{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "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 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.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "metropolitan France: 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;
French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname;
Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico;
Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago;
Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique;
Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E;
French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W;
Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W;
Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W;
Mayotte: 12 50 S, 45 10 E;
Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E
" }, "Map references": { "text": "metropolitan France: Europe;
French Guiana: South America;
Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean;
Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean;
Mayotte: Africa;
Reunion: World
" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)" }, "land": { "text": "640,427 sq km ; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)" }, "water": { "text": "3,374 sq km ; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)" }, "note": "note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion" }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "3,956 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Andorra 55 km; Belgium 556 km; Germany 418 k; Italy 476 km; Luxembourg 69 km; Monaco 6 km; Spain 646 km; Switzerland 525 km" }, "metropolitan France - total": { "text": "2751" }, "French Guiana - total": { "text": "1205" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "4,853 km", "note": "metropolitan France: 3,427 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "contiguous zone": { "text": "24 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean Sea)" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation" } }, "Climate": { "text": "metropolitan France: 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;
French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation;
Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average;
Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November);
Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
" }, "Terrain": { "text": "metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east;
French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains;
Guadeloupe: 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;
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano;
Mayotte: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks;
Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Mont Blanc 4,810" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Rhone River delta -2 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "375 m" }, "note": "note: 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" }, "Natural resources": { "text": "metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish, French Guiana, gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "52.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 33.4% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "29.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "18.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "26,420 sq km (2012) 26,950 sq km", "note": "metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2012)" }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "Fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Geneva (shared with Switzerland) - 580 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Rhine (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 kmmetropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean;
overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding;
volcanism: Montagne Pelee (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in May 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people; La Soufriere (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean last erupted from July 1976 to March 1977; these volcanoes are part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "largest West 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" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "68,305,148 (2022 est.)", "note": "note: the above figure is for metropolitan France and five overseas regions; the metropolitan France population is 62,814,233" }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)" }, "adjective": { "text": "French" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, Basque minorities", "note": "note: overseas departments: Black, White, Mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard); note - overseas departments: French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "metropolitan France: 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;
French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation;
Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average;
Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November);
Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "52.7% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 33.4% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "29.2% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "18.1% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "81.5% of total population (2022)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "forest revenues": { "text": "0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Revenue from coal": { "coal revenues": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "text": "note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout France; as of 18 August 2022, France has reported a total of 33,275,006 cases of COVID-19 or 51,161.33 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with a total of 149,848 cumulative deaths or a rate 230.39 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 16 August 2022, 80.89% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine" }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "33.399 million tons (2015 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "7,434,617 tons (2015 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "22.3% (2015 est.)" } }, "Major lakes (area sq km)": { "Fresh water lake(s)": { "text": "Lake Geneva (shared with Switzerland) - 580 sq km" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Rhine (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 kmThe French economy is diversified across all sectors. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. France is the most visited country in the world with 89 million foreign tourists in 2017. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that mitigate economic inequality.
France's real GDP grew by 1.9% in 2017, up from 1.2% the year before. The unemployment rate (including overseas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.2% in 2015, before falling to 9.0% in 2017. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from 24.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2017.
France’s public finances have historically been strained by high spending and low growth. In 2017, the budget deficit improved to 2.7% of GDP, bringing it in compliance with the EU-mandated 3% deficit target. Meanwhile, France's public debt rose from 89.5% of GDP in 2012 to 97% in 2017.
Since entering office in May 2017, President Emmanuel MACRON launched a series of economic reforms to improve competitiveness and boost economic growth. President MACRON campaigned on reforming France’s labor code and in late 2017 implemented a range of reforms to increase flexibility in the labor market by making it easier for firms to hire and fire and simplifying negotiations between employers and employees. In addition to labor reforms, President MACRON’s 2018 budget cuts public spending, taxes, and social security contributions to spur private investment and increase purchasing power. The government plans to gradually reduce corporate tax rate for businesses from 33.3% to 25% by 2022.
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020": { "text": "$2,832,170,000,000 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$3,082,300,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$3,036,490,000,000 (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2019": { "text": "1.49% (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2018": { "text": "1.81% (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "2.42% (2017 est.)" } }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2020": { "text": "$42,000 (2020 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$45,800 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$45,300 (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$2,715,574,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "1.1% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "1.8% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "1% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "AA (2014)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Aa2 (2015)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "AA (2013)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "1.7% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "19.5% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "78.8% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "54.1% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "23.6% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "22.5% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.9% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "30.9% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-32% (2017 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "wheat, sugar beet, milk, barley, maize, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, apples" }, "Industries": { "text": "machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "2% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "27.742 million (2020 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "2.8% (2016 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "20% (2016 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "77.2% (2016 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2019": { "text": "8.12% (2019 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2018": { "text": "8.69% (2018 est.)" }, "note": "note: includes overseas territories" }, "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": { "total": { "text": "20.2%" }, "male": { "text": "20.3%" }, "female": { "text": "19.9% (2020 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "13.6% (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017": { "text": "31.6 (2017 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015": { "text": "29.2 (2015)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "3.6%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "25.4% (2013)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "1.392 trillion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "1.459 trillion (2017 est.)" } }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "96.8% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "96.6% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "note": "note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions" }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "53.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2019": { "text": "-$18.102 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2018": { "text": "-$16.02 billion (2018 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2020": { "text": "$746.91 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2019": { "text": "$891.18 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Exports 2018": { "text": "$918.97 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Germany 14%, United States 8%, Italy 7%, Spain 7%, Belgium 7%, United Kingdom 7% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "aircraft, packaged medicines, cars and vehicle parts, gas turbines, wine (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2020": { "text": "$803.66 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2019": { "text": "$919.63 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" }, "Imports 2018": { "text": "$947.31 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Germany 18%, Belgium 9%, Italy 9%, Spain 7%, China 7%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, aircraft machinery (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$156.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2015": { "text": "$138.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 2019": { "text": "$6,356,459,000,000 (2019 est.)" }, "Debt - external 2018": { "text": "$6,058,438,000,000 (2018 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "0.82771 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "0.90338 (2019 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2018": { "text": "0.87789 (2018 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "0.885 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "0.7634 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2020)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "138.611 million kW (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "472.699 billion kWh (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "64.425 billion kWh (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "19.613 billion kWh (2020 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "36.203 billion kWh (2020 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "nuclear": { "text": "68.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "2.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "7.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "11.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "tide and wave": { "text": "0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "geothermal": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "2.312 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "10.712 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "35,000 metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "7.891 million metric tons (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "0 metric tons (2019 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "81,500 bbl/day (2021 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "1,688,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate exports": { "text": "0 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil and lease condensate imports": { "text": "1,064,700 barrels/day (2018 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "61.7 million barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "1.311 million bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "440,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "886,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "16.226 million cubic meters (2019 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "38,192,256,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "9,103,795,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "46,105,385,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "7.787 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "338.425 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "26.971 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "225.865 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "85.589 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2019": { "text": "151.053 million Btu/person (2019 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "37.759 million (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "58 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "72.751 million (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "111 (2020 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "France's telecom market is one of the largest in Europe; telecom revenue, at about €30 billion annually, has declined in recent years and came under particular pressure during 2020 when a sequence of local and national lock downs, as well as restrictions on international travel, resulted in a sharp drop in revenue from roaming and device sales; this was partly offset by growth in data traffic and the migration of subscribers to faster fixed-line broadband packages, mostly based on fiber; there is a multi-year Engage 2025 plan which is focused on growth in the developing markets, and on the greater use of artificial intelligence and data; the mobile phone market, worth about €13 billion annually; there are many MVNOs in the market, though their share of subscribers fell at the end of 2020 when one of the largest of them was acquired by its host network operator; LTE networks provide near universal coverage, and carry about 95% of mobile data traffic; operators have launched 5G services, and these have been supported by the late-2020 auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz range; France’s fixed broadband market is increasingly focused on fiber, which accounted for 71% of all fixed lines at the beginning of 2021; growth in the fiber sector has been stimulated by households securing faster data packages during the pandemic; the number of DSL lines has fallen sharply as customers migrate to fiber infrastructure (2021)" }, "domestic": { "text": "nearly 58 per 100 persons for fixed-line and over 111 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 33; landing points for Circe South, TAT-14, INGRID, FLAG Atlantic-1, Apollo, HUGO, IFC-1, ACE, SeaMeWe-3 & 4, Dunant, Africa-1, AAE-1, Atlas Offshore, Hawk, IMEWE, Med Cable, PEACE Cable, and TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medex submarine cables providing links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and US; satellite earth stations - more than 3 (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 (2019)" }, "overseas departments": { "text": "country codes: French Guiana - 594; landing points for Ella Link, Kanawa, Americas II to South America, Europe, Caribbean and US; Guadeloupe - 590; landing points for GCN, Southern Caribbean Fiber, and ECFS around the Caribbean and US; Martinique - 596; landing points for Americas II, ECFS, and Southern Caribbean Fiber to South America, US and around the Caribbean; Mayotte - 262; landing points for FLY-LION3 and LION2 to East Africa and East African Islands in Indian Ocean; Reunion - 262; landing points for SAFE, METISS, and LION submarine cables to Asia, South and East Africa, Southeast Asia and nearby Indian Ocean Island countries of Mauritius, and Madagascar (2019)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned France television stations operate 4 networks, one of which is a network of regional stations, and has part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; a large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services provide a large number of channels; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and operates services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; a large number of commercial FM stations, with many of them consolidating into commercial networks" }, "Internet country code": { "text": "metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "57,272,921 (2020 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "85% (2020 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "30.627 million (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "47 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "19 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "553" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "70,188,028 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "4,443,790,000 (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "F" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "464 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "294" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "14" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "25" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "97" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "83" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "75 (2021)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "170" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "1" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "64" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "105 (2021)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "1 (2021)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "15,322 km gas, 2,939 km oil, 5,084 km refined products (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "29,640 km (2014)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "29,473 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (15,561 km electrified)" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "167 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified)" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "1,053,215 km (2011)" }, "urban": { "text": "654,201 km (2011)" }, "non-urban": { "text": "399,014 km (2011)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "548" }, "by type": { "text": "container ship 29, general cargo 50, oil tanker 28, other 441 (2021)" }, "note": "note: includes Monaco" }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "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, up to and including high intensity combat operations; the CJEF has no standing forces, but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations; combined training exercises began in 2011; as of 2020, the CJEF was assessed as having full operating capacity with the ability to rapidly deploy over 10,000 personnel capable of high intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance
the French Foreign Legion, established in 1831, is a military force that is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French Armed Forces for service in France and abroad; the Foreign Legion is an integrated part of the French Army and is comprised of approximately 8,000 personnel in eight regiments, a regiment-sized demi-brigade, a battalion-sized overseas detachment, a battalion-sized recruiting group, and a command staff; the combat units are a mix of armored cavalry and airborne, light, mechanized, and motorized infantry
(2022)" } }, "Terrorism": { "Terrorist group(s)": { "text": "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida", "note": "note: 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 Appendix-T" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "refugees (country of origin)": { "text": "37,744 (Afghanistan), 23,980 (Sri Lanka), 23,510 (Syria), 21,070 (Sudan), 19,007 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 16,995 (Russia), 15,090 (Guinea), 14,296 (Serbia and Kosovo), 13,180 (Turkey), 10,849 (Cambodia), 9,328 (Iraq) 8,519 (China), 8,338 (Cote d'Ivoire), 8,218 (Eritrea), 7,628 (Vietnam), 6,947 (Bangladesh), 6,649 (Somalia), 6,642 (Albania), 6,371 (Laos), 6,074 (Mauritania), 5,908 (Mali) (mid-year 2021); 105,000 (Ukraine) (as of 26 September 2022)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "2,094 (mid-year 2021)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics;
French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe;
Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
" } } }