"text":"France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper."
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> 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<br><br><strong>French Guiana:</strong> Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname<br><br><strong>Guadeloupe:</strong> Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico<br><br><strong>Martinique:</strong> Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago<br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique<br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> 46 00 N, 2 00 E <br><br><strong>French Guiana:</strong> 4 00 N, 53 00 W <br><br><strong>Guadeloupe:</strong> 16 15 N, 61 35 W <br><br><strong>Martinique:</strong> 14 40 N, 61 00 W <br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> 12 50 S, 45 10 E <br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> 21 06 S, 55 36 E"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> Europe <br><br><strong>French Guiana:</strong> South America <br><br><strong>Guadeloupe:</strong> Central America and the Caribbean <br><br><strong>Martinique:</strong> Central America and the Caribbean <br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> Africa <br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> World"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> 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 the mistral<br>",
"note":"<strong>French Guiana:</strong> tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation <br><br><strong>Guadeloupe and Martinique:</strong> subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average <br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) <br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east<br><br><strong>French Guiana:</strong> low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains<br><br><strong>Guadeloupe:</strong> Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin<br><br><strong>Martinique:</strong> mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano<br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks<br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit"
"text":"Rhin (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong>[s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
"text":"much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south<br><br><strong>overseas departments:</strong> hurricanes (cyclones); flooding<br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, although it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people; La Soufrière (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years"
"text":"largest Western European nation; most major French rivers -- the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne -- flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea"
"text":"<br>The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> France maintains a tradition of secularism and has not officially collected data on religious affiliation since the 1872 national census, which complicates assessments of France's religious composition; an 1872 law prohibiting state authorities from collecting data on individuals' ethnicity or religious beliefs was reaffirmed by a 1978 law emphasizing the prohibition of the collection or exploitation of personal data revealing an individual's race, ethnicity, or political, philosophical, or religious opinions; a 1905 law codified France's separation of church and state"
"text":"much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second"
"text":"11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)"
"text":"<strong>metropolitan France:</strong> 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 the mistral<br>",
"note":"<strong>French Guiana:</strong> tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation <br><br><strong>Guadeloupe and Martinique:</strong> subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average <br><br><strong>Mayotte:</strong> tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November) <br><br><strong>Reunion:</strong> tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)"
"text":"derives from the Latin name <em>Francia, </em>meaning \"Land of the Franks\"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D.; the origin of the tribal name is unclear but may come from the Old German word <em>franka</em>, meaning \"brave,\" or from a personal name such as Francio or Francus"
"text":"applies to metropolitan France only; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunion"
"text":"name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then Paris"
"text":"18 regions (<em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> France is divided into 13 metropolitan regions (including the \"collectivity\" of Corse, or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)"
"text":"Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> the US Government does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a \"sui generis\" collectivity of France since 1998, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department"
"text":"proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly"
"text":"president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president"
},
"most recent election date":{
"text":"10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022"
"text":"<em><br>2022: </em>Emmanuel MACRON reelected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (LREM) 27.8%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 23.2%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (LFI) 22%, Eric ZEMMOUR (Reconquête) 7.1%, Valerie PECRESSE (LR) 4.8%, Yannick JADOT (EELV) 4.6%, other 10.6%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 58.5%, LE PEN 41.5%<em><br></em><br><em>2017:</em> Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%"
"note":"<strong>note 1:</strong> of the 348 Senate seats, 328 seats are for metropolitan France, overseas departments, and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte; the remainder of the seats include 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad<br><strong><br>note 2:</strong> Senate members are indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges, using absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members, and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members"
"text":"Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions -- 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)"
"text":"Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council has 3 members appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years"
"text":"appellate courts or cours d'appel; regional courts or tribunaux judiciaires; first instance courts or tribunaux de proximité; administrative courts"
"text":"Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC<br>Debout la France or DLF<br>Democratic Movement or MoDem<br>Ensemble or ENS (electoral coalition including RE, MoDem, Horizons, PRV, UDI)<br>The Ecologists - the Greens or EELV<br>French Communist Party or PCF<br>Horizons<br>La France Insoumise or FI<br>Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories or LIOT<br>Movement of Progressives or MDP<br>National Rally or RN (formerly National Front or FN)<br>New Democrats or LND (formerly Ecology Democracy Solidarity or EDS)<br>New Popular Front or NFP (electoral coalition including FI, EELV, PS, PCF)<br>Radical Party of the Left or PRV<br>Reconquete or REC<br>Renaissance or RE<br>Résistons!<br>Socialist Party or PS<br>The Republicans or LR<br>Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI<br>Union of Far Right or UXD (electoral coalition of LR, RN)"
"text":"no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are <em>la Fête nationale</em> (National Holiday) and <em>le Quatorze Juillet</em> (14th of July)"
"text":"<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), white, and red<br><br><strong>history:</strong> known as the <em>le tricolore</em> (tricolor), the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution, when the traditional color of white was combined with the blue and red of the Paris militia; for the first four years of the flag's use (1790-94), the order of colors was reversed (red-white-blue)",
"note":"<strong>note 1:</strong> serves as the official flag for all French dependencies<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands"
"text":"adopted 1795, restored 1870; acquired its name when the National Guard of Marseille sang the song while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolution; one of the most recognized anthems in the world"
"text":"Chartres Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Versailles (c); Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (c); Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley (c); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay (c); Paris, Banks of the Seine (c); The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (c); Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (c); Amiens Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (c); Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne (c); The Maison Carrée of Nîmes (c); Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve (Corsica) (n); Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan (c)"
"text":"<p>high-income, advanced EU economy and eurozone member; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via \"France 2030\" strategy</p>"
"note":"<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated"
"text":"a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned TV stations operate 4 networks and have part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; large number of commercial FM stations"
"text":"Bayonne, Bordeaux, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dunkerque Port Est, Dunkerque Port Ouest, La Pallice, La Rochelle, Les Sables d'Olonne, Lorient, Montoir, Nantes, Le Havre, Rouen, Rade de Brest, Rade de Cherbourg, Rochefort, St. Nazaire, Toulon"
"text":"begun in 1988 and completed in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel under the English Channel at the Strait of Dover; it runs from Folkestone, Kent, in England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France and is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe"
"text":"French Armed Forces (Forces Armées Françaises): Army (l'Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air and Space Force (l'Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace); includes Air Defense), National Guard (Garde Nationale), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) (2025)",
"note":"<strong>note 1: </strong>under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior, the civilian National Police and the National Gendarmerie maintain internal security; the National Gendarmerie is a paramilitary police force that is a branch of the Armed Forces and therefore part of the Ministry of Defense but under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior; it also has additional duties to the Ministry of Justice<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the National Guard is composed of operational reservists belonging to the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Interior<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> the French Foreign Legion, established in 1831, is a military force that is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French military for service in France and abroad; the Foreign Legion is an integrated part of the French Army; its combat units are a mix of armored cavalry and airborne, light, mechanized, and motorized infantry regiments"
"text":"the French military's inventory consists mostly of domestically produced weapons systems, including some jointly produced with other European countries; there is a smaller mix of armaments from other Western countries, particularly the US; France has a large and sophisticated defense industry capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems (2025)"
"text":"generally 17-30 years of age for both men and women with some variations by service, position, and enlisted versus officer; 17-40 for National Gendarmerie; basic service contract is for 12 months; no conscription (abolished 2001) (2025)",
"note":"<strong>note 1:</strong> a 10-month voluntary military service program for French citizens 18-19 is scheduled to start accepting recruits in September 2026; afterwards, the volunteers can integrate into civilian life, become a reservist, or stay in the armed forces<br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> in 2024, women comprised about 17% of the uniformed armed forces<br><br><strong>note 3:</strong> men between the ages of 17.5 and 39.5 years of age, of any nationality, may join the French Foreign Legion; those volunteers selected for service sign five-year contracts"
"text":"France typically has up to 30,000 total air, ground, and naval forces deployed on permanent or temporary foreign missions; up to 10,000 are permanently deployed, including Djibouti (1,500); French Guyana (2,600); French Polynesia (1,000); French West Indies (1,000); Reunion Island (2,100); UAE (800)<br><br>other non-permanent deployments include military missions under NATO, the EU, and the UN, as well as some unilateral operations, in such places as Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and adjacent waters (2025)"
"text":"the French military has a global footprint and a wide range of missions and responsibilities, to include protecting French territory, population, and interests, and fulfilling France’s commitments to NATO, European security, and international peacekeeping operations under the UN; it is the largest military in the EU and has a leading role in the EU security framework, as well as in NATO; in recent years, it has actively participated in coalition peacekeeping and other security operations in regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, often in a lead role; the military regularly conducts large-scale exercises and participates in a variety of bi-lateral and multinational exercises; it also has a domestic security mission, including providing enhanced security at sensitive sites and large events and support during national crises or disasters, such as fighting forest fires; in recent years, defense responsibilities have expanded to include cyber and space domains<br><br>in 2010, France and the UK signed a declaration on defense and security cooperation that included greater military interoperability and a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a deployable, combined Anglo-French military force for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, including high intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance; the CJEF has no standing forces, but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations (2025)"
"text":"Guiana Space Center (Kourou, French Guiana; also serves as the spaceport for the ESA); note – prior to the completion of the Guiana Space Center in 1969, France launched rockets from Algeria (2025)"
"text":"has one of Europe’s largest space programs and is one of the top contributors to the ESA; has independent capabilities in all areas, except for autonomous manned space flight; can build, launch, and operate a range of space/satellite launch vehicles (SLVs) and spacecraft, including exploratory probes and a full spectrum of satellites; shifted astronaut training to ESA in 2001; hosts the ESA headquarters and its space launch facility; participates in international space programs such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope and International Space Station; works with a broad range of space agencies and commercial space companies, including those of China, Egypt, individual ESA and EU member countries, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the UAE, the US, and several African countries; has a large commercial space sector involved in satellite construction and payloads, launch capabilities, and a range of other space-related capabilities and technologies (2025)"
"text":"early 1960s - began rocket program and launched animals into space<br><br>1965 - launched first domestically produced satellite (Asterix) into space on a French Diamant rocket (third country to do so after the Soviet Union and US)<br><br>1973 - began development of Ariane heavy-lift satellite launch vehicle (SLV) along with other European states, particularly Germany and the UK; Ariane would become the ESA's SLV<br><br>1970s-1990s - development of a space plane/shuttle program (Hermes)<br><br>1982 - first French astronaut into space on a Soviet rocket<br><br>1986 - launched first joint European Earth observation/remote sensing program (SPOT)<br><br>2018 - launched project (Spaceship FR) to lay the groundwork for robotic and crewed missions to the Moon and Mars<br><br>2024 - debut launch of Ariane-6 SLV; claimed world's first satellite to ground communications via laser"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide"
