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 hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations. 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. |
|
|
|
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
Reunion:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
|
|
|
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
Reunion:
21 06 S, 55 36 E
|
|
|
Map references:
|
|
metropolitan France: Europe
French Guiana:
South America
Guadeloupe:
Central America and the Caribbean
Martinique:
Central America and the Caribbean
Reunion:
World
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
total: 643,427 sq km; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)
country comparison to the world: 49
land:
640,053 sq km; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)
water:
3,374 sq km; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)
note:
the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion
|
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
|
slightly less than the size of Texas
|
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
|
metropolitan France - 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
French Guiana - total:
1,183 km
border countries:
Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
|
|
|
Coastline:
|
|
total: 4,668 km
metropolitan France:
3,427 km
|
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
|
|
|
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 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
Reunion:
tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
|
|
|
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
Reunion:
mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
|
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
|
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point:
Mont Blanc 4,807 m
|
|
|
Natural resources:
|
|
metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish
French Guiana:
gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay
|
|
|
Land use:
|
|
arable land: 33.46%
permanent crops:
2.03%
other:
64.51%
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)
|
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
|
total: 26,190 sq km;
metropolitan France:
26,000 sq km (2003)
|
|
|
Total renewable water resources:
|
|
189 cu km (2005)
|
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
|
total: 33.16 cu km/yr (16%/74%/10%)
per capita:
548 cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
|
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)
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
Geography - note:
|
|
largest West European nation |
|
|
|
Population:
|
|
total: 64,057,792
country comparison to the world: 22
note:
62,150,775 in metropolitan France (July 2009 est.)
|
|
|
Age structure:
|
|
0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,129,729/female 5,838,925)
15-64 years:
65% (male 20,963,124/female 20,929,280)
65 years and over:
16.4% (male 4,403,248/female 6,155,767) (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Median age:
|
|
total: 39.4 years
male:
38 years
female:
40.9 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
|
0.549% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
|
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
12.57 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
|
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
8.56 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
|
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
|
1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
|
|
|
Urbanization:
|
|
urban population: 77% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 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:
0.72 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
|
total: 3.33 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 217
male:
3.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
2.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
|
total population: 80.98 years
country comparison to the world: 9
male:
77.79 years
female:
84.33 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
|
1.98 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
|
0.4% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
|
140,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
|
1,600 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
|
|
|
Nationality:
|
|
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective:
French
|
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
|
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
overseas departments:
black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
|
|
|
Religions:
|
|
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
overseas departments:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan
|
|
|
Languages:
|
|
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
overseas departments:
French, Creole patois
|
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
99%
male:
99%
female:
99% (2003 est.)
|
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
|
|
total: 16 years
male:
16 years
female:
17 years (2006)
|
|
|
Education expenditures:
|
|
5.7% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 46
|
|
|
|
|
