1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
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
Climate
generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean
Coastline
3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)
Environment
most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
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
Irrigated land
11,600 km2 (1989 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 32% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 23% forest and woodland: 27% other: 16%
Location
Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany
Map references
Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 12-24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Note
largest West European nation
Terrain
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
People and Society
Birth rate
13.24 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
9.3 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Infant mortality rate
6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
24.17 million by occupation: services 61.5%, industry 31.3%, agriculture 7.2% (1987)
Languages
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78 years male: 74.04 years female: 82.16 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1980) total population: 99% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Net migration rate
0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
57,566,091 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.48% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%
Total fertility rate
1.8 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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)
Capital
Paris
Chief of State
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Constitution
28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, ammended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992
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
Digraph
FR
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)
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
FAX
[33] (1) 4266-9783 consulates general: Bordeaux, Marseille, Strasbourg
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Edouard BALLADUR (since 29 March 1993)
Independence
486 (unified by Clovis)
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court (Cour Constitutionnelle)
Legal system
civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
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
Names
conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France
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
National holiday
National Day, Taking of theBastille, 14 July (1789)
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)
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)
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
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
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
Budget
revenues $220.5 billion; expenditures $249.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $47 billion (1993 budget)
Currency
1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1 billion
Electricity
110,000,000 kW capacity; 426,000 million kWh produced, 7,430 kWh per capita (1992)
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)
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.)
External debt
$270 billion (December 1992)
Fiscal year
calendar year
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.)
Industrial production
growth rate 0.2% (1992 est.)
Industries
steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.1% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.08 trillion (1992)
National product per capita
$18,900 (1992)
National product real growth rate
1.1% (1992)
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.
Unemployment rate
10.5% (end 1992)
Communications
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
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
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
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
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
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
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $36.6 billion, 3.1% of GDP (1993 est.)
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.)