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Communications

Airports [time series]

470 total, 460 usable; 246 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 34 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 136 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

195 (1989 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled

Merchant marine [time series]

133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,141,276 GRT/5,006,695 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger, 15 cargo, 18 container, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 11 bulk; note--France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

maritime--Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sete, Toulon; inland--42

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter), privately owned and operated

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

highly developed system provides satisfactory telephone, telegraph, radio and TV broadcast services; 39,200,000 telephones; stations--40 AM, 138 (777 relays) FM, 216 (8,902 relays) TV; 25 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, EUTELSAT, MARISAT, and domestic systems

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$29.7 billion, 3.6% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 14,366,492; 12,077,706 fit for military service; 395,128 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 4% of GNP (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

Budget [time series]

revenues $207.6 billion; expenditures $224.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $34 billion (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced, 7,210 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

French francs (F) per US$1--5.8 (May 1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$181.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing; partners--FRG 16%, Italy 12.1%, UK 9.5%, Spain 9.5%, Netherlands 9.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%, US 6.6%, Japan 1.9%, USSR 1.0% (1989 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$59.3 billion (December 1987)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$873.5 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate 2.8% (1990)

Imports [time series]

$201.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities--crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products; partners--FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%, Netherlands 8.6%, US 7.6%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Japan 4.1%, USSR 1.4% (1989 est.)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.7% (1989); accounts for 26% of GDP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

3.7% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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. After sluggish growth during the period 1982-87, the economy expanded at a rapid 3.8% pace in 1988-89. The economy slowed down in 1990, with growth of 2.0% expected in 1991. The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate, which probably will rise to around 10% during the slowdown. The steadily advancing economic integration within the European Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic sectors.

Unemployment rate [time series]

9% (1990)

Geography

Climate [time series]

generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean

Coastline [time series]

3,427 km (includes Corsica, 644 km) Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly more than twice the size of Colorado

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary dispute with Canada (Saint Pierre and Miquelon); 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)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

2,892.4 km 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

Land use [time series]

arable land 32%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and woodland 27%; other 16%; includes irrigated 2%

Natural resources [time series]

coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash

Note [time series]

largest West European nation

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Area (Total area) [time series]

547,030 km2; land area: 545,630 km2; includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

metropolitan 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)

Capital [time series]

Paris

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

700,000 claimed but probably closer to 150,000; Communist voters, 2.8 million in 1988 election

Constitution [time series]

28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962

Dependent areas [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 944-6000; there are French Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US--Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY; Embassy at 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO New York 09777); telephone [33] (1) 42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US Consulates General in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Strasbourg

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas

Independence [time series]

unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed in 1792

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation) Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981); Head of Government--Prime Minister Edith CRESSON (since 15 May 1991) Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING; Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLARD; Socialist Party (PS), Pierre MAUROY; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Yves COLLIN; Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

French Republic

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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 [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995); results--Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%; Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); 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 93, UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS 65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, independents 2, unknown 3; National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results--Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%, other 3.8%; seats--(577 total) PS 275, RPR 132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, independents 15

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

14 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

24,170,000; services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.3% (1987)

Languages (Language) [time series]

French (100% of population); rapidly declining regional dialects (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

74 years male, 82 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective--French

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

20% of labor force (est.)

Population [time series]

56,595,587 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.8 children born/woman (1991)