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336 lines
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336 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
FRANCE
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 547,030 km2; land area: 545,630 km2; includes Corsica
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and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas
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administrative divisions
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Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
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Land boundaries: 2,892.4 km total; Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km,
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Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km,
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Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
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Coastline: 3,427 km (includes Corsica, 644 km)
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Maritime claims:
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Contiguous zone: 12-24 nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Canada (Saint Pierre and
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Miquelon); Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
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Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims
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Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles claims Tromelin
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Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana; Mexico claims Clipperton
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Island; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land)
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Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters
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and hot summers along the Mediterranean
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Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and
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west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in
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east
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Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc,
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potash
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Land use: arable land 32%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures
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23%; forest and woodland 27%; other 16%; includes irrigated 2%
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Environment: most of large urban areas and industrial centers in
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Rhone, Garonne, Seine, or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical
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wind known as mistral
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Note: largest West European nation
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PEOPLE
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Population: 56,595,587 (July 1991), growth rate 0.4% (1991)
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Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 6 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 82 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women);
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adjective--French
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Ethnic divisions: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North
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African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities
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Religion: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%,
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Muslim (North African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%
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Language: French (100% of population); rapidly declining regional
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dialects (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque,
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Flemish)
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Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1980 est.)
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Labor force: 24,170,000; services 61.5%, industry 31.3%,
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agriculture 7.3% (1987)
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Organized labor: 20% of labor force (est.)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: French Republic
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Type: republic
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Capital: Paris
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Administrative divisions: metropolitan France--22 regions
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(regions, singular--region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne,
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Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse,
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Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon,
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Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais,
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Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes,
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Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes;
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note--the 22 regions are subdivided into 96 departments; see separate
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entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
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Martinique, Reunion) and the territorial collectivities (Mayotte,
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Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
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Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,
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French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands,
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Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna;
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note--the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
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Independence: unified by Clovis in 486, First Republic proclaimed
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in 1792
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Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of
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president in 1962
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Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of
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administrative but not legislative acts
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National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
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Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consists of an
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upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or National Assembly
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(Assemblee Nationale)
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Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
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1981);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Edith CRESSON (since 15 May
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1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques CHIRAC;
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Union for French Democracy (UDF, federation of PR, CDS, and RAD),
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Valery Giscard d'ESTAING;
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Republican Party (PR), Gerard LONGUET;
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Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Pierre MEHAIGNERIE;
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Radical (RAD), Yves GALLARD;
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Socialist Party (PS), Pierre MAUROY;
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Left Radical Movement (MRG), Yves COLLIN;
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Communist Party (PCF), Georges MARCHAIS;
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National Front (FN), Jean-Marie LE PEN
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 8 May 1988 (next to be held May 1995);
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results--Second Ballot Francois MITTERRAND 54%, Jacques CHIRAC 46%;
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Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September
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1992); results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(321 total; 296 metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments
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and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad) RPR 93,
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UDF 143 (PR 53, CDS 65, RAD 25), PS 64, PCF 16, independents 2,
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unknown 3;
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National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held
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June 1993);
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results--Second Ballot PS-MRG 48.7%, RPR 23.1%, UDF 21%, PCF 3.4%,
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other 3.8%;
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seats--(577 total) PS 275, RPR 132, UDF 90, UDC 40, PCF 25, independents
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15
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Communists: 700,000 claimed but probably closer to 150,000;
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Communist voters, 2.8 million in 1988 election
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Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor
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union (Confederation Generale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million
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members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation
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Francaise Democratique du Travail or CFDT) about 800,000 members
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est.; independent labor union (Force Ouvriere) 1 million members
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(est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale
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des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French
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Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais--CNPF or Patronat)
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Member of: ACCT, AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BDEAC,
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BIS, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate),
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ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, FZ, GATT, G-5, G-7, G-10, IABD, IAEA,
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IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS,
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NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
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UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council,
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UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jacques ANDREANI; Chancery at
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4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 944-6000;
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there are French Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston,
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Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan
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(Puerto Rico);
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US--Ambassador Walter J. P. CURLEY; Embassy at 2 Avenue
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Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08 (mailing address is APO New York 09777);
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telephone 33 (1) 42-96-12-02 or 42-61-80-75; there are US Consulates
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General in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, and Strasbourg
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Flag: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and
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red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and
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colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including those
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of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Ivory Coast, and Luxembourg; the official flag
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for all French dependent areas
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ECONOMY
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Overview: One of the world's most developed economies, France
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has substantial agricultural resources and a highly diversified modern
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industrial sector. Large tracts of fertile land, the application of
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modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make it the leading
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agricultural producer in Western Europe. France is largely
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self-sufficient in agricultural products and is a major exporter of
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wheat and dairy products. The industrial sector generates about
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one-quarter of GDP, and the growing services sector has become crucial
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to the economy. After sluggish growth during the period 1982-87, the
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economy expanded at a rapid 3.8% pace in 1988-89. The economy
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slowed down in 1990, with growth of 2.0% expected in 1991.
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The economy has had difficulty generating enough jobs for new
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entrants into the labor force, resulting in a high unemployment rate,
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which probably will rise to around 10% during the slowdown.
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The steadily advancing economic integration within the European
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Community is a major force affecting the fortunes of the various economic
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sectors.
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GDP: $873.5 billion, per capita $15,500; real growth rate 2.8%
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(1990)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 9% (1990)
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Budget: revenues $207.6 billion; expenditures $224.2 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $34 billion (1990 est.)
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Exports: $181.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
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foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and
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clothing;
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partners--FRG 16%, Italy 12.1%, UK 9.5%, Spain 9.5%,
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Netherlands 9.2%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8.9%, US 6.6%, Japan 1.9%,
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USSR 1.0% (1989 est.)
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Imports: $201.6 billion (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural
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products, chemicals, iron and steel products;
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partners--FRG 19.4%, Italy 11.6%, Belgium-Luxembourg 9.2%,
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Netherlands 8.6%, US 7.6%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7.1%, Japan 4.1%,
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USSR 1.4% (1989 est.)
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External debt: $59.3 billion (December 1987)
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Industrial production: growth rate 3.7% (1989); accounts
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for 26% of GDP
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Electricity: 109,972,000 kW capacity; 403,570 million kWh produced,
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7,210 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,
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aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, and tourism
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Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GNP (including fishing and
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forestry); one of the world's top five wheat producers; other principal
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products--beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine
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grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate-zone foods; shortages include
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fats and oils and tropical produce, but overall net exporter of farm
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products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks among world's top
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20 countries and is all used domestically
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Economic aid: donor--ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $75.1
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billion
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Currency: French franc (plural--francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100
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centimes
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Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.8 (May 1991),
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5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261
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(1986), 8.9852 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,568 km
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1.435-meter standard gauge; 11,674 km electrified, 15,132 km double or
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multiple track; 2,138 km of various gauges (1.000-meter to 1.440-meter),
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privately owned and operated
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Highways: 1,551,400 km total; 33,400 km national highway;
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347,000 km departmental highway; 421,000 km community roads; 750,000 km
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rural roads; 5,401 km of controlled-access divided autoroutes; about
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803,000 km paved
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Inland waterways: 14,932 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled
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Pipelines: crude oil, 3,059 km; refined products, 4,487 km; natural
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gas, 24,746 km
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Ports: maritime--Bordeaux, Boulogne, Brest, Cherbourg, Dunkerque,
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Fos-Sur-Mer, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen, Sete, Toulon;
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inland--42
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Merchant marine: 133 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,141,276
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GRT/5,006,695 DWT; includes 8 short-sea passenger, 15 cargo, 18
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container, 2 multifunction large-load carrier, 29 roll-on/roll-off cargo,
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34 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 8 chemical tanker,
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6 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 11 bulk; note--France also
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maintains a captive register for French-owned ships in the Kerguelen
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Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and French Polynesia
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Civil air: 195 (1989 est.)
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Airports: 470 total, 460 usable; 246 with permanent-surface
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runways; 3 with runways over 3,659 m; 34 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
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136 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: highly developed system provides satisfactory
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telephone, telegraph, radio and TV broadcast services; 39,200,000
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telephones; stations--40 AM, 138 (777 relays) FM, 216 (8,902 relays) TV;
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25 submarine coaxial cables; communication satellite earth stations
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operating in INTELSAT, 3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, EUTELSAT,
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MARISAT, and domestic systems
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air), Air Force, National
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Gendarmerie
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,366,492; 12,077,706 fit for
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military service; 395,128 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $29.7 billion, 3.6% of GDP (1990)
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