*France, Geography

Location:
  Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany
Map references:
  Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  547,030 km2
 land area:
  545,630 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
 note:
  includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the
  overseas administrative divisions
Land boundaries:
  total 2,892.4 km, 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
Coastline:
  3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  12-24 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  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); Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime
  boundary dispute between Canada and France
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
Land use:
 arable land:
  32%
 permanent crops:
  2%
 meadows and pastures:
  23%
 forest and woodland:
  27%
 other:
  16%
Irrigated land:   11,600 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine,
  or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
Note:
  largest West European nation

*France, People

Population:
  57,566,091 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.48% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  13.24 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  9.3 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  78 years
 male:
  74.04 years
 female:
  82.16 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.8 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
 adjective:
  French
Ethnic divisions:
  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:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
 total population:
  99%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  24.17 million  by occupation:
  services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)

*France, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  French Republic
 conventional short form:
  France
 local long form:
  Republique Francaise
 local short form:
  France
Digraph:
  FR
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:
  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)
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)
Constitution:
  28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962,
  ammended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992
Legal system:
  civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not
  legislative acts
National holiday:
  National Day, Taking of theBastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders:
  Rally for the Republic (RPR), Jacques CHIRAC; Union for French Democracy
  (UDF, federation of UREI, UC, RDE), Valery Giscard d'ESTAING; Republican
  Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre
  MEHAIGNERIE; Radical (RAD), Yves GALLAND; Socialist Party (PS), Michel
  ROCARD; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Emile ZUCCARELLI; Communist Party
  (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS; National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN; Union of
  Republican and Independents (UREI); Centrist Union (UC); (RDE)
Other political or pressure groups:
  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:
  18 years of age; universal

*France, Government

Elections:
 President:
  last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held by May 1995); results - Second Ballot
  Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%
 Senate:
  last held NA September 1992 (next to be held September 1995 - nine-year
  term, elected by thirds every three years); 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 91, UDF
  142 (UREI 51, UC 68, RDE 23), PS 66, PCF 16, independents 2, other 4
 National Assembly:
  last held 21 and 28 March 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (577 total) RPR 247, UDF 213, PS 67, PCF 24,
  independents 26
Executive branch:
  president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate
  (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Edouard BALLADUR (since 29 March 1993)
Member of:
  ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB
  (non-regional), CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE,
  ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
  INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL,
  UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council,
  UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI
 chancery:
  4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
 telephone:   (202) 944-6000
 consulates general:
  Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
  Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Pamela HARRIMAN
 embassy:
  2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08, Unit 21551
 mailing address:
  APO AE 09777
 telephone:
  [33] (1) 4296-12-02 or 4261-80-75
 FAX:
  [33] (1) 4266-9783
 consulates general:
  Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg

*France, Government

Flag:
  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, Cote
  d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official flag for all French dependent areas

*France, Economy

Overview:
  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. The French economy is entering its fourth
  consecutive year of sluggish growth after a strong expansion in the late
  1980s. Growth averaged only 1.3% in 1990-92 and is expected to drop to
  between zero and -0.5% in 1993. The government budget deficit rose to 3.2%
  of GDP in 1992 and is expected to be far larger than planned in the 1993
  budget. Paris remains committed to maintaining the franc-deutsch mark
  parity, which has kept French interest rates high despite France's low
  inflation. Although the pace of economic integration within the European
  Community has slowed down, integration presumably will remain a major force
  shaping the fortunes of the various economic sectors.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.08 trillion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  1.1% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $18,900 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.1% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  10.5% (end 1992)
Budget:
  revenues $220.5 billion; expenditures $249.1 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $47 billion (1993 budget)
Exports:
  $212.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural
  products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing
 partners:
  Germany 18.6%, Italy 11.0%, Spain 11.0%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.1%, UK 8.8%,
  Netherlands 7.9%, US 6.4%, Japan 2.0%, former USSR 0.7% (1991 est.)
Imports:
  $230.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron
  and steel products
 partners:
  Germany 17.8%, Italy 10.9%, US 9.5%, Netherlands 8.9%, Spain 8.8%,
  Belgium-Luxembourg 8.5%, UK 7.5%, Japan 4.1%, former USSR 1.3% (1991 est.)
External debt:
  $270 billion (December 1992)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 0.2% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
  110,000,000 kW capacity; 426,000 million kWh produced, 7,430 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics,
  mining, textiles, food processing, tourism

*France, Economy

Agriculture:
  accounts for 4% of GDP (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
Economic aid:
  donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion
Currency:
  1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421
  (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*France, Communications

Railroads:
  French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,322 km 1.435-meter standard
  gauge; 12,434 km electrified, 15,132 km double or multiple track; 99 km of
  various gauges (1.000-meter), privately owned and operated
Highways:
  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
Inland 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:
  coastal - Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque, Fos-Sur-Mer, Le
  Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Sete, Toulon; inland - Rouen
Merchant marine:
  130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,224,945 GRT/5,067,252 DWT; includes
  7 short-sea passenger, 10 cargo, 20 container, 1 multifunction large-load
  carrier, 27 roll-on/roll-off, 36 oil tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied
  gas, 2 specialized tanker, 10 bulk; note - France also maintains a captive
  register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern
  and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia
Airports:
 total:
  471
 usable:
  461
 with permanent-surface runways:
  256
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  3
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  37
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  136
Telecommunications:
  highly developed; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks;
  large-scale introduction of optical-fiber systems; satellite systems for
  domestic traffic; 39,200,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 41 AM, 800
  (mostly repeaters) FM, 846 (mostly repeaters) TV; 24 submarine coaxial
  cables; 2 INTELSAT earth stations (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for the
  Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 3 for the Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT); HF radio
  communications with more than 20 countries; INMARSAT service; EUTELSAT TV
  service

*France, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 14,662,761; fit for military service 12,247,950; reach
  military age (18) annually 386,504 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $36.6 billion, 3.1% of GDP (1993 est.)