France Facts

Facts about France

Capital

Paris

Total Area

total: 547,030 sq km
land: 545,630 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Population

60,656,178 (July 2005 est.)

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.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

Life Expectancy

total population: 79.6 years
male: 75.96 years
female: 83.42 years (2005 est.)

Government Type

republic

Currency

euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries 

GDP (per capita)

purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2004 est.)

Labour Force
27.7 million (2004 est.)

Exports
$419 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports
$419.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Natural Resources

coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Telephones (main lines in use)
33,905,400 (2003)

Telephones (mobile cellular)
41,683,100 (2003) 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)