD [leader NA]; Ecology Gereration or GE [Brice LALONDE]; French Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; Independent Ecological Movement or MEI [Jenevieve ANDUEZA]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Liberal Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR) [Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France or LDI-MPF [Philippe DEVILLIERS]; National Center of Independents and Peasants or CNIP [Jean PERRIN]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; National Front-National Movement [Bruno MEGRET]; Popular Party for French Democracy or PPDF [Herve de CHARETTE]; Radical Party or RRRS [Thierry CORNILLET]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michelle ALLIOT-MARIE]; Reformers' Movement or MR [Jean-Pierre SOISSON]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; The Greens (Les Verts) [Jean-Luc BENNAHMIAS]; The Right (La Droite) [Charles MILLON]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of UDC, FD, RRRS, PPDF) [Francois LEOTARD]; Union of the Center or UDC [leader NA] Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); 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; Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members (est.) 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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 - overview: France's economy combines modern capitalistic methods with extensive, but declining, government intervention. 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 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. Persistently high unemployment will continue to pose a major problem for the government; a 35-hour work week is being introduced. 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. France joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999. GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.373 trillion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,300 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (1999 est.) Labor force: 25.4 million (1994) Labor force - by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1995) Unemployment rate: 11% (1999 est.) Budget:
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining; textiles, food processing; tourism Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 480.972 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 389.254 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 62 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 3.95 billion kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish Exports: $304.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, iron and steel products; agricultural products, textiles and clothing Exports - partners: EU 63% (Germany 16%, UK 10%, Italy 9%, Spain 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%), US 7% (1998) Imports: $280.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Imports - commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, chemicals; agricultural products Imports - partners: EU 62% (Germany 17%, Italy 10%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%), US 9% (1998) Debt - external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.) Economic aid - donor: ODA, $6.3 billion (1997) Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes Exchange rates:
euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 34.86 million (yearend 1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: 11.078 million (yearend 1998) Telephone system:
highly developed
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) Radios: 55.3 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 574 (plus 9,634 repeaters) (1995) Televisions: 34.8 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 128 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
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 Merchant marine:
Airports: 474 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Army (includes Marines), Navy (includes Naval Air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $39.831 billion (FY97) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY97)
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 |
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