|
2 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
France
n 1: a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in
Europe [syn: {French Republic}]
2: French writer of sophisticated novels and short stories
(1844-1924) [syn: {Anatole France}, {Jacques Anatole
Francois Thibault}]
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
France
Introduction France
-------------------
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
advent of the euro in January 1999.
Presently, France is at the
forefront of European states seeking
to exploit the momentum of monetary
union to advance the creation of a
more unified and capable European
defense and security apparatus.
Geography France
----------------
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
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 547,030 sq km
land: 545,630 sq km
note: includes only metropolitan
France; excludes the overseas
administrative divisions
water: 1,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of
Colorado
Land boundaries: 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
Coastline: 3,427 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
(does not apply to the
Mediterranean)
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
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling
hills in north and west; remainder
is mountainous, especially Pyrenees
in south, Alps in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc,
potash, timber, fish
Land use: arable land: 33.3%
permanent crops: 2.11%
other: 64.58% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 20,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches; midwinter
windstorms; drought; forest fires in
south near the Mediterranean
Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain
(major forest damage occurred as a
result of severe December 1999
windstorm); air pollution from
industrial and vehicle emissions;
water pollution from urban wastes,
agricultural runoff
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Air
agreements: Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-
Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-
Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-
Marine Living Resources, Antarctic
Seals, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change,
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: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol
Geography - note: largest West European nation
People France
-------------
Population: 59,765,983 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 5,675,269;
female 5,401,661)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 19,503,556;
female 19,479,646)
65 years and over: 16.3% (male
3,948,433; female 5,757,418) (2002
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.35% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 11.94 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.05 years
female: 83.14 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.17 years
Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.44% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 130,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 2,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman
(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic,
Slavic, North African, Indochinese,
Basque minorities
Religions: 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)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1980 est.)
Government France
-----------------
Country name: conventional long form: French
Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique
Francaise
local short form: France
Government type: republic
Capital: Paris
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
note: metropolitan France is divided
into 22 regions (including the
"territorial collectivity" of Corse
or Corsica) and is subdivided into
96 departments; see separate entries
for the overseas departments (French
Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique,
Reunion) and the overseas
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: 486 (unified by Clovis)
National holiday: Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended
concerning election of president in
1962, amended to comply with
provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty
in 1992, Amsterdam Treaty in 1996,
Treaty of Nice in 2000; amended to
tighten immigration laws 1993
Legal system: civil law system with indigenous
concepts; review of administrative
but not legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Jacques
CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister
Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May
2002)
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a five-year term
(changed from seven-year term in
2001); election last held 21 April
and 5 May 2002 (next to be held,
first round NA April 2007, second
round NA May 2007); prime minister
nominated by the National Assembly
majority and appointed by the
president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC
reelected president; percent of
vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC
(RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN)
18.04%
cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement
consists of the Senate or Senat (321
seats - 296 for metropolitan France,
13 for overseas departments and
territories, 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)
and the National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale (577 seats;
members are elected by popular vote
under a single-member majoritarian
system to serve five-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - RPR 83, PS 68, UDC 37, DL
35, RDES 16, PCF 16, other 66;
National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - PS
245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS
13, MEI 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1,
various left 9, various right 7
elections: Senate - last held 23
September 2001 (next to be held NA
September 2004); National Assembly -
last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next
to be held, first round 9 June 2002;
second round 16 June 2002)
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
Political parties and leaders: Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean
Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Communist,
Republican, and Citizen or CRC
(mainly PCF) [leader NA]; Democratic
and European Social Rally or RDES
(mainly RAD and PRG) [leader NA];
French Communist Party or PCF
[Robert HUE]; Generation Ecology
[Brice LALONDE]; Independent
Ecological Movement or MEI [Antoine
WAECHTER]; Left Radical Party or PRG
(previously Radical Socialist Party
or PRS and the Left Radical Movement
or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET];
Liberal-Christian Right [Charles
MILLON]; Liberal Democracy or DL
(originally Republican Party or PR)
[Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France
or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS];
Movement of Reformers [Jean-Pierre
SOISSON]; National Front or FN
[Jean-Marie LE PEN]; National
Republican Movement [Bruno MEGRET];
Popular Party for French Democracy
or PPDF [Herve DE CHARETTE]; Radical
Party or RP [Francois LOOS]; Rally
for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA];
Rally for the Republic or RPR
[Michelle ALLIOT-MARIE]; Republicans
and Independents or RI (mainly DL)
[leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS
[Francois HOLLANDE]; The Greens
[Dominique VOYNET]; Union for French
Democracy or UDF (coalition of DL,
CDS, UDF, RP, and other parties)
[Francois BAYROU]; Union for the
Presidential Majority or UMP [leader
NA]; Union of the Center or UDC
[leader NA]
Political pressure groups and Communist-controlled labor union
leaders: (Confederation Generale du Travail)
or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members
(claimed); independent labor union
or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members
(est.); independent white-collar
union or Confederation Generale des
Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed);
National Council of French Employers
(Conseil National du Patronat
Francais) or CNPF or Patronat;
Socialist-leaning labor union
(Confederation Francaise
Democratique du Travail) or CFDT,
about 800,000 members (est.)
International organization ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group,
participation: BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional),
CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA
(associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU,
ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7,
G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
SPC, UN, UN Security Council,
UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC,
UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB
(nonregional), WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG
chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW,
Washington, DC 20007
FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
consulate(s) general: Atlanta,
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
York, and San Francisco
telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Howard
US: H. LEACH
embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008
Paris
mailing address: PSC 116, B210 APO
AE 09777
telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22
FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83
consulate(s) general: Marseille,
Strasbourg
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), white, and red; known
as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor);
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
--------------
Economy - overview: France is in the midst of
transition, from a well-to-do modern
economy that featured extensive
government ownership and
intervention to one that relies more
on market mechanisms. The Socialist-
led government has partially or
fully privatized many large
companies, banks, and insurers, but
still retains large stakes in
several leading firms, including Air
France, France Telecom, Renault, and
Thales, and remains 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 current government has
lowered income taxes and introduced
measures to boost employment, but
has done little to reform an overly
expensive pension system, rigid
labor market, and restrictive
bureaucracy that discourage hiring
and make the tax burden one of the
highest in Europe. In addition to
the tax burden, the reduction of the
workweek to 35 hours, which is to be
extended to small firms in 2002, has
drawn criticism for lowering the
competitiveness of French
businesses. The current economic
slowdown has thrown the government's
goal of balancing the budget by 2004
off track.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.51
trillion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $25,400
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 25.7%
services: 71% (2000)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.8%
percentage share: highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini 32.7 (1995)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.7% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 26.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: services 71%, industry 25%,
agriculture 4% (1997)
Unemployment rate: 8.9% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $210 billion
expenditures: $240 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2000 est.)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles,
metallurgy, aircraft, electronics;
textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 1.3% (2001)
Electricity - production: 513.924 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 9.55%
hydro: 12.98%
other: 0.73% (2000)
nuclear: 76.74%
Electricity - consumption: 408.514 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 73.172 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 3.737 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets,
potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy
products; fish
Exports: $293.3 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation
equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products,
iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners: EU 61% (Germany 14%, UK 10%, Spain
9%, Italy 9%, Benelux 8%), US 9%
(2000)
Imports: $292.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles,
crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals
Imports - partners: EU 63% (Germany 17%, Benelux 10%,
Italy 9%, UK 8%), US 7% (2000)
Debt - external: $106 billion (1998)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $6.3 billion (1997)
Currency: euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
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; FRF
Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 1.1324
(January 2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French
francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January
1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications France
---------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 34.86 million (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 11.078 million (yearend 1998)
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and
microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable;
domestic satellite system
international: 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
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)
Television broadcast stations: 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 34.8 million (1997)
Internet country code: .fr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 62 (2000)
Internet users: 11.7 million (2001)
Transportation France
---------------------
Railways: total: 31,939 km (operated by French
National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km
of SNCF routes are electrified and
12,132 km are double- or multiple-
track)
standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-
m gauge
narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge
(2000 est.)
Highways: total: 892,900 km
paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900
km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways: 14,932 km (6,969 km heavily
traveled)
Pipelines: crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum
products 4,487 km; natural gas
24,746 km
Ports and harbors: Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg,
Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le
Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse,
Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire,
Saint Malo, Strasbourg
Merchant marine: total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,263,691 GRT/1,769,932 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4,
chemical tanker 9, combination bulk
1, container 3, liquefied gas 3,
passenger 3, petroleum tanker 15,
roll on/roll off 4, short-sea
passenger 4
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: French Polynesia 2,
Greece 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Sweden
9 (2002 est.)
Airports: 477 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 270
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
914 to 1,523 m: 75
under 914 m: 56 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 96
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 207
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 131 (2001)
Heliports: 3 (2001)
Military France
---------------
Military branches: Army (includes marines), Navy
(includes naval air), Air Force
(includes Air Defense), National
Gendarmerie
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 14,534,480 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 12,092,938 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 390,064 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $46.5 billion (2000)
Military expenditures - percent of 2.57% (2002)
GDP:
Transnational Issues France
---------------------------
Disputes - international: Madagascar claims Bassas da India,
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands,
Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin
Island; Comoros claims Mayotte;
Mauritius claims Tromelin Island;
territorial dispute between Suriname
and French Guiana; territorial claim
in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Matthew
and Hunter Islands, east of New
Caledonia, claimed by France and
Vanuatu
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for and consumer
of South American cocaine, Southwest
Asian heroin, and European
synthetics
Powered by Blog Dictionary [BlogDict]
Kindly supported by
Vaffle Invitation Code
Get a Freelance Job - Outsource Your Projects | Threadless Coupon
All rights
reserved. (2008-2024)