2007 Edition

Administrative divisions

26 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy), Bourgogne, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse (Corsica), Franche-Comte, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy), Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Martinique, Reunion, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes

note

France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and 4 overseas regions and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 4 overseas departments

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 5,704,152/female 5,427,213) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,886,228/female 19,860,506) 65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,103,883/female 5,894,154) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

Airports

metropolitan France

477 (2006)

total

501

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

13 (metropolitan France) 3 (overseas departments) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 (metropolitan France) 1 (overseas departments) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 96 (metropolitan France) 914 to 1,523 m: 81 (metropolitan France) 5 (overseas departments)

total

292 (metropolitan France) 15 (overseas departments)

under 914 m

74 (metropolitan France) 6 (overseas departments) (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

185 (metropolitan France) 9 (overseas departments) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (metropolitan France) 914 to 1,523 m: 73 (metropolitan France) 2 (overseas departments)

under 914 m

108 (metropolitan France) 7 (overseas departments) (2006)

Area

land

640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan France)

note

the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion

total

643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan France)

water

3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France)

Area - comparative

slightly less than the size of Texas

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. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. 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 introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy. Geography France

Birth rate

11.99 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.211 trillion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

revenues

$1.15 trillion

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

48 52 N, 2 20 E

name

Paris

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

Coastline

metropolitan France

3,427 km

total

4,668 km

Constitution

adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958; amended concerning election of president in 1962; amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to tighten immigration laws in 1993; amended in 2000 to change the seven-year presidential term to a five-year term; amended in 2005 to make the EU constitutional treaty compatible with the Constitution of France and to ensure that the decision to ratify EU accession treaties would be made by referendum

Country name

conventional long form

French Republic

conventional short form

France

local long form

Republique francaise

local short form

France

Currency (code)

euro (EUR)

note

on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code

EUR

Current account balance

$-35.36 billion (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$3.461 trillion (30 June 2006)

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; 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 deparment

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

telephone

[33] (1) 43-12-22-22

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE

telephone

[1] (202) 944-6000

Disputes - international

Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32.7 (1995)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)

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. It retains controlling stakes in several leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales, and is dominant 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. The government in 2006 focused on introducing measures that attempt to boost employment through increased labor market flexibility; however, the population has remained opposed to labor reforms, hampering the government's ability to revitalize the economy. The tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering economic slowdown and inflexible budget items probably pushed the budget deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit in 2006; unemployment hovers near 9%.

Electricity - consumption

440.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

68.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

6.5 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

540.6 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

8.2%

hydro

14%

nuclear

77.1%

other

0.7% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Blanc 4,807 m

lowest point

Rhone River delta -2 m

Environment - current issues

some forest damage from acid rain; 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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

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

overseas departments

black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 0.7967 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

election results

Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN) 18.04%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round 22 April 2007, second round 6 May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Dominique DE VILLEPIN (since 31 May 2005)

Exports

$490 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners

Germany 14.7%, Spain 9.7%, Italy 8.7%, UK 8.3%, Belgium 7.1%, US 7.1% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 944-6166

[33] (1) 42 66 97 83

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

consulate(s) general

Marseille, Strasbourg

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications France

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the official flag for all French dependent areas Economy France

French Guiana

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

4 00 N, 53 00 W

South America

tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation

low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

NA

3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft) (2000)

small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe

French Guiana - total

1,183 km

border countries

Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

2.2%

industry

20.6%

services

77.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$30,100 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.3% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.154 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.871 trillion (2006 est.)

Geographic coordinates

46 00 N, 2 00 E

Geography - note

largest West European nation People France

Government type

republic

Guadeloupe

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

16 15 N, 61 35 W

Central America and the Caribbean

Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement of Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement

Guadeloupe - total

10.2 km

border countries

Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

Guadeloupe and Martinique

subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devasting cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average

Heliports

3 (2006)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

120,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.1% (1995)

lowest 10%

2.8%

Illicit drugs

metropolitan France

transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

Imports

$529.1 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals

Imports - partners

Germany 18.9%, Belgium 10.7%, Italy 8.3%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.6%, UK 5.9%, US 5.1% (2005)

Independence

486 (unified by Clovis)

Industrial production growth rate

1.5% (2006 est.)

Industries

machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Infant mortality rate

female

3.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

4.71 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2006 est.)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, 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, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code

metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Reunion - .re

Internet hosts

3,149,008; 3,148,379 (metropolitan France) (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

62 (2000)

Internet users

29.945 million; 29.521 million (metropolitan France) (2006) Transportation France

Investment (gross fixed)

20% of GDP (2006 est.)

Irrigated land

metropolitan France

26,000 sq km (2003)

total

26,190 sq km;

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

Labor force

27.88 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

4.1%

industry

24.4%

services

71.5% (1999)

Land boundaries

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

metropolitan France - total

2,889 km

Land use

arable land

33.46%

note

French Guiana - arable land 0.13%, permanent crops 0.04%, other 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other); Guadeloupe - arable land 11.70%, permanent crops 2.92%, other 85.38%; Martinique - arable land 9.09%, permanent crops 10.0%, other 80.91%; Reunion - arable land 13.94%, permanent crops 1.59%, other 84.47% (2005)

other

64.51%

permanent crops

2.03%

Languages

French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

overseas departments

French, Creole patois

Legal system

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

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 nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years); note - between 2006 and 2010, 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 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 the seats being renewed 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)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Left Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22

elections

Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held September 2008); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held on 10 and 17 June 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.54 years (2006 est.)

male

76.1 years

total population

79.73 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99% (2003 est.) Government France

male

99%

total population

99%

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

Manpower available for military service

females age 17-49

13,504,539 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

13,676,509

Manpower fit for military service

females age 17-49

11,079,472 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

11,262,661

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 17-49

372,719 (2005 est.)

males age 17-49

389,204

Map references

Europe

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

Martinique

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

14 40 N, 61 00 W

Central America and the Caribbean

mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe This page was last updated on 8 February, 2007

Median age

female

40.7 years (2006 est.)

male

37.6 years

total

39.1 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, container 5, liquefied gas 6, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

13 (Denmark 1, Hong Kong 1, Italy 2, Monaco 1, Norway 1, NZ 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 2, Switzerland 2)

note

Reunion owns one ship registered in the Bahamas (2006)

registered in other countries

154 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia 3, Bahamas 37, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, French Polynesia 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 36, Gibraltar 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 1, South Korea 12, Liberia 3, Luxembourg 14, Malta 6, Mexico 1, Morocco 1, Panama 15, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8, UK 4, Wallis and Futuna 5)

total

61 ships (1000 GRT or over) 875,777 GRT/1,318,605 DWT

Military branches

Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$45 billion FY06 (2005)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.6% FY06 (2005 est.) Transnational Issues France

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in the 1990s; women serve in non-combat military posts (2001)

National holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)

Nationality

adjective

French

noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Natural gas - consumption

45.41 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports

770 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports

44.78 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

12.77 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Natural hazards

metropolitan France

flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean

overseas departments

hurricanes (cyclones), flooding, volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)

Natural resources

coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Net migration rate

0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

1.977 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

409,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

2.281 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

77,690 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

144.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Pipelines

gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2006)

Political parties and leaders

Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG) [Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yann WEHRLING, national secretary]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]

Political pressure groups and leaders

historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed); left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed); independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)

Population

note

60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2006 est.)

total

62,752,136

Population below poverty line

6.5% (2000)

Population growth rate

0.35% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe), Bordeaux, Calais, Degrad de Cannes (French Guiana), Dunkerque, Fort-de-France (Martinique), Gustavia (Guadeloupe), La Pallice, La Trinite (Martinique), Le Havre, Le Port (Reunion), Marin (Martinique), Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe), Rouen, Strasbourg Military France

Public debt

64.7% of GDP (2006 est.)

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)

Railways

narrow gauge

167 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

standard gauge

28,918 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)

total

29,085 km

Religions

Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

overseas departments

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$39.98 billion (August 2006 est.)

Reunion

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

21 06 S, 55 36 E

World

tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

NA

Roadways

paved

951,220 km (metropolitan France; including 10,490 km of expressways) (2004)

total

956,303 km (including 5,083 km of roads in the overseas departments)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system

general assessment

highly developed

international

country code - 33; 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

overseas departments

country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262

Telephones - main lines in use

38.433 million; 35.7 million (metropolitan France) (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

49,369,800; 48.058 million (metropolitan France) (2005)

Television broadcast stations

584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

34.8 million (1997)

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

1.84 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

9.1% (2006 est.)

Waterways

metropolitan France

8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons)