2019 Edition

Background

France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Area

Land

640,427 sq km

Total

643,801 sq km

Water

3,374 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas

Climate

metropolitan France: 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 the mistral; French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation; Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average; Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November); Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Coastline

4,853 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Mont Blanc 4,810

Lowest Point

Rhone River delta -2 m

Mean Elevation

375 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

Geographic Coordinates

metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E; French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W; Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W; Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W; Mayotte: 12 50 S, 45 10 E; Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E

Geography Note

largest West European nation; most major French rivers - the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne - flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea

Irrigated Land

26,420 sq km 26,950 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Andorra 55 km, Belgium 556 km, Germany 418 km, Italy 476 km, Luxembourg 69 km, Monaco 6 km, Spain 646 km, Switzerland 525 km

French Guiana Total

1205

Metropolitan France Total

2751

Land Use

Agricultural Land

52.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

33.4% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

17.5% (2011 est.)

Forest

29.2% (2011 est.)

Other

18.1% (2011 est.)

Location

metropolitan France: 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; French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname; Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico; Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago; Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique; Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Map References

metropolitan France: Europe; French Guiana: South America; Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean; Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean; Mayotte: Africa; Reunion: World

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 Sea)

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean; overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding; volcanism: Montagne Pelee (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in May 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people;; La Soufriere (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean last erupted from July 1976 to March 1977;; these volcanoes are part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

Natural Resources

metropolitan France, coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish, French Guiana, gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Population Distribution

much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

Terrain

metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east; French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains; Guadeloupe: 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; Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano; Mayotte: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks; Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Age Structure

0 14 Years

18.48% (male 6,366,789 /female 6,082,729)

15 24 Years

11.8% (male 4,065,780 /female 3,884,488)

25 54 Years

37.48% (male 12,731,825 /female 12,515,501)

55 64 Years

12.42% (male 4,035,073 /female 4,331,751)

65 Years And Over

19.82% (male 5,781,410 /female 7,569,011) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

12.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

78.4% (2010/11)

Current Health Expenditure

11.5% (2016)

Death Rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

30.2 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

3.3 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

59.2 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

29.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

100% of population

Improved Total

100% of population

Improved Urban

100% of population

Unimproved Rural

0% of population

Unimproved Total

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0% of population

Education Expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic Groups

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

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.3% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<500 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

180,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

2.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

85.3 years

Male

78.9 years

Total Population

82 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

10.958 million PARIS (capital), 1.705 million Lyon, 1.603 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.058 million Lille, 1.011 million Toulouse, 957,000 Bordeaux (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

43.2 years

Male

39.7 years

Total

41.5 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

28.1 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

French

Noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Net Migration Rate

1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

21.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.23 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

67,364,357 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.37% (2018 est.)

Religions

Christian (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Buddhist 0.5-0.75%, Jewish 0.5-0.75%, other 0.5-1.0%, none 23-28% (2015 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

98.9% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

98.7% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

98.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

1.1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

1.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

16 years (2016)

Male

15 years

Total

15 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.05 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.76 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.05 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.96 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.06 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

21.3% (2017 est.)

Male

23.1%

Total

22.3%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.72% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

80.7% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

18 regions (regions, singular - region); Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte (Burgundy-Free County), Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Reunion

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)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of France

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament&rsquo;s National Assembly; amended many times, last in 2008; note - in May 2018, the prime minister submitted a bill to the National Assembly to amend several provisions of the constitution (2018)

History

many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

French Republic

Conventional Short Form

France

Etymology

name derives from the Latin "Francia" meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D. who merged with Gallic-Roman populations in succeeding centuries and to whom they passed on their name

Local Long Form

Republique francaise

Local Short Form

France

Dependent Areas

Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Jamie D. McCOURT (since 18 December 2017); note - also accredited to Monaco

Consulate S

Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes

Consulate's General

Marseille, Strasbourg

Embassy

2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris

Fax

[33] (1) 42 66 97 83

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 Philippe ETIENNE (since 8 July 2019)

Consulate's General

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

Fax

[1] (202) 944-6166

Telephone

[1] (202) 944-6000

Executive Branch

Cabinet

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

Chief Of State

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)

Election Results

Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24.%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20.%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 April with a runoff on 7 May 2017 (next to be held in April 2022); prime minister appointed by the president

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Edouard PHILIPPE (since 15 May 2017)

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 when the "ancient French color" of white was combined with the blue and red colors of the Parisian militia; the official flag for all French dependent areas

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions - 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years

Subordinate Courts

appellate courts or Cour d'Appel; regional courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; first instance courts or Tribunal d'instance; administrative courts

Legal System

civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of: Senate or Senat (348 seats - 328 for metropolitan France and overseas departments and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges using absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats - 556 for metropolitan France, 10 for overseas departments, and 11 for citizens abroad; members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by political caucus (party or group of parties) - LR 144, PS 73, UC 51. LREM 23, RDSE 22, CRCE 16, RTLI 13, other 6; composition - men 246, women 102, percent of women 29.3% National Assembly - percent of vote by party first round - LREM 28.2%, LR 15.8%. FN 13.2%, FI 11%, PS 7.4%, other 24.4%; percent of vote by party second round - LREM 43.1%, LR 22.2%, FN 8.8%, MoDEM 6.1%, PS 5.7%. FI 4.9%, other 9.2%; seats by political caucus (party or group of parties) - LREM 306, LR 104, MoDEM 46, UDI/Agir 29, PS 29, UDI 18, FI 17, Liberties and Territories 16, PCF 16, other 14; composition - men 349, women 228, percent of women 39.5%; note - total Parliament percent of women 35.7%

Elections

Senate - last held on 24 September 2017 (next to be held on 24 September 2020) National Assembly - last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held in June 2022)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle

Name

"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)

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)

National Symbol S

Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification); national colors: blue, white, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Presidential majority Parties [Edouard PHILIPPE] La Republique en Marche! or REM [Richard FERRAND] Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] Movement of Progressives or MDP Robert HUE] Parliamentary right Parties [Francois BAROIN] The Republicans or LR [Annie GENEVARD] Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI [Jean-Christophe CAMBADELIS] Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Tradition or (CPNT) [Eddie PUYJAION] CE Parliamentary left Parties [Bernard CAZENEUVE] Sociatlist Party or PS [Jean-Christophe CAMBADEMAND] Radical Party of the Left or PRG [Sylvia PINEL] Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean-Luc LAURENT] Martinican Progressive Party or PPM [Aiem CESAIRE] National Front or FN [Marine LE PEN] La France Insoumise or FI [Jean-Luc MELENCHONLIS] Europe Ecologists - the Greens or EELV [David CORMAND] French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT] Debout la France or DLF [Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

1.459 trillion (2017 est.)

Revenues

1.392 trillion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2015

0.05%

31 December 2016

0%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

1.6%

31 December 2017

1.29%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$18.55 billion

2017

-$14.83 billion

Debt External

31 March 2015

$5.25 trillion

31 March 2016

$5.36 trillion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2015

29.2

2016

29.3

Economy Overview

The French economy is diversified across all sectors. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. France is the most visited country in the world with 89 million foreign tourists in 2017. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that mitigate economic inequality.France's real GDP grew by 1.9% in 2017, up from 1.2% the year before. The unemployment rate (including overseas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.2% in 2015, before falling to 9.0% in 2017. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from 24.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2017.France’s public finances have historically been strained by high spending and low growth. In 2017, the budget deficit improved to 2.7% of GDP, bringing it in compliance with the EU-mandated 3% deficit target. Meanwhile, France's public debt rose from 89.5% of GDP in 2012 to 97% in 2017.Since entering office in May 2017, President Emmanuel MACRON launched a series of economic reforms to improve competitiveness and boost economic growth. President MACRON campaigned on reforming France’s labor code and in late 2017 implemented a range of reforms to increase flexibility in the labor market by making it easier for firms to hire and fire and simplifying negotiations between employers and employees. In addition to labor reforms, President MACRON’s 2018 budget cuts public spending, taxes, and social security contributions to spur private investment and increase purchasing power. The government plans to gradually reduce corporate tax rate for businesses from 33.3% to 25% by 2022.

Exchange Rates

2013

0.7634

2014

0.885

2015

0.9214

2016

0.903

2017

0.885

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$507 billion

2017

$549.9 billion

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Germany 14.8%, Spain 7.7%, Italy 7.5%, US 7.2%, Belgium 7%, UK 6.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

30.9% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

23.6% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

54.1% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-32% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

22.5% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0.9% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

1.7% (2017 est.)

Industry

19.5% (2017 est.)

Services

78.8% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$2.588 trillion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$42,900

2016

$43,200

2017

$44,100

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$2.761 trillion

2016

$2.791 trillion

2017

$2.856 trillion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

1%

2016

1.1%

2017

2.3%

Gross National Saving

2015

22.3% of GDP

2016

21.9% of GDP

2017

22.9% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

25.4% (2013)

Lowest 10

3.6%

Imports

2016

$536.7 billion

2017

$601.7 billion

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

Germany 18.5%, Belgium 10.2%, Netherlands 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, Spain 7.1%, UK 5.3%, US 5.2%, China 5.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

0.3%

2017

1.2%

Labor Force

30.68 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

2.8% (2016 est.)

Industry

20% (2016 est.)

Services

77.2% (2016 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2014

$2.086 trillion

31 December 2015

$2.088 trillion

31 March 2017

$1.591 trillion

Population Below Poverty Line

14.2% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

96.6% of GDP

2017

96.8% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2015

$138.2 billion

31 December 2017

$156.4 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$1.139 trillion

31 December 2017

$1.465 trillion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$1.259 trillion

31 December 2017

$1.429 trillion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$807.4 billion

31 December 2017

$858.3 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$3.646 trillion

31 December 2017

$4.334 trillion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$1.139 trillion

31 December 2017

$1.465 trillion

Taxes And Other Revenues

53.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

10.1%

2017

9.4%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

341.2 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

1.147 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

16,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

65.97 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

450.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

61.41 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

17% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

50% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

19.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

130.8 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

529.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

41.88 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

6.031 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

48.59 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

16.99 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

8.41 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

1.705 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

440,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

886,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

1.311 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

42 (2017 est.)

Total

28.429 million

Broadcast Media

a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned France television stations operate 4 networks, one of which is a network of regional stations, and has part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; a large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services provide a large number of channels; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and operates services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; a large number of commercial FM stations, with many of them consolidating into commercial networks

Internet Country Code

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

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

85.6% (July 2016 est.)

Total

57,226,585

Telephone System

Domestic

58 per 100 persons for fixed-line and 103 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2018)

General Assessment

extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system; highly developed; 3rd largest in Europe; broadband subscriber rate remains strong at 4% (2018)

International

country code - 33; landing points for Circe South, TAT-14, INGRID, FLAG Atlantic-1, Apollo, HUGO, IFC-1, ACE, SeaMeWe-3 & 4, Dunant, Africa-1, AAE-1, Atlas Offshore, Hawk, IMEWE, Med Cable, PEACE Cable, and TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medex submarine cables providing links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and US; satellite earth stations - more than 3 (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 (2019)

Overseas Departments

country codes: French Guiana - 594; landing points for Ella Link, Kanawa, Americas II to South America, Europe, Caribbean and US; Guadeloupe - 590; landing points for GCN, Southern Caribbean Fiber, and ECFS around the Caribbean and US; Martinique - 596; landing points for Ameicas II, ECFS, and Southern Caribbean Fiber to South America, US and around the Caribbean; Mayotte - 262; landing points for FLY-LION3 and LION2 to East Africa and East African Islands in Indian Ocean; Reunion - 262; landing points for SAFE, METISS, and LION submarine cables to Asia, South and East Africa, Southeast Asia and nearby Indian Ocean Island countries of Mauritius, and Madagascar (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

58 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

38.687 million

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

103 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

69.017 million

Airports

464 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

97 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

25 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

83 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

14 (2017)

Total

294 (2017)

Under 914 M

75 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

64 (2013)

Total

170 (2013)

Under 914 M

105 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

F (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

container ship 24, general cargo 73, oil tanker 29, other 429 (2018)

Total

555

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

4,098,310,000 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

65,039,503 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

485 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

30 (2015)

Pipelines

15322 km gas, 2939 km oil, 5084 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Container Port's Teus

Le Havre (2,870,000) (2017)

Cruise Ferry Port S

Calais, Cherbourg, Le Havre

Lng Terminal's Import

Fos Cavaou, Fos Tonkin, Montoir de Bretagne

Major Seaport S

Brest, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,

River Port S

Paris, Rouen (Seine)

Railways

Narrow Gauge

167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2014)

Standard Gauge

29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,561 km electrified) (2014)

Total

29,640 km (2014)

Roadways

Non Urban

399,014 km (2011)

Total

1,053,215 km (2011)

Urban

654,201 km (2011)

Transportation Note

begun in 1988 and completed in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover that runs from Folkestone, Kent, England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in northern France; it is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe

Waterways

metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)

Military And Security Forces

Army (Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air Force (Armee de l'Air (AdlA); includes Air Defense), National Guard (Reserves), National Gendarmerie (paramilitary police force that is a branch of the Armed Forces but under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior; also has additional duties to the Ministry of Defense) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2015

1.78% of GDP

2016

1.79% of GDP

2017

1.78% of GDP

2018

1.82% of GDP

2019

1.84% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2013)

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

Illicit Drugs

metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics; French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe; Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Refugees Country Of Origin

23,918 (Sri Lanka), 18,534 (Afghanistan), 16,484 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 15,898 (Russia), 15,822 (Syria), 14,700 (Sudan), 13,778 (Serbia and Kosovo), 11,196 (Turkey), 11,193 (Cambodia), 9,264 (Guinea), 8,131 (Iraq), 7,821 (Vietnam), 6,617 (Laos), 5,419 (Mauritania) (2018)

Stateless Persons

1,493 (2018)