FRANCE                                                                          
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 547,030 km2; land area: 545,630 km2; includes Corsica               
and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas                  
administrative divisions                                                        
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado                 
                                                                                
Land boundaries: 2,892.4 km total; 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 (includes Corsica, 644 km)                                  
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm;                                                      
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Canada (Saint Pierre and               
Miquelon); 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)                           
                                                                                
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%; includes irrigated 2%                  
                                                                                
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                                              
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 56,595,587 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)                     
                                                                                
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                        
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 82 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women);                          
adjective--French                                                               
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North                 
African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities                                     
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%,                         
Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%                              
                                                                                
Language: French (100% of population); rapidly declining regional               
dialects (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque,               
Flemish)                                                                        
                                                                                
Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1980 est.)                                                      
                                                                                
Labor force: 24,170,000; services 61.5%, industry 31.3%,                        
agriculture 7.3% (1987)                                                         
                                                                                
Organized labor: 20% of labor force (est.)                                      
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: French Republic                                                 
                                                                                
Type: republic                                                                  
                                                                                
Capital: Paris                                                                  
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: metropolitan France--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: unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed               
in 1792                                                                         
                                                                                
Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of                 
president in 1962                                                               
                                                                                
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of              
administrative but not legislative acts                                         
                                                                                
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)                        
                                                                                
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: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)                         
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May                     
1981);                                                                          
                                                                                
Head of Government--Prime Minister Edith CRESSON (since 15 May                  
1991)                                                                           
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC;                     
Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD),               
Valery Giscard d'ESTAING;                                                       
Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET;                                          
Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE;                          
Radical (RAD), Yves GALLARD;                                                    
Socialist Party (PS), Pierre MAUROY;                                            
Left Radical Movement (MRG), Yves COLLIN;                                       
Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS;                                        
National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN                                          
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995);                     
results--Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%;             
                                                                                
Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September                  
1992); 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 93,                    
UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS 65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, independents 2,                 
unknown 3;                                                                      
                                                                                
National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held                
June 1993);                                                                     
results--Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%,              
other 3.8%;                                                                     
seats--(577 total) PS 275, RPR 132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, independents        
15                                                                              
                                                                                
Communists: 700,000 claimed but probably closer to 150,000;                     
Communist voters, 2.8 million in 1988 election                                  
                                                                                
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)             
                                                                                
Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BDEAC,                              
BIS, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate),                
ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IABD, IAEA,         
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,                
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,                       
NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,           
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council,              
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO                                 
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at             
4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 944-6000;          
there are French Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,       
Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan          
(Puerto Rico);                                                                  
                                                                                
US--Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY; Embassy at 2 Avenue                         
Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO New York 09777);          
telephone  33  (1) 42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US Consulates          
General in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and 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, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag       
for all French dependent areas                                                  
                                                                                
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. After sluggish growth during the period 1982-87, the            
economy expanded at a rapid 3.8% pace in 1988-89. The economy                   
slowed down in 1990, with growth of 2.0% expected in 1991.                      
The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new                   
entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate,           
which probably will rise to around 10% during the slowdown.                     
The steadily advancing economic integration within the European                 
Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic       
sectors.                                                                        
                                                                                
GDP: $873.5 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate 2.8%                  
(1990)                                                                          
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1990 est.)                              
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 9% (1990)                                                    
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $207.6 billion; expenditures $224.2 billion,                   
including capital expenditures of $34 billion (1990 est.)                       
                                                                                
Exports: $181.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990);                                         
                                                                                
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,                 
foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and        
clothing;                                                                       
                                                                                
partners--FRG 16%, Italy 12.1%, UK 9.5%, Spain 9.5%,                            
Netherlands 9.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%, US 6.6%, Japan 1.9%,                 
USSR 1.0% (1989 est.)                                                           
                                                                                
Imports: $201.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989);                                         
                                                                                
commodities--crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural                   
products, chemicals, iron and steel products;                                   
                                                                                
partners--FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%,                      
Netherlands 8.6%, US 7.6%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Japan 4.1%,                     
USSR 1.4% (1989 est.)                                                           
                                                                                
External debt: $59.3 billion (December 1987)                                    
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1989); accounts                        
for 26% of GDP                                                                  
                                                                                
Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced,             
7,210 kWh per capita (1989)                                                     
                                                                                
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,               
aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism           
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (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: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100               
centimes                                                                        
                                                                                
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.8 (May 1991),                     
5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261              
(1986), 8.9852 (1985)                                                           
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Railroads: French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km                   
1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or          
multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-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; refined products, 4,487 km; natural             
gas, 24,746 km                                                                  
                                                                                
Ports: maritime--Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque,               
Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sete, Toulon;                  
inland--42                                                                      
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,141,276               
GRT/5,006,695 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger, 15 cargo, 18                 
container, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo,       
34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker,             
6 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 11 bulk; note--France also               
maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen            
Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia              
                                                                                
Civil air: 195 (1989 est.)                                                      
                                                                                
Airports: 470 total, 460 usable; 246 with permanent-surface                     
runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 34 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;            
136 with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                  
                                                                                
Telecommunications: highly developed system provides satisfactory               
telephone, telegraph, radio and TV broadcast services; 39,200,000               
telephones; stations--40 AM, 138 (777 relays) FM, 216 (8,902 relays) TV;        
25 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth stations             
operating in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, EUTELSAT,           
MARISAT, and domestic systems                                                   
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National                 
Gendarmerie                                                                     
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,366,492; 12,077,706 fit for              
military service; 395,128 reach military age (18) annually                      
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $29.7 billion, 3.6% of GDP (1990)                         
                                                                                
