Geography
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: total: 547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France, but
excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the
size of Colorado
Land boundaries: total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620
km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km,
Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline: 3,427 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply
to the Mediterranean) territorial sea: 12 nm
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: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish,
timber, zinc, potash Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 27% other: 18% (1993 est.)
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: 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
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.
People
Population: 59,329,691 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 5,719,502; female
5,448,608) 15-64 years: 65% (male 19,345,269; female
19,322,902) 65 years and over: 16% (male 3,849,783; female
5,643,627) (2000 est.)
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: 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 (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live
births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.76 years male: 74.85 years female: 82.89 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2000
est.)
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
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: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1980 est.)
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 34.86 million
(yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 11.078 million
(yearend 1998)
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 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)
Transportation
Railways: total: 31,939 km (31,940 km are operated by
French National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF
routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or
multiple-tracked) standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998)
Highways: total: 893,300 km paved: 893,300 km (including 10,300 km of
expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1998 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
Merchant marine: total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
1,155,286 GRT/1,693,030 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker
6, combination bulk 1, container 5, liquified gas 4,
multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3,
petroleum tanker 16, roll-on/roll-off 6, short-sea
passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.) note: France also maintains a captive register for
French-owned ships in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern
and Antarctic Lands) (1998 est.)
Airports: 474 (1999 est.)
Airports- with paved runways: total: 267 over 3,047 m: 14 2,438 to 3,047 m: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 92 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 57 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 207 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 76 under 914 m: 127 (1999 est.) Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)
