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Abasun Hotel
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Abotel Jardins D Eiffel
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Appart City Lille
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Arc De Triomphe Etoile
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Arcantis Azur Hotel
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Arcantis Bomotel
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Arcantis Din Hotel
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Arcantis Grand Hotel
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Arcantis Hotel Agena
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Arcantis Hotel Prema
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Arcantis Hotel Saint Martin
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Arcantis Hotel Sibills
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Arcantis Hotel Theatre
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Arcantis Hotel Victoria
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Arcantis Htl Parc Rive Gauche
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Arcantis Urbania
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Arcantis Vip Hotel
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Arley Tour Eiffel
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Armstrong Paris Hotel
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Artemis Hotel
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Artus Hotel
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Ascotel
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Atel Le Magnan
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Atel Louvre Marsollier Opera
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Atel Relais Saint Eloi
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Atel Royal Bergere
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Atel Victoria
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Atel Victoria
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Atlanta Frochot
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Atlantic Hotel
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Atn Hotel
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Atn Hotel
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Atria Novotel Annecy Centre
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Atria Novotel Belfort Centre
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Atria Novotel Paris Charenton
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Au Pacific
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Au Patio Morand Hotel
       ... Lyon,
Au Relais D'alsace
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Au Royal Hotel
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Au Vieux Moulin Hotel And Spa
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Auberge De Cassagne Hotel
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Auberge De La Vignette Haute
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Auberge De L'impossible
       ... Briancon,
Auberge De Noves
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Auberge De Tavel
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Auberge Des Templiers
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Auberge Du Cap Negre
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Auberge Du Cheval Blanc
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Auberge Du Mas De La Feniere
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Auberge Du Pere Bise
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Auberge Et Clos Des Cimes
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       ... Paris,
Aux Armes De Champagne
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Avenir
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Avenir Hotel Montmartre
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Aviatic Hotel
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Avignon Grand Hotel
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Balladins 19hme
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Balladins Confort Emerainvi
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Balladins Confort Tours Sud
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Balladins Confort Torcy
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Balladins Express
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Balladins Express Chalons E
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Balladins Superior
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Balladins Superior Hotel Ch
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Balladins Superior Villepin
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Balladins Superior Aulnay Gar
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Balladins Superior Bobigny
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Balladins Superior Strasbourg
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Balladins Tourotel Lyon Bron
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Bastide And Ferme De Capelongue
       ... Bonnieux,
Bastide De Saint Tropez La
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Bastide Saint Mathieu
       ... Grasse,
Bastille Charonne Hotel
       ... Paris,
Batignolles Villiers
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Beach Residence
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Beau Site
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Beau Site Lourdes Hotel
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Beaumanoir Chateaux Et Hotels De ...
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Beaunier
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Beausejour Hotel
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Bel Azur
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Bel Oranger Republique
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Belle Hotel
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Belloy St-germain Hotel Paris, Fr
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Belta
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Benkirai Hotel
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Berkeley
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Berne Opera
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Bersolys Saint Germain
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Best Hotel
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Best Hotel Montpellier
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Best Hotel Rouen
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Best Western Albert Premier
       ... Paris,
Best Western Hotel L Univers
       ... Arras,
Best Western Hotel La Fayette
       ... Epinal,
Best Western Acadia Opera
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Best Western Adagio
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Best Western Ajaccio Amiraute
       ... Ajaccio,
Best Western Alba Hotel
       ... Nice,

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	France
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Regions of France

France

Introduction

Top of Page

Background:

Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the advent of the euro in January 1999. Presently, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.

France

Geography

Top of Page

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 547,030 sq km

land: 545,630 sq km

water: 1,400 sq km

note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Land boundaries:

total: 2,889 km

border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km

Coastline:

3,427 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (does not apply to the Mediterranean)

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:

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 mistral

Terrain:

mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m

highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources:

coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potash, timber, fish

Land use:

arable land: 33%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 27%

other: 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards:

flooding; avalanches

Environment - current issues:

some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:

largest West European nation

France

People

Top of Page

Population:

59,551,227 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 18.68% (male 5,698,604; female 5,426,838)

15-64 years: 65.19% (male 19,424,018; female 19,399,588)

65 years and over: 16.13% (male 3,900,579; female 5,701,600) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.37% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:

12.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:

9.09 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.9 years

male: 75.01 years

female: 83.01 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.75 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.44% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

130,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

2,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

adjective: French

Ethnic groups:

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

Religions:

Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North African workers) 3%, unaffiliated 4%

Languages:

French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99%

male: 99%

female: 99% (1980 est.)

France

Government

Top of Page

Country name:

conventional long form: French Republic

conventional short form: France

local long form: Republique Francaise

local short form: France

Government type:

republic

Capital:

Paris

Administrative divisions:

22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes

note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the 'territorial collectivity' of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)

Dependent areas:

Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna

note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence:

486 (unified by Clovis)

National holiday:

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:

28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system:

civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May 2002); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president

election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN (PS) 47.36%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2001); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 99, UDC 52, DL 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 245, RPR 140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, MEI 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various left 9, various right 7

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (judges are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of the Judiciary); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (three members appointed by the president, three appointed by the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the president of the Senate); Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

Political parties and leaders:

Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; French Communist Party or PCF [Robert HUE]; Independent Ecological Movement or MEI [Antoine WAECHTER]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Liberal Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR) [Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DEVILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michelle ALLIOT-MARIE]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of UDC, FD, RRRS, PPDF) [Francois BAYROU]; Union of the Center or UDC [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Communist-controlled labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); independent labor union or Force Ouvriere, 1 million members (est.); independent white-collar union or Confederation Generale des Cadres, 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Francais) or CNPF or Patronat; Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members (est.)

International organization participation:

ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Francois V. BUJON DE L'ESTANG

chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000

FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Howard H. LEACH; Charge d'Affaires Douglas L. McELHANEY

embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08

mailing address: PSC 116, APO AE 09777

telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22

FAX: [33] (1) 42 66 97 83

consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the official flag for all French dependent areas

France

Economy

Top of Page

Economy - overview:

France is in the midst of transition, from an economy that featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The government remains dominant in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries, but it has been relaxing its control since the mid-1980s. The Socialist-led government has sold off part of its holdings in France Telecom, Air France, Thales, Thomson Multimedia, and the European Aerospace and Defense Company (EADS). The telecommunications sector is gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and welfare. The government has done little to cut generous unemployment and retirement benefits which impose a heavy tax burden and discourage hiring. It has also shied from measures that would dramatically increase the use of stock options and retirement investment plans; such measures would boost the stock market and fast-growing IT firms as well as ease the burden on the pension system, but would disproportionately benefit the rich. In addition to the tax burden, the reduction of the work week to 35-hours has drawn criticism for lowering the competitiveness of French companies.

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $1.448 trillion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

3.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $24,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.3%

industry: 26.1%

services: 70.6% (1999)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.7% (2000 est.)

Labor force:

25 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:

services 71%, industry 25%, agriculture 4% (1997)

Unemployment rate:

9.7% (2000 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $210 billion

expenditures: $240 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries:

machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

3.5% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:

497.26 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 9.69%

hydro: 14.39%

nuclear: 75.43%

other: 0.49% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:

398.752 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:

68.7 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:

5 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:

wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

Exports:

$325 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:

machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners:

EU 63% (Germany 16%, UK 10%, Spain 9%, Italy 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%), US 8% (1999)

Imports:

$320 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals

Imports - partners:

EU 62% (Germany 16%, Belgium-Luxembourg 11%, Italy 9%, UK 8%), US 7% (2000 est.)

Debt - external:

$106 billion (1998)

Economic aid - donor:

ODA, $6.3 billion (1997)

Currency:

French franc (FRF); euro (EUR)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in France at a fixed rate of 6.55957 French francs per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002

Currency code:

FRF; EUR

Exchange rates:

euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

France

Communications

Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use:

34.86 million (yearend 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

11.078 million (yearend 1998)

Telephone system:

general assessment: highly developed

domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system

international: satellite earth stations - 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

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:

55.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

34.8 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.fr

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

62 (2000)

Internet users:

9 million (2000)

France

Transportation

Top of Page

Railways:

total: 31,939 km (31,939 km are operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked)

standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998)

Highways:

total: 892,900 km

paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways)

unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways:

14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)

Pipelines:

crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km

Ports and harbors:

Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg

Merchant marine:

total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 942,333 GRT/1,304,754 DWT

ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1, container 1, liquefied gas 3, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 3

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1 (2000 est.)

Airports:

475 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 268

over 3,047 m: 14

2,438 to 3,047 m: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 94

914 to 1,523 m: 72

under 914 m: 58 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 207

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 73

under 914 m: 130 (2000 est.)

Heliports:

3 (2000 est.)

France

Military

Top of Page

Military branches:

Army (includes Marines), Navy (includes Naval Air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age:

18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:

males age 15-49: 14,573,199 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:

males age 15-49: 12,127,793 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

males: 390,064 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:

$39.831 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

2.5% (FY97)

France

Transnational Issues

Top of Page

Disputes - international:

Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

WikiPedia Information About France

Information from the WikiPedia.Com Website for France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Export/France
/_TheTownGuide/Index_Layout_Leaders_wiki_Process.xsl

{{about
the country}} {{Infobox Country
native_name = ''R�publique fran�aise''
conventional_long_name = French Republic
common_name = France
language=French
national_motto = ''Libert�, �galit�, fraternit�
Libert�, �galit�, Fraternit�''
�Liberty, Equality, Fraternity�
national_anthem = �''La Marseillaise''�
image_flag = Flag of France.svg
image_coat = Armoiries r�publique fran�aise.svg
symbol_type = National Emblem
image_map = Location France EU Europe.png
map_caption = {{map caption
location_color=dark green
country='''Metropolitan France'''
region=Europe
region_color=dark grey
subregion=the European Union
subregion_color= green
legend=Location France EU Europe.png}}
image_map2 = Outre-mer en sans Terre Adelie.png
map_caption2 =

Territory of the '''French Republic''' in the world
(excl.

Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended)
capital = Paris
latd=48
latm=52
latNS=N
longd=2
longm=19ሳ
longEW=E
largest_city = capital
official_languages = French language
French
non-official_languages = Tamazight, Arabic language
Arabic, French Sign Language, various other languages of France
regional languages
demonym = French
government_type = Unitary state
Unitary Semi-presidential system
semi-presidential republic
leader_title1 = President of France
President
leader_title2 = Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister
leader_name1 = Nicolas Sarkozy (Union for a popular movement
UMP)
leader_name2 = Fran�ois Fillon (Union for a popular movement
UMP)
legislature = Parliament of France
Parliament
upper_house = Senate of France
Senate
lower_house = National Assembly of France
National Assembly
sovereignty_type = History of France
Formation
sovereignty_note =
established_event1 = Treaty of Verdun
established_event2 = French Revolution
established_event3 = French Fifth Republic
Fifth Republic
established_date1 = 843
established_date2 = 1789
established_date3 = 1958
accessionEUdate = 25 March 1957
EUseats = 78
FR_metropole = Metropolitan France
Metropolitan France
FR_IGN_area_km2 = 551695
FR_IGN_area_rank = 47th
FR_IGN_area_magnitude = 1 E11
FR_cadastre_area_magnitude = 1 E11
FR_IGN_area_sq_mi = 213010
FR_cadastre_area_km2 = 543965
FR_cadastre_area_rank = 47th
FR_cadastre_area_sq_mi = 210026
area_km2 = 674843
area_sq_mi = 260558
area_rank = 43rd
area_magnitude = 1 E11
FR_foot =Whole territory of the French Republic, including all the overseas departments and Overseas territory (France)
territories, but excluding the French territory of Terre Ad�lie in Antarctica where sovereignty is suspended since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959.
FR_foot2 =French Institut G�ographique National
National Geographic Institute data.
FR_foot3 =French Land Register data, which exclude lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km� (0딲 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers.
FR_foot4 =
FR_foot5 =Metropolitan France only.
FR_total_population_estimate = 65,073,482{{cite web
url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?ref_id=IP1220®_id=0#inter1
title=Bilan d�mographique 2008
first=Government of France
last=INSEE
accessdate=2009-01-13}} {{fr icon}}
FR_total_population_estimate_year = January 1, 2009 estimate
FR_total_population_estimate_rank = 19th
FR_metropole_population =62,448,977{{cite web
url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/ppp/bases-de-do nnees/donnees-detaillees/bilan-demo/pdf/pyramide-des-ages-2009.xls
title=Pyramide des �ges au 1er janvier 2009 - France m�tropolitaine
first=Government of France
last=INSEE
accessdate=2009-01-13}} {{fr icon}}
FR_metropole_population_estimate_rank = 22nd
population_density_km2 = 115
population_density_sq_mi = 297
population_density_rank = 89th
GDP_nominal = $2떣 trillion
GDP_nominal_rank = 5th
GDP_nominal_year = 2009
GDP_nominal_per_capita = $39,922
GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 16
GDP_PPP_year = 2008
GDP_PPP = $2됆 trillion{{cite web
url=ht tp://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/ 01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1 &ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=132&s=NGDPD%2C NGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=36&pr.y=0
title=France
publisher=International Monetary Fund
accessdate=2009-04-22}}
GDP_PPP_rank =
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $33,334
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 18
Gini = 26Ǔ
Gini_year = 2002
HDI_year = 2008
HDI = {{increase}} 0띬
HDI_rank = 11th
HDI_category = high
currency = Euro,Whole of the French Republic except the overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean. CFP FrancFrench overseas territories in the Pacific Ocean only.

currency_code = EUR,{{spaces
4}}XPF
time_zone = CET
utc_offset = +1
time_zone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2
drives_on = right
cctld = .frIn addition to .fr, several other Internet TLDs are used in French overseas ''d�partements'' and territories: .re, .mq, .gp, .tf, .nc, .pf, .wf, .pm, .gf and .yt.

France also uses .eu, shared with other members of the European Union.

The .cat domain is used in Catalan Countries
Catalan-speaking territories.
calling_code = +33{{smallsup
1}}
ISO_3166-1_alpha2 =
ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = FRA
ISO_3166-1_numeric =
sport_code = FRA
vehicle_code = F
footnote1 = The overseas regions and collectivities form part of the French telephone numbering plan, but have their own country calling codes: Guadeloupe +590; Martinique +596; French Guiana +594, R�union and Mayotte +262; Saint Pierre et Miquelon +508.

The overseas territories are not part of the French telephone numbering plan; their country calling codes are: New Caledonia +687, French Polynesia +689; Wallis and Futuna +681 }} {
class=infobox width=200px
colspan=2
Outline of France (links hundreds
of topic articles about France)
} '''France''' ({{pron-en
'fr�ns
en-us-France.ogg}} or {{IPA
/'fr??ns/}}; {{IPA-fr
f??~s
lang}}), officially the '''French Republic''' ({{lang-fr
R�publique fran�aise}}, {{IPA-fr
?epyblik f??~s?z
pron}}), is a country located in Western Europe, with several Overseas departments and territories of France
overseas islands and territories located on other continents.For more information, see :Category:Overseas departments, collectivities and territories of France. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean.

It is often referred to as ''L�Hexagone'' ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory.

France is a unitary state
unitary semi-presidential system
semi-presidential republic with its main ideals expressed in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Metropolitan France is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain.

France's overseas departments and collectivities also share land borders with Brazil and Suriname (bordering French Guiana), and the Netherlands Antilles (bordering Saint-Martin).

France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel, which passes underneath the English Channel. France is the largest country in the European Union and the second largest in Europe.

France has been a great power
major power for History of France#Early Modern France
many centuries with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized much of North America; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the French colonial empire
third largest empire of the time, including large portions of North Africa
North, West Africa
West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific islands.

France is a developed country and possesses the fifth largest[https://w ww.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2195.html Field listing - GDP (official exchange rate)], CIA World Factbook economy by List of countries by GDP (nominal)
nominal GDP and eighth largest{{cite web
url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html
title=CIA - The World Factbook - Country Comparisons - GDP (purchasing power parity)
publisher=Cia.gov
date=
accessdate=2009-04-26}} economy by List of countries by GDP (PPP)
purchasing power parity.

It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually.{{cite web
publisher=Direction du Tourisme (French government's tourism agency)
url=http://www.tourisme.gouv& #46fr/fr/z2/stat/tis/att00018288/TIS_EVE2007_2008-5.pdf
title=Le tourisme international en France en 2007
accessdate=2008-06-05
format=PDF}} {{fr icon}} France is one of the founding members of the European Union, and has the largest land area of all members.

It is also a founding member of the United Nations, and a member of the Francophonie, the G8, NATO, OECD, World Trade Organisation
WTO and the Latin Union.

It is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and possesses the largest List of countries with nuclear weapons
number of nuclear weapons with active warheads and Nuclear power in France
nuclear power plants in the European Union.

Origin of the name ''France''

{{main
Name of France}} {{see also
List of country name etymologies}} The name "France" comes from Latin ''Francia'', which literally means "land of the Franks" or "Frankland".

There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks.

One is that it is derived from the Proto-Germanic language
Proto-Germanic word ''frankon'' which translates as ''javelin'' or ''lance'' as the throwing axe of the Franks was known as a francisca.{{Fact
date=February 2008}} Another proposed etymology is that in an ancient Germanic language, Frank means ''free'' as opposed to slave.

This word still exists in French as ''franc'', it is also used as the translation of "Frank" and to name the local money, until the use of the euro in the 2000s. However, rather than the ethnic name of the Franks coming from the word ''frank'', it is also possible that the word is derived from the ethnic name of the Franks,{{Fact
date=February 2008}} the connection being that only the Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen.

In German language
German, France is still called ''Frankreich'', which literally means "Frankish Realm
Realm of the Franks".

In order to distinguish from the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, Modern France is called ''Frankreich'', while the Frankish Realm is called ''Frankenreich''. The word "Frank" had been loosely used from the fall of Rome to the Middle Ages, yet from Hugh Capet's coronation as "King of the Franks" ("Rex Francorum") it became usual to strictly refer to the Kingdom of France
Kingdom of Francia, which would become France.

The House of Capet
Capetian Kings were descended from the Robertians
Robertines, who had produced two Frankish kings, and previously held the title of "Duke of the Franks" ("dux Francorum").

�le-de-France (region)
This Frankish duchy encompassed most of modern Neustria
northern France but because the royal power was sapped by regional princes the term was then applied to the royal demesne as shorthand.

It was finally the name adopted for the entire Kingdom as central power was affirmed over the entire kingdom.Elizabeth M.

Hallam & Judith Everard - Capetian France 937-1328, chapter 1 "The origins of Western Francia" page 7: "What did the name Francia mean in the tenth and eleventh centuries? It still retained a wide general use; both Byzantine and western writers at the time of the crusades described the western forces as Franks.

But it was also taking on more specific meanings.

From 911 onwards the west Frankish king was known as the ''Rex Francorum'' -king of the Franks- and the name Francia could be used to describe his kingdom, as it was also used by the east Frankish, or German, kingdom...

The Robertines, forerunners of the Capetians, were ''duces francorum'', dukes of the Franks, and their 'duchy' covered in theory most of northern France.

Then as royal power contracted further, leaving the early Capetian only a small bloc of lands around Paris and Orleans, the term Francia was used for this region."

History

Rome to revolution

The borders of modern France are approximately the same as those of ancient Gaul, which was inhabited by Celtic ''Gauls''.

Gaul was conquered for Roman Empire
Rome by Julius Caesar in the 1st century BC,Plutarch claimed that one million people (probably 1 in 4 of the Gauls) died, another million were enslaved, 300 tribes were subjugated and 800 cities were destroyed during the Gallic Wars. and the Gauls eventually adopted Romance languages
Roman speech (Latin, from which the French language evolved) and Roman culture.

History of Christianity
Christianity first appeared in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, and became so firmly established by the fourth and fifth centuries that St.

Jerome wrote that Gaul was the only region �free from heresy�. Image:Map France 1477-fr.svg
thumb
left
France in 1477.

Red line: Boundary of the Kingdom of France; Light blue: the directly held royal domain In the 4th century AD, Gaul�s eastern frontier along the Rhine was overrun by Germanic peoples
Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient name of �Francie� was derived.

The modern name �France� derives from the name of the feudal domain of the House of Capet
Capetian Kings of France around Paris.

The Franks were the first tribe among the Germanic conquerors of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert to Catholic Christianity rather than Arianism (their King Clovis did so in 498); thus France obtained the title �Eldest daughter of the Church� (''La fille ain�e de l��glise''), and the French would adopt this as justification for calling themselves �the Most Christian Kingdom of France�. Existence as a separate entity began with the Treaty of Verdun (843), with the division of Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire into East Francia, Middle Francia and Western Francia.

Western Francia approximated the area occupied by modern France and was the precursor to modern France. The Carolingian dynasty ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet of France
Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was crowned King of France.

His descendants, the House of Capet
Direct Capetians, the House of Valois and the House of Bourbon, progressively unified the country through a series of wars and dynastic inheritance.

The Albigensian Crusade was launched in 1209 to eliminate the heretical Cathars of Occitania (the south of modern-day France).

In the end, both the Cathars and the independence of southern France were exterminated.[http://www.time& #46com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,897752-2,00.html Massacre of the Pure].

Time.

April 28, 1961. In 1337, on the eve of the first wave of the Black Death, England and France went to war in what would become known as the Hundred Years' War.Don O'Reilly.

"[http://www.historynet.com/magazines/military_history/3031536.html Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc and the Siege of Orl�ans]".

''TheHistoryNet.com''. The monarchy reached its height during the 17th century and the reign of Louis XIV of France.

At this time France possessed the largest population in Europe (see Demographics of France) and had tremendous influence over European politics, economy, and culture.

French language
French became, and remained for some time, the common language of diplomacy in international affairs.

Much of the Age of Enlightenment
Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles, and major scientific breakthroughs were achieved by French scientists in the 18th century.

In addition, France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas, Africa and Asia.

Monarchy to Republic

Image:Prise de la Bastille.jpg
thumb
Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 The monarchy ruled France until the French Revolution, in 1789.

Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were executed (in 1793), along with thousands of other French citizens during the Reign of Terror.[http://www.nytimes.com/1 989/07/09/travel/vive-la-contre-revolution.html?sec=travel Vive la Contre-Revolution!].

The New York Times.

July 9, 1989. After a series of short-lived governmental schemes, Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the Republic in 1799, making himself First Consul, and later Emperor of what is now known as the First French Empire
First Empire (1804�1814).

In the course of Napoleonic Wars
several wars, his armies conquered most of continental Europe, with members of the Bonaparte family being appointed as monarchs of newly established kingdoms.

About a million Frenchmen died during the wars Napoleon inflicted on Europe.[http://www .questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001329960 Napoleon and German identity].

Magazine article by Tim Blanning; History Today, Vol.

48, April 1998. Following Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, the French monarchy was re-established, but with new constitutional limitations.

In 1830, a July Revolution
civil uprising established the constitutional monarchy
constitutional July Monarchy, which lasted until 1848.

The short-lived French Second Republic
Second Republic ended in 1852 when Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napol�on Bonaparte proclaimed the Second French Empire
Second Empire.

Louis-Napol�on was unseated following defeat in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and his regime was replaced by the French Third Republic
Third Republic. France had French colonial empire
colonial possessions, in various forms, since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, its global Empire
global overseas colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British Empire.

At its peak, between 1919 and 1939, the second French colonial empire extended over 12,347,000 square kilometres (4,767,000 sq mi) of land.

Including metropolitan France, the total area of land under French sovereignty reached 12,898,000 square kilometres (4,980,000 sq mi) in the 1920s and 1930s, which is 8ǒ% of the world's land area. Image:Eur.fr됔.gif
thumb
France issued the single European currency, the euro, in 2002, together with 15 other EU member states it forms the Eurozone.

Here shown a French euro coins
French side of euro coin. France was a victorious nation in World War I and World War II.

The human and material losses in the first war, which left 1ǐ million French soldiers dead,[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7199127.stm France's oldest WWI veteran dies].

BBC News.

January 20, 2008. exceeded largely those of the second, even though only a minor part of its territory was occupied during World War I.

The interbellum phase was marked by a variety of social reforms introduced by the Popular Front government.

Following the Germany
German ''blitzkrieg'' campaign in World War II metropolitan France was divided in a German occupation of France during World War II
occupation zone in the north and Vichy France, a puppet regime loyal to Germany, in the south. The French Fourth Republic
Fourth Republic was established after World War II and, despite spectacular economic growth (''les Trente Glorieuses''), it struggled to maintain its political status as a dominant Nation-state
nation state.

France attempted to hold on to its colonial empires
colonial empire, but soon ran into trouble.

The half-hearted 1946 attempt at regaining control of French Indochina resulted in the First Indochina War, which ended in French defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

Only months later, France faced a new, even harsher Algerian War
conflict in Algeria. The debate over whether or not to keep control of Algeria, then home to over one million Pied-noir
European settlers, wracked the country and nearly led to civil war.

In 1958, the weak and unstable Fourth Republic gave way to the Fifth French Republic
Fifth Republic, which contained a strengthened Presidency.

In the latter role, Charles de Gaulle managed to keep the country together while taking steps to end the war.

The Algerian War and Franco-French civil war that resulted in the capital Algiers, was concluded with peace negotiations in 1962 that led to Algerian independence. In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the political and economic integration of the evolving European Union, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999.

France has been at the forefront of the European Union member states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to create a more unified and capable European Union political, defence, and security apparatus.

The French electorate voted against ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe
European Constitutional Treaty in May 2005, but the successor Treaty of Lisbon was Treaty of Lisbon#Ratification
ratified by Parliament in February 2008.

Geography

Image:Satellite image of France in August 2009.jpg
thumb
right
Satellite image of France {{main
Geography of France}} While Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe, France also has a number of territories in North America, the Caribbean, South America, the southern Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and Antarctica.Sovereignty claims in Antarctica are governed by the Antarctic Treaty System These territories have varying forms of government ranging from overseas department to overseas collectivity. Metropolitan France covers 547,030 square kilometres (211,209 Square mile
sq mi),{{cite web
author=CIA
year=2007
title = The World Factbook
url=https://www.cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html
accessdate=2007-12-06 }} having the largest area among European Union members and slightly larger than Spain.

France possesses a wide variety of landscapes, from coastal plains in the north and west to mountain ranges of the Alps in the south-east, the Massif Central in the south-central and Pyrenees in the south-west.

At 4,807 metres (15,770 ft) above sea-level, the highest point in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, is situated in the Alps on the border between France and Italy.{{cite web
author=CIA
publisher=
year=2006
url=https://www&# 46cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2020.html
title=The World Factbook: Field Listing - Elevation extremes
accessdate=2006-12-14}} Metropolitan France also has extensive river systems such as the Loire River
Loire, the Garonne, the Seine and the Rh�ne River
Rh�ne, which divides the Massif Central from the Alps and flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the Camargue, the lowest point in France (2 m / 6Ǒ ft below sea level). Corsica lies off the Mediterranean coast. Image:EEZ France.png
thumb
left
250px
The Exclusive Economic Zone of France extends over 11 million km� (4 million sq miles) of ocean across the world.{{fr icon}} {{cite web
author=Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
url=http://www.diplomati e.gouv.fr/fr/france_829/decouvrir-france_4177/france-bref_2271/index.html
title=La France en bref
accessdate=2008-03-20}} France's total land area, with its overseas departments and territories (excluding Ad�lie Land), is 674,843 square kilometres (260,558 sq mi), 0ሥ% of the total land area on Earth.

However, France possesses the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, covering 11,035,000 square kilometres (4,260,000 square mile
sq mi), approximately 8% of the total surface of all the EEZs of the world, just behind the United States (11,351,000 km� / 4,383,000 sq mi) and ahead of Australia (8,232,000 km� / 3,178,000 sq mi).According to a different calculation cited by the [http://pewresearch.org/ Pew Research Center], the EEZ of France would be 10,084,201 square kilometres (3,893,532 sq mi), still behind the United States (12,174,629 km� / 4,700,651 sq mi), and still ahead of Australia (8,980,568 km� / 3,467,416 sq mi) and Russia (7,566,673 km� / 2,921,508 sq mi). Metropolitan France is situated between 41st parallel north
41� and 51st parallel north
51� North, on the western edge of Europe, and thus lies within the northern temperate zone.

The north and northwest have a temperate climate, while a combination of maritime influences, latitude and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France.{{cite web
author=Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
publisher=
year=2005
url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/e n/france_159/discovering-france_2005/france-from- to-z_1978/country_2004/geography_4405/geography_1507.html
title=Discovering France: Geography
accessdate=2006-12-29}} In the south-east a Mediterranean climate prevails.

In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic climate
oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters and cool to warm summers.

Inland the climate becomes more Continental climate
continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain.

The climate of the Alps and other mountainous regions is mainly Alpine climate
alpine, with the number of days with temperatures below freezing over 150 per year and snow cover lasting for up to six months.

Government

{{main
Government of France
Constitution of France
Politics of France}} Image:Logo de la R�publique fran�aise.svg
thumb
Logo of the French Republic The French Republic is a unitary state
unitary semi-presidential system
semi-presidential republic with strong democratic traditions.

The Constitution of France
constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by referendum on 28 September 1958.

It greatly strengthened the authority of the executive in relation to Government of France#The legislative branch
parliament.

The executive branch itself has two leaders: the President of the French Republic
President of the Republic, currently Nicolas Sarkozy, who is head of state and is elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a 5-year term (formerly 7 years), and the Government, led by the president-appointed Prime Minister of France
Prime Minister, currently Fran�ois Fillon. The French Parliament of France
parliament is a bicameral legislature comprising a French National Assembly
National Assembly (''Assembl�e Nationale'') and a French Senate
Senate.

The National Assembly deputies represent local constituencies and are directly elected for 5-year terms.

The Assembly has the power to dismiss the cabinet, and thus the majority in the Assembly determines the choice of government.

Senators are chosen by an electoral college for 6-year terms (originally 9-year terms), and one half of the seats are submitted to election every 3 years starting in September 2008.{{cite web
publisher=French Senate
year=2006
url=http://www.senat.fr/role/index.html
title=R�le et fonctionnement du S�nat
accessdate=2006-04-20}} The French Senate
Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the National Assembly has the final say, except for constitutional laws and ''lois organiques'' (laws that are directly provided for by the constitution) in some cases.

The government has a strong influence in shaping the agenda of Parliament. French politics are characterised by two politically opposed groupings: one Left-wing politics
left-wing, centred around the Socialist Party (France)
French Socialist Party, and the other Right-wing politics
right-wing, centred previously around the Rally for the Republic
Rassemblement pour la R�publique (RPR) and now its successor the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).

The executive branch is currently composed mostly of the UMP.

Conventions and notations

* France is the home of the International System of Units (the metric system).

Some pre-metric units are still used, essentially the ''Pound (mass)#French livre or pound
livre'' (a unit of weight equal to half a kilogram) and the ''quintal'' (a unit of weight equal to 100 kilograms). * In mathematics, France uses the infix notation like most countries.

For large numbers the Long and short scales
long scale is used.

Thus, the French use the word ''Billion (word)
billion'' for the number 1,000,000,000,000, which in countries using Long and short scales
short scale is called a trillion.

However, there exists a French word, ''milliard'', for the number 1,000,000,000, which in countries using the short scale is called a billion.

Thus, despite the use of the long scale, one billion is called ''un milliard'' (�one milliard�) in French, and not ''mille millions'' (�one thousand million�).

It should also be noted that names of numbers above the ''milliard'' are rarely used.

Thus, one trillion will most often be called ''mille milliards'' (�one thousand milliard�) in French, and rarely ''un billion''. * In the French numeral notation, the comma (,) is the Decimal separator, whereas the dot (.) is used between each group of three digits especially for big numbers.

A space can also be used to separate each group of three digits especially for small numbers.

Thus three thousand five hundred and ten may be written as 3 510 whereas fifteen million five hundred thousand and thirty-two may be written as 15떤돐.

In finance, the currency symbol is used as a decimal separator or put after the number.

For example, �25,048ᇽ is written either 25 048�05 or 25 048,05 � (always with an extra space between the figure and the currency symbol). * In computing, a bit is called a bit yet a byte is called an octet (computing)
octet (from the Latin root ''octo'', meaning �8�).

SI prefixes are used. * 24-hour clock time is used, with h being the separator between hours and minutes (for example 2:30 p.m.

is 14h30). * The all-numeric form for dates is in the order day-month-year, using a slash as the separator (example: 31/12/1992 or 31/12/92).

Law

{{main
Law of France}} Image:Declaration of Human Rights.jpg
thumb
upright
The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen France uses a civil law (legal system)
civil legal system; that is, law arises primarily from written statutes; judges are not to make law, but merely to interpret it (though the amount of judge interpretation in certain areas makes it equivalent to case law).

Basic principles of the rule of law were laid in the Napoleonic Code.

In agreement with the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen law should only prohibit actions detrimental to society.

As Guy Canivet, first president of the Court of Cassation (France)
Court of Cassation, wrote about the management of prisons: :''Freedom is the rule, and its restriction is the exception; any restriction of Freedom must be provided for by Law and must follow the principles of necessity and proportionality.'' That is, Law should lay out prohibitions only if they are needed, and if the inconveniences caused by this restriction do not exceed the inconveniences that the prohibition is supposed to remedy. French law is divided into two principal areas: private law and public law.

Private law includes, in particular, Civil law (legal system)
civil law and criminal law.

Public law includes, in particular, administrative law and constitutional law.

However, in practical terms, French law comprises three principal areas of law: civil law, criminal law and administrative law. France does not recognise religious law, nor does it recognise religious beliefs or morality as a motivation for the enactment of prohibitions.

As a consequence, France has long had neither blasphemy laws nor sodomy laws (the latter being abolished in 1791).

However �offences against public decency� (''contraires aux bonnes m�urs'') or breach of the peace
disturbing public order (''trouble � l'ordre public'') have been used to repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution. Laws can only address the future and not the past (ex post facto laws are prohibited) ; and to be applicable, laws must be officially published in the ''Journal Officiel de la R�publique Fran�aise''.

Foreign relations

{{main
Foreign relations of France}} {{see also
European Union
Latin Union
Francophonie
United Nations Security Council}} Image:Signing of the Maastricht Treaty.jpg
thumb
upright
France is a founding member of the European community
EC in 1957, and the European Union in 1993 (Signing of the Maastricht Treaty). France is a member of the United Nations and serves as one of the permanent members of the U.N.

Security Council with veto rights.

It is also a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).

It is an associate member of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and a leading member of the La Francophonie
International Francophone Organisation (OIF) of fifty-one fully or partly French language
French-speaking countries.

It hosts the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OECD, UNESCO, Interpol, Alliance Base and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures
International Bureau for Weights and Measures.

In 1953 France received a request from the United Nations to pick a coat of arms that would represent it internationally.

Thus the French emblem was adopted and is currently used on passports. French foreign policy has been largely shaped by membership of the European Union, of which it was a founding member.

In the 1960s, France sought to exclude the British from the organisation, seeking to build its own standing in continental Europe.

Since the 1990s, France has developed close ties with reunified Germany to become the most influential driving force of the EU, but consequently rivaling the UK and limiting the influence of newly inducted East European nations.

France is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but under President de Gaulle, it excluded itself from the joint military command to avoid the supposed domination of its foreign and security policies by US political and military influence.

In the early 1990s, the country drew considerable criticism from other nations for its underground nuclear tests in French Polynesia.

France vigorously opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, straining bilateral relations with the US and the UK.

France retains strong political and economic influence in its former African colonies and has supplied economic aid and troops for peace-keeping missions in the Ivory Coast and Chad.

Military

{{main
Military of France}} {{see also
Military history of France}} Image:Gaule96.jpg
thumb
Charles de Gaulle (R 91)
Nuclear aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' The French armed forces are divided into four branches: * French Army
Arm�e de Terre (Army) * French Navy
Marine Nationale (Navy) * French Air Force
Arm�e de l'Air (Air Force) * French Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie Nationale (A military force which acts as a National Rural Police and as a Military police for the entire French military) Since the Algerian War, conscription was steadily reduced and was finally suspended in 2001 by President Jacques Chirac.

The total number of military personnel is approximately 359,000.

France spends 2ǒ% of its GDP on defence, slightly more than the United Kingdom (2ǐ%) and the highest in the European Union where defence spending generally accounts to less than 1Ǒ% of GDP.

France and the U.K.

account for 40% of EU defence spending.

About 10% of France's defence budget goes towards its ''force de frappe'', or France and weapons of mass destruction
nuclear weapons force.

France has major military industries that have produced the Rafale fighter, the Charles de Gaulle (R 91)
Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the Exocet missile and the Leclerc tank amongst others.

Some weaponry, like the E-2 Hawkeye or the E-3 Sentry was bought from the United States.

Despite withdrawing from the Eurofighter project, France is actively investing in European joint projects such as the Eurocopter Tiger, FREMM multipurpose frigate
multipurpose frigates, the UCAV demonstrator nEUROn and the Airbus A400M.

France is a major arms seller as most of its arsenal's designs are available for the export market with the notable exception of nuclear-powered devices.

Some of the French designed equipments are specifically designed for exports like the Franco-Spanish Scorp�ne class submarines.

Some French equipments have been largely modified to fit allied countries' requirements like the Formidable class frigates (based on the La Fayette class) or the Agosta 90B class submarine
Hashmat class submarines (based on the Agosta class submarines). * Although it includes very competent anti-terrorist units such as the GIGN or the Escadron Parachutiste d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale
EPIGN, the gendarmerie is a military police force which serves for the most part as a rural and general purpose police force.

Since its creation the GIGN has taken part in roughly one thousand operations and freed over five-hundred hostages; the Air France Flight 8969's hijacking brought them to the world's attention. * French intelligence constitutes of two major units: the Direction g�n�rale de la s�curit� ext�rieure
DGSE (the external agency) and the Direction centrale du renseignement int�rieur
DCRI (domestic agency).

The latter being part of the police while the former is associated to the army.

The DGSE is notorious for the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, but it is also known for revealing the most extensive technological spy network uncovered in Europe and the United States to date through the mole Vladimir Vetrov. * The French �''Force de frappe''� relies on a complete independence.

The current French nuclear force consists of four submarines equipped with M45 SLBM
M45 ballistic missiles.

The current Le Triomphant class submarine
''Triomphant'' class is currently under deployment to replace the former Le Redoutable class submarine
''Redoutable'' class.

The M51 SLBM
M51 will replace the M45 in the future and expand the ''Triomphant''s firing range.

Aside of the submarines the French dissuasion force uses the Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D
Mirage 2000N; it is a variant of the Mirage 2000 and thus is designed to deliver nuclear strikes.

Other nuclear devices like the Plateau d'Albion's Intermediate-range ballistic missile and the short range Had�s (missile)
Had�s missiles have been disarmed.

With 350 nuclear heads stockpiled France is the world's third largest nuclear power.[http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/summary.htm Comparison of recognised and alleged nuclear powers]. * The Marine Nationale is regarded as one of the world's most powerful navies.

The professional compendium ''flottes de combats'', in its 2006 edition, ranked it world's 6th biggest navy after the American, Russian, Chinese, British and Japanese navies.{{cite web
url=http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=958
title=La marine chinoise acc�de au rang de 3�me puissance mondiale}} It is equipped with the only non-American nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier in the world.

Recently Mistral class landing platform dock
Mistral class ships joined the Marine Nationale, the Mistral itself having taken part to operations in Lebanon.

For the 2004 centennial of the Entente Cordiale President Chirac announced the Future French aircraft carrier would be jointly designed with Great Britain.

The French navy is equipped with the La Fayette class frigates, early examples of stealth ships, and several ships are expected to be retired in the next few years and replaced by more modern ships, examples of future surface ships are the Horizon class frigate
Forbin and the FREMM multipurpose frigate
Aquitaine class frigates.

The attack submarines are also part of the Force Oc�anique Strat�gique although they do not carry the nuclear dissuasion, the current class is the Rubis class submarine
Rubis Class and will be replaced in the future by the expected French Barracuda class submarine
Suffren Class. Image:French Army soldier.jpg
thumb
A French army soldier * The ''French Army
Arm�e de Terre'' employs 133,500 people.

It is famous for the ''French Foreign Legion
L�gion Etrang�re'' (French Foreign Legion) though the French special forces are not the Legion but the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment
Dragons Parachutistes and the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
Marines Parachutistes.

The French assault rifle is the FAMAS (rifle)
FAMAS and future infantry combat system is the F�lin.

France uses both tracked and wheeled vehicles to a significant points, examples of wheeled vehicles would be the Camion �quip� d'un syst�me d'artillerie
Caesar or the AMX 10 RC.

Although its main battle tank is the Leclerc many older AMX 30 tanks are still operational.

It uses the AMX 30 AuF1 for artillery and is equipped with Eurocopter Tigers helicopters. * The French Air Force
Arm�e de l'Air is the oldest and first professional air force worldwide.

It still today retains a significant capacity.

It uses mainly two aircraft fighters: the older Dassault Mirage F1
Mirage F1 and the more recent Dassault Mirage 2000
Mirage 2000.

The later model exists in a ground attack version called the Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D
Mirage2000D.

The modern Dassault Rafale
Rafale is in deployment in both the French air force and navy.

Transport

{{main
Transport in France}} Image:TGV at Avignon.jpg
thumb
left
A SNCF TGV Sud-Est
TGV Sud-Est. The railway network of France, which stretches 31,840 kilometres (19,784 mi) is the most extensive in Western Europe.

It is operated by the SNCF, and high-speed trains include the Thalys, the Eurostar and TGV, which travels at 320 km/h (200 mph) in commercial use.

The Eurostar, along with the Eurotunnel Shuttle, connects with the United Kingdom through the Channel Tunnel.

Rail connections exist to all other neighbouring countries in Europe, except Andorra.

Intra-urban connections are also well developed with both Rapid transit
underground services and tramway services complementing bus services. There are approximately 893,300 kilometres (555,070 mi) of serviceable roadway in France.

The Paris region is enveloped with the most dense network of roads and highways that connect it with virtually all parts of the country.

French roads also handle substantial international traffic, connecting with cities in neighboring Belgium, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, Germany and Italy.

There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however, motorway usage is through tolls except in the vicinity of large communes.

The ne

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