France: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

French Republic

Capital

Paris

Area

543,965 sq km

210,026 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Alsace

1,817,000 (2005 estimate)

Aquitaine

3,099,000 (2005 estimate)

Auvergne

1,334,000 (2005 estimate)

Burgundy

1,624,000 (2005 estimate)

Brittany

3,081,000 (2005 estimate)

Centre

2,505,000 (2005 estimate)

Champagne-Ardenne

1,339,000 (2005 estimate)

Corsica

279,000 (2005 estimate)

Franche-Comté

1,146,000 (2005 estimate)

Île-de-France

11,491,000 (2005 estimate)

Languedoc-Roussillon

2,520,000 (2005 estimate)

Limousin

725,000 (2005 estimate)

Lorraine

2,339,000 (2005 estimate)

Lower Normandy

1,449,000 (2005 estimate)

Midi-Pyrénées

2,755,000 (2005 estimate)

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

4,043,000 (2005 estimate)

Pays de la Loire

3,426,000 (2005 estimate)

Picardy

1,886,000 (2005 estimate)

Poitou-Charentes

1,713,000 (2005 estimate)

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

4,781,000 (2005 estimate)

Rhône-Alpes

6,005,000 (2005 estimate)

Upper Normandy

1,811,000 (2005 estimate)

Largest cities (population)

Paris

2,153,600 (2005 estimate)

Marseille

820,900 (2005 estimate)

Lyon

466,400 (2005 estimate)

Toulouse

435,000 (2005 estimate)

Nice

347,900 (2005 estimate)

Nantes

281,800 (2005 estimate)

Strasbourg

272,700 (2005 estimate)

Montpellier

244,300 (2005 estimate)

Bordeaux

230,600 (2005 estimate)

Lille

225,100 (2005 estimate)

Rennes

209,900 (2005 estimate)

Reims

184,800 (2005 estimate)

Le Havre

183,900 (2005 estimate)

St-Étienne

175,700 (2005 estimate)

Toulon

166,800 (2005 estimate)

Grenoble

156,600 (2005 estimate)

Angers

152,700 (2005 estimate)

Dijon

150,800 (2005 estimate)

Brest

145,200 (2005 estimate)

Le Mans

144,500 (2005 estimate)

Population

61,083,916 (2007 estimate)

Population growth rate

0.33 per cent (2007 estimate)

Population density

112 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)

290 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

77 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

23 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

79.9 years (2007 estimate)

Female

83.7 years (2007 estimate)

Male

76.2 years (2007 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

4 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

99 per cent (1995)

Female

Not available

Male

Not available

Ethnic divisions

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, and Nordic; North and West African, Caribbean, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Languages

French (official), Alemannisch, Auvergnat, Italian, Portuguese, Breton, Corsican, Gascon, Provençal, Catalan, Franco-Provençal, Basque, Dutch, Luxembourgeois, Caló, Limousin, Flemish, Languedocien

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim

Type of government

Presidential republic

Independence

486 (unified by Clovis)

Constitution

September 28, 1958

NOTE: The constitution was amended in 1962 regarding presidential election, in 1992 to comply with the provisions of the European Union (EU) Maastricht Treaty, and in 1993 to tighten immigration laws.

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

2,126,630 million (2005)

GDP per capita (US$)

34,935.50 (2005)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

2.2 per cent (2005)

GDP, industry

20.9 per cent (2005)

GDP, services

76.9 per cent (2005)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

980,780 million (2005)

Total expenditure

917,041 million (2005)

Monetary unit

1 euro (EUR), consisting of 100 cents

Euro (€) notes and coins replaced the French franc as the national currency on January 1, 2002.

Exports

Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing

Imports

Crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products

Major trading partners for exports

Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, United States, Netherlands, Japan, Russia

Major trading partners for imports

Germany, Italy, United States, Belgium, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, China

Industries

Steel, machinery, chemicals, cars, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism

Agriculture

Wheat, beef, dairy products, grains, sugar beet, potatoes, corn, barley, oilseeds, wine grapes, fish

Natural resources

Iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, coal, zinc, petroleum, potash, antimony, magnesium, pyrite, tungsten, salt, lead

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.