Capital: Paris.
Official Language: French.
Official Name: Republique Francaise (French Republic).
National Anthem: "La Marseillaise."
National Motto: Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity).
Largest Cities: Paris (2,176,243); Marseille (874,436); Lyon
(413,095); Toulouse (347,995); Nice (337,085).
Largest Metropolitan Areas: Paris (8,706,963); Lyon (1,236,096);
Marseille (1,115,697); Lille (945,572); Bordeaux (650,123).
National Flag: The French flag is called the tricolor. In 1789, King
Louis XVI first used its three colors to represent France. France
has no official coat of arms.
Land and Climate
Land: France lies in western Europe, with coastlines on the Atlantic
Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The country borders Spain, Andorra,
Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium, and
lies across the English Channel from the United Kingdom. The
Pyrenees Mountains separate France from Spain. The Alps border
Italy; the Alps and Jura Mountains border Switzerland. The Central
Highlands occupies south-central France. Most of northern,
western, and north-central France is flat or has rolling hills.
Major rivers include the Loire, Seine, and Rhone.
Area: 212,935 sq. mi. (551,500 sq. km), including mainland France and
Corsica. Greatest distances--east-west, 605 mi. (974 km);
north-south, 590 mi. (950 km). Coastline--2,300 mi. (3,701 km).
Elevation: Highest--Mont Blanc, 15,771 ft. (4,807 m). Lowest--below
sea level at the Rhone River delta.
Climate: Warm summers and cool winters, except on the Mediterranean
coast, which is warmer in all seasons. Typical daytime summer high
about 75 degrees F (24 degrees C) in the north; 82 degrees F (28
degrees C) on the Mediterranean coast. Winter daytime highs about
43 degrees F (6 degrees C) in the north; about 54 degrees F (12
degrees C) on the Mediterranean coast. Moderate precipitation the
year around, except for dry summers along the Mediterranean.
Government
Form of Government: Parliamentary democracy.
Head of State: President (elected by people to 7-year term).
Head of Government: Prime minister.
Legislature: Parliament of two houses--the National Assembly (577
members) and the Senate (319 members). The National Assembly is
more powerful than the Senate.
Executive: Prime minister and president each have some executive
powers.
Judiciary: Highest court is the Court of Cassation.
Political Subdivisions: 22 regions, containing 96 metropolitan
departments.
People
Population: 1996 estimate--57,971,000; 1990 census--56,634,299. 2001
estimate--58,939,000.
Population Density: 272 persons per sq. mi. (105 per sq. km).
Distribution: 73 percent urban, 27 percent rural.
Major Ethnic/National Groups: About 93 percent French (including
Basques, Bretons, and others who have long lived in France). About
7 percent recent immigrants and their descendants--mostly from
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and
Indochina.
Major Religions: 75 percent Roman Catholic, 3 percent Muslim, 2
percent Protestant, 1 percent Jewish.
Economy
Chief Products: Agriculture--beef cattle, milk, wheat, grapes, sugar
beets, potatoes, apples, hogs, chickens and eggs.
Manufacturing--iron and steel, chemicals, automobiles, electronic
goods, textiles and clothing, aerospace equipment, processed foods
and beverages, railway equipment. Mining--iron ore.
Money: Basic unit--franc. For value in U.S. dollars, see MONEY
(Table: Exchange Rates).
Foreign Trade: Major exports--chemicals, machinery, electrical and
electronic equipment, automobiles, aircraft, weapons, wine, grains,
iron and steel. Major imports--petroleum, machinery, chemicals,
automobiles. Major trading partners--Germany, Italy, Belgium,
United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Spain.
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