Reference > World Factbook, 2008
  The World Factbook.  2008.
Flag of France                                Map of France
Geographic coordinates:metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W
Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W
Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W
Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Map references:metropolitan France: Europe
French Guiana: South America
Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean
Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean
Reunion: World
Area:total: 643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan France)
land: 640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan France)
water: 3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France)
Area—comparative:slightly less than the size of Texas
Land boundaries:metropolitan France - total: 2,889 km
French Guiana - total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline:total: 4,668 km
metropolitan France: 3,427 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Land use:arable land: 33.46%
permanent crops: 2.03%
other: 64.51%
Irrigated land:total: 26,190 sq km;
metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:189 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):total: 33.16 cu km/yr (16%/74%/10%)
per capita: 548 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography—note:largest West European nation
Population:total: 64,057,790
note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,063,181/female 5,776,272)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 20,798,889/female 20,763,283)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 4,274,290/female 6,038,011) (2007 est.)
Median age:total: 39 years
male: 37.5 years
female: 40.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:0.588% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:12.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.002 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.708 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:total: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 80.59 years
male: 77.35 years
female: 84 years (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS—people living with HIV/AIDS:120,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS—deaths:less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
overseas departments: French, Creole patois
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Country name:conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique francaise
local short form: France
Government type:republic
Capital:name: Paris
geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E
note: France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and 4 overseas regions (including French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 4 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)
Dependent areas:Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Wallis and Futuna
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a "sui generis" collectivity of France since 1999, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department
Independence:486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
Constitution:adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958
Legal system:civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
head of government: Prime Minister Francois FILLON (since 17 May 2007)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held 22 April and 6 May 2007 (next to be held spring 2012); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results: Nicolas SARKOZY wins the election; First Round: percent of vote - Nicolas SARKOZY 31.18%, Segolene ROYAL 25.87%, Francois BAYROU 18.57%, Jean-Marie LE PEN 10.44%, others 13.94%; Second Round: SARKOZY 53.1% and ROYAL 46.9%
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (331 seats, 305 for metropolitan France, 9 for overseas departments, 5 for dependencies, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms; one third elected every three years); note - between 2006 and 2011, 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 348 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 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 elected every three years; and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats, 555 for metropolitan France, 15 for overseas departments, 7 for dependencies; 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 in September 2008); National Assembly - last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held in June 2012)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF (now MoDem) 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - UMP 46.37%, PS 42.25%, miscellaneous left wing parties 2.47%, PCF 2.28%, NC 2.12%, PRG 1.65%, miscellaneous right wing parties 1.17%, the Greens 0.45, other 1.24%; seats by party - UMP 313, PS 186, NC 22, miscellaneous left wing parties 15, PCF 15, miscellaneous right wing parties 9, PRG 7, the Greens 4, other 6
Political parties and leaders:Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF); Democratic and Social European Rally or RDSE [Pierre LAFFITTE] (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG); French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Cecile DUFLOT]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Jean-Michel BAYLET] (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG); Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; New Center or NC [Herve MORIN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT and Georges SARRE]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Patrick DEVEDJIAN, Jean-Claude GAUDIN, Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN, Pierre MEHAIGNERIE]; Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO]
French Guiana: NA
Reunion: NA
International organization participation:ABEDA, ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), 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, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IFTU, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Pierre VIMONT
chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON
embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777
FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
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, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence 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. Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. In 2007, the government launched divisive labor reform efforts that will continue into 2008. France's tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). France brought the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit for the first time in 2007 and has reduced unemployment to roughly 8%. With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$2.067 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$2.515 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP—real growth rate:1.8% (2007 est.)
GDP—per capita (PPP):$33,800 (2007 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:agriculture: 2%
industry: 20.7%
services: 77.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:27.76 million (2007 est.)
Labor force—by occupation:agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 24.4%
services: 71.5% (1999)
Unemployment rate:8% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:6.2% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2004)
Distribution of family income—Gini index:28 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):1.5% (2007 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):20.7% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:revenues: $1.311 trillion
expenditures: $1.372 trillion (2007 est.)
Public debt:66.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
Agriculture—products:wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Industrial production growth rate:1.6% (2007 est.)
Electricity—production:543.6 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity—consumption:451.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity—exports:68.33 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity—imports:8.035 billion kWh (2005)
Oil—production:73,180 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil—consumption:1.999 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil—exports:474,200 bbl/day (2005)
Oil—imports:1.89 million bbl/day (2005)
Oil—proved reserves:158.4 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas—production:1.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas—consumption:47.26 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas—exports:863.2 million cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas—imports:47.02 billion cu m (2005)
Natural gas—proved reserves:341 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:$-35.94 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:$558.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports—commodities:machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports—partners:Germany 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.3%, Belgium 7.3%, US 6.6%, Netherlands 4% (2006)
Imports:$601.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports—commodities:machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports—partners:Germany 18.9%, Belgium 11.1%, Italy 8.4%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.8%, UK 6.6%, US 4.6% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$98.24 billion (2006 est.)
Debt—external:$4.396 trillion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment—at home:$697.4 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment—abroad:$1.005 trillion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:$1.71 trillion (2005)
Economic aid—donor:ODA, $12 billion (2006)
Currency (code):euro (EUR)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Telephones—main lines in use:34.63 million; 33,897,000 (metropolitan France) (2006)
Telephones—mobile cellular:53.023 million; 51,662,000 (metropolitan France) (2006)
Telephone system:general assessment: highly developed
overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262
Internet country code:metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Reunion - .re
Internet hosts:12.556 million; 12,555,000 (metropolitan France) (2007)
Internet users:31.295 million; 30.838 million (metropolitan France) (2007)
Airports:476 (2007)
Airports—with paved runways:total: 292
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 97
914 to 1,523 m: 80
under 914 m: 74 (2007)
Airports—with unpaved runways:total: 184
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 108 (2007)
Heliports:3 (2007)
Pipelines:gas 14,665 km; oil 3,032 km; refined products 4,947 km (2007)
Railways:total: 29,370 km
standard gauge: 29,203 km 1.435-m gauge (14,778 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:total: 956,303 km (includes 5,083 km of roads in the overseas departments)
paved: 951,220 km (metropolitan France; including 10,490 km of expressways) (2004)
Waterways:metropolitan France: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons)
French Guiana: 3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft) (2006)
Merchant marine:total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,777,107 GRT/7,533,631 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 31, container 25, liquefied gas 14, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 22, roll on/roll off 7, vehicle carrier 4
foreign-owned: 56 (Belgium 6, China 5, Denmark 3, Germany 1, Italy 2, Japan 5, Norway 17, NZ 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 10, Switzerland 3)
registered in other countries: 145 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia 1, Bahamas 43, Belgium 1, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, Gibraltar 1, Hong Kong 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 5, South Korea 8, Liberia 5, Luxembourg 14, Malta 4, Morocco 13, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, Panama 15, Singapore 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7, Taiwan 1, UK 9, Wallis and Futuna 6) (2007)
Ports and terminals:Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
Military service age and obligation:17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in 1996; women serve in noncombat military posts (2005)
Manpower available for military service:males age 17-49: 13,676,509
females age 17-49: 13,504,539 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 17-49: 11,262,661
females age 17-49: 11,079,472 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 17-49: 389,204
females age 17-49: 372,719 (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs:metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

