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GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Official name: République Française National Anthem: La Marseillaise Motto: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité Flag: blue, white and red Currency: the Euro Capital: Paris
In order to conserve and develop France's
natural heritage, the government has established: €47.7 billion is allocated to the protection of the environment - €755.00 per inhabitant. Three quarters of this goes on waste water management and waste disposal. France is party to many international treaties and conventions concerning the environment, among them United Nations agreements on climate, biodiversity and desertification. More information at www.environnement.gouv.fr
Population of urban areas in 2005: More information at www.outre-mer.gouv.fr The Constitution of October 4, 1958 provides the institutional basis for the Fifth Republic. It has been amended several times : to institute election of the President of the Republic by direct universal suffrage (1962), incorporate a new title defining the criminal liability of members of the Government (1993), establish a single parliamentary session, enlarge the area of application of the referendum (1995), transitional provisions relating to New Caledonia (1998), establishment of European Economic and Monetary Union, equal access of men and women to elective office and positions, recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (1999), and reduction of the Presidential term of office (2000).
More
information at www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr The Head of State is elected for a five-year term by direct universal suffrage. The five-year term was established following the referendum of September 24, 2000. Nicolas Sarkozy became the sixth President of the Fifth Republic on May 16, 2007. The President of the Republic appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter's recommendation, appoints the other members of the Government (article 8 of the Constitution). He presides over the Council of Ministers, promulgates Acts of Parliament and is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He may dissolve the National Assembly and, in an emergency, exercise special powers (article 16). More information at www.elysee.fr Under the direction of the Prime Minister, the government establishes and carries out national policy for which it is accountable before Parliament (article 20). The Prime Minister directs the operation of the government and ensures the implementation of legislation (article 21). The current Prime Minister François Fillon was appointed on May 17, 2007. More information at www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr Parliament is formed of two assemblies: - The Senate, elected for a nine-year term by indirect universal suffrage, with one third renewed every three years. The last election took place in September 2004. -The National Assembly, whose members (deputies) are elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The most recent general election was held in June 2007. In addition to providing a check on the Government, the two assemblies draw up and pass legislation. In case of disagreement on a law, the National Assembly makes the final decision. The Senate has 331 senators divided into the following groups since the September 2004 election : - • Union pour un Mouvement Populaire : 154 - Socialist : 95 - Union centriste : 32 - • Communiste Républicain et Citoyen : 22 - • Rassemblement Démocratique et Social Européen : 17 - Not registered in a group: 7 More information at www.senat.fr  The National Assembly comprises 577 deputies divided into the following groups as of the general election of June 2007: - Union pour un Mouvement Populaire 314 (plus 6 affiliated) - Socialiste Group 186 (plus 18 affiliated) - • New Centralist Movement : 20 - • Groupe de la gauche démocrate et républicaine : 24 - Not registered in a group: 7 More information at www.assemblee-nationale.fr There are two types of courts : Criminal courts, which distinguish three
types of offence: There is a specific court for minors, the Youth Court,
for both civil and criminal cases. More information at www.justice.gouv.fr
and www.conseil-etat.fr The French flag
 In 1789, the Marquis de La Fayette added the color white, symbolizing royalty, to the red and blue cockade of the Paris National Guard. The tricolor flag is the official standard of the French Republic. National Defense
In 2007, the defense budget stood at €36.25 billion or 2.02% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 10.82% of the national budget. France is a peaceful nation. It has no territorial ambitions and no declared enemies. Its entire defense policy, in accordance with the 1994 White Paper on Defense, revolves around peacekeeping, respecting international law, and protecting our people and interests. In this spirit, France is committed to defending its vital interests, shouldering its international responsibilities and responding to threats or risks of any type.
France's security and defense policy has four major strategic components:
Reflecting the determination of the President of the Republic and the Government to equip France with defense resources to meet its requirements, the Defense Program Law for the period 2003-2008 defines quantified targets for resources and personnel as part of an effort to adjust our defense system to present-day goals and issues.
This is shown by:
Other services (Armament Directorate, Health services, Fuel services - 14,000), 4%. Nearly 36,000 French troops are deployed overseas, including 13,000 participating in crisis management operations.
In 2007, the French armed forces include:
More information can be found at www.defense.gouv.fr. For more information, please consult the following useful Web sites:
As of January 1, 2007, the total population of metropolitan France (mainland + Corsica) and French overseas départements was estimated at 63.4 million. In 2006, France was the second most populous member of the European Union (EU), after Germany and just ahead of the United Kingdom and Italy. France thus accounts for 12.8% of the European Union's population. Life expectancy remains on a steady uptrend, at 77.2 years for men and 84.1 years for women in 2006. The French population continues to age, and the proportion of the youngest age groups is diminishing despite a significant number of births in the past several years.
. - Fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2007). - Birth rate: 13.1 births/1,000 population (2006) - • Deaths : 531,000 - Mortality rate: 8.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006) - • Marriages: 268.1 thousand (2006) - Marriage Rate: 4.4 marriages/1,000 population (2006). - • Divorces : 152,020 (2005) Structure of households (2005) Breakdown by age (2007) More information at www.insee.fr Religions
The French Republic is a secular state where all religious faiths
and denominations are represented.- Roman Catholic: 83 %-88 % - Muslim: 5%-10% - Protestant: 2 % - Jewish: 1 % - Unaffiliated: 4 % Education
In 2007, education spending amounted to €77 billion, 28% of the national budget. This represents 6,9% per inhabitant. There are 67, 581 preschool and primary schools, collèges (middle schools) and lycées (high schools). 3,600 higher education establishments exist in France.
 - Preschool, primary and secondary schools: - 12, 342, 900 pupils - 884, 000 teachers
Pupil/teacher ratio (2007): 13.9 to 1. Enrollment rates (2004):
More information at www.education.gouv.fr Labor force
France has a total workforce of some 27.6 million. Within this category, 25.1million are wage and salary earners, 2.2 million are non-salaried wage earners, and 2.72 million, 9.8% of the total labor force, are job seekers. 74.5% of men and 63.8% of women comprise the French labor force (2005).
More information at www.insee.fr Breakdown by type of employment (2003) Standard of living
Net average annual earnings: €20,440 (2004).Gross average household savings: €1,900 or 16% of disposable income. Consumption (% of household spending) Household income (2005)
On June 29 2007, the guaranteed monthly minimum wage (SMIC - salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance) was €1 280,07 gross per month for a working week of 35 hours at an hourly rate of €8.44. - Professionals: €70,126- Executives, management staff: €39,360 - Technical and supervisory personnel: €21,190 - Farmers, farm workers: €21,114 - Other intermediate professions: €20,000 - Skilled workers: €14,906 - Clerical, white collar workers: €14,850 - Unskilled workers: €13,960 Vacation
Statutory paid vacation entitlement: five weeks per year.
69% of people spend vacation time away from home.
On January 1, 2006, the average work week was 38.9 hours. Trade unions
Approximately two million people in France - 5% of the working
population - are union members, the lowest percentage in the European Union.The main centralized trade unions are: - the CGT (Confédération générale du travail), - the CFDT (Confédération démocratique du travail), - FO (Force ouvrière), - the CFTC (Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens) - the FSU (Fédération syndicale unitaire). Social welfare
The French Social Security system was introduced in 1945. In order to better address new demographic trends, the pension system underwent a major overhaul which was adopted as law in July 2003. Benefits are financed on a "pay as you go" system.
65.5% of total social security spending (29.6% of GDP) comes from employers and employees’ contributions and 17.4% from taxes, including earmarked taxes such as the CSG (Contribution sociale généralisée - social security contribution levied on virtually all sources of income) or the CRDS (Contribution pour le remboursement de la dette sociale - contribution to the repayment of the social debt) which apply to all income other than that deriving from work. This is virtually the sole source of funding for the Social Security system. Public financing accounts for 13.5% of total resources. Benefits break down as follows: pensions (44%), health (35.2%), family allowances (9%) and employment aid (unemployment benefit, vocational training and social integration) (7.4%). However, the growing number of pensioners compared to the labour force, combined with medical advances and longer life expectancy, has led to a deficit in the French Social Security system and in 2003 to reform of the pension contribution system. More informations at www.travail.gouv.fr Health is a major concern of the French; in 2004, they spent €173.9 billion on medical care and goods.75% of this was covered by the social security system, with an increasing proportion being met by households and insurance companies. A major programme of reform was instituted in 2004 to balance the accounts of the helath insurance branch of the Social Security System. More information at www.sante.gouv.fr Useful websites : www.insee.fr Culture and leisure
The Ministry of Culture's budget for 2007 was
€3.18 billion . Since 2002, larger cities have been distributing several free dailies. “Metro,” distributed in Paris, has a readership of more than one million people.
With 460 copies sold for every 1,000 residents, France ranks first in the world for magazine readership. Over 97 percent of all French people read at least one magazine monthly and 58.9 percent of them do this each day, a "world record" according to the results of a 2006 study by the French research organization AEMP. • Five national public channels: France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5 (educational channel) and France ô (first multicultural French channel) • Arte (Franco-German cultural channel) • Three national private channels: TF1, M6 and Canal Plus (a paid-subscription channel with 6.4 million subscribers in France and 7 million abroad). • Over 20 national and local cable channels (40% of households are connected to a cable network). 7.5% of households subscribe to specific cable channels. • Multichannel satellite packages (Canal Satellite, TPS). • TV5 and Canal France International (CFI), are the two television channels in France's external radio and television network. The number of of households connected to TNT at the end of 2006 was 6 millions (5 millions for cable network and ADSL.) More information at www.tv5.org Radio France is the umbrella company for the country's public service radio stations: France Inter, France Info (24-hour news), France Culture, France Bleu, France Musiques and FIP.The private sector encompasses mainstream stations such as RTL (France's most popular radio station), Europe 1 and Radio Monte Carlo as well as a host of music, special interest, community and regional stations broadcasting on FM. Radio France International (RFI), which has 30 million listeners worldwide, RMC-Moyen Orient, which targets the Middle-East, and Medi 1, which targets North African audiences, form France's overseas radio broadcasting network. More information at www.rfi.fr Computers are considered to be mainly a professional tool and are used as such by 79% of the French. However, an increasing proportion of French households owns a computer. In 2007 it was reported that 55% of the French population has home access to a computer. The French have rapidly taken to the Internet as a new way to access knowledge, with 54% of people over 14 years of age using the internet throughout schools, workplaces and homes. 37% of French people have access to the internet in their home. Internet use in France has grown swiftly and noticeably in a few years. Every institution, media, government department and business has its own website and users can enjoy websites of all kinds (sports, education, services, films, etc.).
Finally, the most visited sites are portal sites and ISP websites such as France Telecom's Wanadoo.
France, which invented the cinematograph in 1895, is still very active in this sector. 212 films were produced in 2003, placing France second worldwide for film investment. In 2006, 188.67 million movie tickets were purchased in France. With a network numbering over 2,150 cinemas housing over 5,400 big screens, France is among the countries with the most widespread cinema access. More information at www.cnc.fr The country also boasts 8,700 variety performers. In addition, amateur performers are increasing in number as formal training in the performing art has developed apace (more than 4,300 institutions specialize in music alone). Theatre
A total audience of 8 million is drawn to some 50,000 performances put on by theatres, national drama centers, other subsidized playhouses and private theatres. In 2005, 10% of the French population went to the theatre at least once. Well-known theatres can be found throughout Paris and other cities, not to mention the activity of world-renowned festivals such as Avignon. Over a thousand independent theatre companies have sprung up in recent years.
Museums and monuments
Around 1,200 museums draw more than 70 millions of visitors each year.
The Louvre, the Chateau de Versailles, Beaubourg and the Musée d'Orsay alone welcome 15 million people annually. Most cities outside Paris have at least one museum. In addition, more than 1,500 historic buildings are open to the public (eight million visitors a year), with the Eiffel Tower the most popular attraction with 6 million visitors a year. Moreover, some 38,000 buildings are classified as historic monuments and as such are protected by the Ministry of Culture. More information at www.culture.gouv.fr Participation in athletic activities has grown rapidly in recent years.  More than 10 million people are registered with sports federations. Soccer and tennis have the largest enrollment. Judo, pétanque, horse riding, badminton and golf have also had notable success in recent years. In addition, adventurous outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, climbing, hang-gliding and canoeing have garnered increasing numbers of fans. More information at www.jeunesse-sports.gouv.fr - on the Heritage Days, historic monuments (ministries, embassies, firms, banks…) usually closed to the public open their doors. - The aim of Science Week is to inform the public about developments in science and their implications for society. - Focusing on books and reading, Lire en Fête organizes meetings with writers, writers' workshops and short story competitions and introduces visitors to various professions within the publishing industry. - Finally, the Internet Festival raises public awareness about the information society. Useful website www.tv5.org Economy
France is the world's fourth largest economic power in terms of GDP. The country's assets are varied and include its transport and telecommunication sectors, its agrifood and pharmaceutical industries, along with banking, insurance, tourism and the traditional luxury products (leather goods, ready-to-wear fashion, perfumes, fine wines and spirits, etc.).
France conducts 66% of its trade with its European Union partners (50% within the euro area). . France ranks second worldwide for direct inward investment. Foreign investors appreciate the skills of French workers, the advanced level of research, the mastery of high technology, the stable currency and control of production costs.
Agricultural labor force: 1,100,000 Utilized agricultural area: 27,470.000 hectares, 50.3% of the area of metropolitan France. Principal agricultural products in France Livestock herds Meat production Forests
Woods and forests cover some 16.3 million hectares,
30% of France's total area, placing France third among the EU countries
in terms of forest area. Forest area in France has increased by 46% since 1945 and continues to grow by about 74,000 hectares each year. Most trees are deciduous (two thirds), while the remaining third consists of conifers. The National Forestry Office (Office national des Forêts - ONF) is responsible for managing national forests (1,760.000 hectares) as well as those belonging to local authorities (1,810.000 hectares). The remaining 11,700.000 hectares belong to some 3,5 million
private owners. Forests in France are a source of biological and scenic
wealth, a place for excursions and relaxation; they also yield an annual
harvest of 53 million cubic meters of timber. Energy independance : 49,8% Breakdown of primary energy consumption Industry
Leading industrial sectors in France * Construction and civil engineering *3. Automotive Industry
Annual turnover : &euros;96.6 billion Fashion and Luxury Goods
Annual net sales: &euros;28.8 billion Pharmaceuticals
Annual net sales: &euros;40.6 billion Automotive Industry Annual net sales: &euros;109 billion Material Processing (steel, aluminium,
glass) Telecommunication and Information Annual net sales: &euros;45 billion Aerospace Annual net sales: &euros;32.1 billion (2006) The internet showcase for French industry and technology: www.industrie.gouv.fr/francetech National R & D expenditure amounts to €37.99 billion i.e. 2.26% of GDP, the fourth highest in the OECD. The public sector finances 52.5% of R & D and is responsible for running the major national research facilities (building maintenance, salaries and laboratory equipment)which include the CNRS (all fields), INSERM (medicine), INRA (agronomy), etc. Research financed by private enterprise (47.5%) focuses on advanced technology sectors such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, car manufacture, communications equipment and precision instrument. France ranks fourth among OECD countries for research, after Japan, the United States and Germany.
Densest in the world and longest in the EU with a total of 893 300 km of local, secondary and main roads and motorways (10,300km: second in Europe)
On January, 1 2007 (SNCF), 30,990 km of track. France holds the world speed record (574,8 km/h in June 2007) with its high-speed train (TGV), which runs on 1,550 kilometres (5% of the total rail network) of special track allowing trains in normal commercial operation to travel at 320 km/h. Each year over 118 million passengers and 5.8 billion
tons kilometers of freight
Annually 212 ships (total tonnage of 4.7 million) transport 340 million tons of freight.
In 2000 Euronext merged and replaced stock exchanges of Paris, Amsterdam and Bruxelles. In 2002, it bought out LIFFE (London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange)and merged with Portuguese bank BVLP (Bolsa de Valores de Lisboa e Porto). NYSE Euronext, the holding company created by the combination of NYSE Group, Inc. and Euronext N.V., was launched on April 4, 2007. NYSE Euronext (NYSE/New York and Euronext/Paris: NYX) operates the world’s largest and most liquid exchange group and offers the most diverse array of financial products and services. With a leading $28.5trillion / €21.5 trillion total market capitalization of listed companies and average daily trading value of its combined markets of approximately $102 billion / €77 billion (as of February 28, 2007), NYSE Euronext seeks to provide the highest standards of market quality and integrity. The leading French banks are BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, Crédit Lyonnais and LCL.
The French insurance sector has consolidated its position as the fifth largest in the world, with net sales of € 267.6 billion in 2005. Axa, Europe’s second largest insurance company, CNP and AGF are the three main French insurance companies. Life and health policies are continuing to expand (+16.1%). Property-casualty insurance (including third-party liability) is growing by 2.2%. The insurance sector provides some 200,000 jobs. - Tourism
With 76 million foreign tourists in 2005, France is the most visited country
in the world. France's tourism sales in 2004 totaled €66 million. France’s income from tourism (€66 billion) is the third largest in the world, after the United States and Spain. The trade surplus in this sector is over €8.9 billion. France's Foreign Policy
France's foreign policy is founded on several centuries of diplomatic tradition and some fundamental
principles: the right of peoples to self-determination, respect for human
rights and democratic principles, respect for the rule of law and cooperation
among nations. Within this framework France's concern is to preserve its
national independence while at the same time working to foster regional
and international solidarity.
From as early as 1945 European construction has been at the heart of French
foreign policy. There have been several major reasons for this: the desire
to restore peace and guarantee the security of the States, strengthen
democratic government and build an integrated economic and monetary area
able to ensure prosperity for the peoples of Europe. Given this, General
de Gaulle and Presidents Pompidou, Giscard d'Estaing, Mitterrand and Chirac
have striven unceasingly to make the European edifice a reality and develop
it into an economic power and respected political forum.
In the area of security, the Cold War years and the succeeding period
of instability have placed heavy responsibilities on all the democratic
nations, including France. Party to the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO),
France also belongs to the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Eurocorps, in which
France has nearly 13,000 troops.
France's foreign policy is conducted in accordance with the purposes and
principles of the United Nations, purposes and principles which in fact
comply with the ideals underlying France's republican tradition. France's international cooperation policy relies on the exercise of both influence and solidarity. The Directorate-General for Development and International Cooperation (DGCID) implements this policy around four main lines: Development aid through cooperation
France intends to sustain its effort of solidarity towards the poorest
countries.
. Encouraging Cultural Exchanges and the Use of the French Language
France has 151 French cultural establishments abroad, located in 91 countries,
and a network of 283 Alliances françaises. Promoting scientific and academic cooperation
France intends both to support the internationalization of French research
and to disseminate information on the scientific systems of partner countries.
Ensuring a French presence on the world audiovisual scene
The French audiovisual presence on the worldwide scene is increasingly
strong and support for major operators in this sector, such as the French-speaking
channel TV5 and Radio France International (RFI), is now a government
priority. Humanitarian action
France gives humanitarian action a specific place in its foreign policy,
and also demonstrates its loyalty to the values it has inspired.
France has
played a vital role in the development of humanitarian action and international
humanitarian law.
As a victim of international terrorism both at home and abroad, France has for many years shown its determination to combat terrorism in all its forms and irrespective of its source.
The United Nations resolutions adopted following the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States stepped up international cooperation against terrorism.
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While promoting cultural, scientific and technical exchanges, France is
also keen to increase the use of the French language.
Nearly 2 millions French citizens live abroad: The other half permanent residents, among them those with dual French and foreign citizenship, whose numbers swelled by 85% between 1984 and 2002. For further information
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are
carried. Some one thousand aircraft (planes and helicopters) fly under
the French flag.
