AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN,
EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, 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, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UNTSO, UNU, UPU, 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 Felix G. ROHATYN
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 colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of
Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the official
flag for all French dependent areas
@France:Economy
Economy-overview: One of the four West European trillion-dollar
economies, France matches a growing services sector with a diversified
industrial base and substantial agricultural resources. Services now
account for more than 70% of GDP, while industry generates about
one-quarter of GDP and more than 80% of export earnings. The
government retains considerable influence over key segments of each
sector, with majority ownership of railway, electricity, aircraft, and
telecommunication firms. It nevertheless has been slowly relaxing its
control over these sectors since the early 1990s, most recently
selling 23% of France Telecom. The government also plans to sell its
stakes in Air France and in the insurance, banking, and defense
industries. Meanwhile, large tracts of fertile land, the application
of modern technology, and subsidies have combined to make France the
leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. A major exporter of
wheat and dairy products, France is virtually self-sufficient in
agriculture. The economy expanded by 2.3% last year, following a 1.3%
gain in 1996. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major
problem for the government, however, as does the need to control
government spending to keep the economy internationally competitive
and meet membership qualifications for the European Economic and
Monetary Union (EMU) which is slated to introduce a common European
currency in January 1999. Succeeding governments have shied away from
cutting exceptionally generous social welfare benefits or the enormous
state bureaucracy, preferring to pare defense spending and raise taxes
to keep the deficit down. The JOSPIN administration has pledged both
to lower unemployment and bring France into EMU, pinning its hopes for
new jobs on economic growth and on legislation to gradually reduce the
workweek from 39 to 35 hours by 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.32 trillion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 2.3% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$22,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 26.5%
services: 71.1% (1994)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2% (1996)
Labor force:
total: 25.5 million
by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture 5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 12.4% (1997)
Budget:
revenues: $222 billion
expenditures: $265 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,
aircraft, electronics, mining, textiles, food processing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1997 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 102.94 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 467.541 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,841 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine
grapes; beef, dairy products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks
among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically
Exports:
total value: $275 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles
and clothing
partners: Germany 17%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Spain 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg
8%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia 0.7% (1996)
Imports:
total value: $256 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural
products, chemicals, iron and steel products
partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%,
Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, China 2% (1997 est.)
Debt-external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $7.915 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998),
5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632
(1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: 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 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave
0
Radios: 49 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 846 (mostly repeaters)
note: Eutelsat receive-only TV service
Televisions: 29.3 million (1993 est.)
@France:Transportation
Railways:
total: 32,027 km
standard gauge: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge; 31,940 km are operated by
French National Railways (SNCF); 13,805 km of SNCF routes are
electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked
narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge
note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many
being of very narrow gauge (1996)
Highways:
total: 892,500 km
paved: 892,500 km (including 9,500 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1996 est.)
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: 62 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,528,107 GRT/2,354,235
DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 5, chemical tanker 8, combination bulk 1,
container 6, liquefied gas tanker 4, multi-function large load carrier
1, oil tanker 18, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea
passenger 6, specialized tanker 1
note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships
in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1997 est.)
Airports: 473 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 266
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 95
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 56 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 207
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 75
under 914 m: 129 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1997 est.)
@France:Military
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: 14,739,065 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 12,264,824 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 407,794 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $47.7 billion (1995)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 2.5% (1995)
@France:Transnational Issues
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; Suriname
claims part of 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 and Southwest Asian heroin
______________________________________________________________________
FRENCH GUIANA
(overseas department of France)
@French Guiana:Geography
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Brazil and Suriname
Geographic coordinates: 4 00 N, 53 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km
water: 1,850 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km
Coastline: 378 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m
Natural resources: bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar,
kaolin, fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 83%
other: 17% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: high frequency of heavy showers and severe
thunderstorms; flooding
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: mostly an unsettled wilderness
@French Guiana:People
Population: 162,547 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 26,003; female 24,840)
15-64 years: 64% (male 56,034; female 47,250)
65 years and over: 5% (male 4,245; female 4,175) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.4% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 23.73 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 4.53 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 14.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.19 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.48 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.34 years
male: 73.12 years
female: 79.71 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.35 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese
Ethnic groups: black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese,
Amerindian 12%, other 10%
Religions: Roman Catholic
Languages: French
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83%
male: 84%
female: 82% (1982 est.)
@French Guiana:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local long form: none
local short form: Guyane
Data code: FG
Dependency status: overseas department of France
Government type: NA
National capital: Cayenne
Administrative divisions: none (overseas department of France)
Independence: none (overseas department of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: French legal system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since NA January 1997)
head of government: President of the General Council Stephan PHINERA
(since NA March 1994); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM
(since NA March 1992)
cabinet: NA
elections: representative of the French Government appointed by the
president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the
members of those councils, who vote on party lines
Legislative branch: unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council-last held 20-27 March 1994 (next to be held
NA 2000); Regional Council-last held 22 March 1992 (next to be held NA
1998)
election results: General Council-percent of vote by party-NA; seats
by party-PSG 8, FDG 4, RPR 1, other left 2, other right 2, other 2;
Regional Council - percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PSG 16,
FDG 10, RPR 2, independents 3
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989
(next to be held NA September 1998); results-percent of vote by
party-NA; seats by party-RDSE 1; 2 seats were elected to the French
National Assembly on 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-RPR 1, PSG 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court
based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and
French Guiana)
Political parties and leaders: Guianese Socialist Party or PSG [Leone
MICHOTTE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jean BART] (may be a subset of PSG);
Nationalist Popular Party of Guyana (Parti Nationaliste Populaire
Guiana) or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Union of Social Democrats (Union des
Socialistes Democates) or USD [Leon BERTRAND] (umbrella group of RPR
and UDF); Rally for the Republic or RPR [Leon BERTRAND]; Union for
French Democracy or UDF [R. CHOW-CHINE]; Guyana Democratic Forces or
FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON];
Action Democrate Guiana or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Democratic and
European Rally of the Senate or RDSE
International organization participation: FZ, WCL, WFTU
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas department of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas department of
France)
Flag description: the flag of France is used
@French Guiana:Economy
Economy-overview: The economy is tied closely to that of France
through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at
Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic
activities, with exports of fish and fish products (mostly shrimp)
accounting for more than 60% of total revenue in 1992. The large
reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an
expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export.
Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the
population is largely concentrated. French Guiana is heavily dependent
on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem,
particularly among younger workers.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$800 million (1993 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: NA%
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$6,000 (1993 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 2.5% (1992)
Labor force:
total: 46,300 (1993)
by occupation: services, government, and commerce 60.6%, industry
21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Unemployment rate: 24.1% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $176 million
expenditures: $350 million, including capital expenditures of $92
million (1994)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum,
gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 165,000 kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 420 million kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 2,890 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: rice, corn, manioc, cocoa, vegetables, bananas,
sugar; cattle, pigs, poultry
Exports:
total value: $81 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing
partners: France 60%, EU 7%
Imports:
total value: $605 million (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport
equipment, fuels and chemicals
partners: France 62%, Germany 4%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4%, US 2%
Debt-external: $1.2 billion (1988)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998),
5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632
(1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 31,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system
international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 7, shortwave 0
Radios: 79,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 9
Televisions: 22,000 (1992 est.)
@French Guiana:Transportation
Railways: 0 km (1995)
Highways:
total: 1,817 km (national 432 km, departmental 385 km, community 1,000
km)
paved: 727 km
unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and
coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft
Ports and harbors: Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni
Merchant marine: none
Airports: 11 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (1997 est.)
@French Guiana:Military
Military branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 46,136 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 29,878 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: NA%
Military-note: defense is the responsibility of France
@French Guiana:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani
and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa)
Illicit drugs: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption;
minor transshipment point to Europe
______________________________________________________________________
FRENCH POLYNESIA
(overseas territory of France)
@French Polynesia:Geography
Location: Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from South America to Australia
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 S, 140 00 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km
water: 507 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,525 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical, but moderate
Terrain: mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Orohena 2,241 m
Natural resources: timber, fish, cobalt
Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 57% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: occasional cyclonic storms in January
Environment-current issues: NA
Environment-international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography-note: includes five archipelagoes; Makatea in French
Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean-the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Nauru
@French Polynesia:People
Population: 237,844 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 40,264; female 38,770)
15-64 years: 62% (male 77,011; female 71,100)
65 years and over: 5% (male 5,347; female 5,352) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.81% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.67 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.67 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.25 years
male: 69.87 years
female: 74.75 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.71 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian
Ethnic groups: Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%,
metropolitan French 4%
Religions: Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 16%
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 14 and over can read and write, but definition of
literacy not available
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.)
@French Polynesia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
Data code: FP
Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1946
Government type: NA
National capital: Papeete
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there
are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
Government, but there are 5 archipelagic divisions named Archipel des
Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent,
and Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French
Polynesia
Independence: none (overseas territory of France)
National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: based on French system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Paul RONCIERE
(since NA 1994)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of French
Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 4 April 1991); President of the
Territorial Assembly Justin ARAPARI (since 13 May 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of
the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers
elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France on
the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the
Territorial Government and the president of the Territorial Assembly
are elected by the members of the assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee
Territoriale (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 12 May 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-People's
Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 22, Polynesian Liberation Front 10,
New Fatherland Party 5, other 4
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 24 September 1989
(next to be held NA September 1998); results-percent of vote by
party-NA; seats by party-UC 1; two seats were elected to the French
National Assembly on 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002);
results-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-People's Rally for
the Republic (Gaullist) 2
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First
Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law
or Tribunal Administratif