| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Europe |
| Geographical Location |
46° 00' North Latitude
2° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
547,030 sq km |
| 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 |
| Natural Resources |
Coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
French Republic |
| Capital City |
Paris |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse,
Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire,
Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes |
| Independence Day |
486 (unified by Clovis) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
60,656,178 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
French |
| Ethnic Groups |
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% |
| Languages |
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.37% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Euro (EUR) |
| Industries |
Machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism |
| Labor Force |
27.7 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 4.1%, industry 24.4%, services 71.5% (1999) |
| Agriculture Products |
Wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages |
| Export Partners |
Germany 15%, Spain 9.4%, UK 9.3%, Italy 9%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.7% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
Germany 19.2%, Belgium 9.8%, Italy 8.8%, Spain 7.3%, UK 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 5.1% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
32,175 km |
| Highways |
893,100 km |
| Pipelines |
Gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004) |
| Airports |
478 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+33 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.fr |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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| www.kfrawy.com |
