union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million
members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation
Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members
(est.); 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
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, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH,
MONUA, MTCR, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, 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
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
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
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.
Industry generates 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 has been
gradually relaxing its control over these sectors since the early
1990s. The government is slowly selling off its holdings in France
Telecom, 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 practically self-sufficient in
agriculture. The economy expanded by 3% in 1998, following a 2.3%
gain in 1997. Persistently high unemployment still poses a major
problem for the government. France has 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 trim spending, pinning its hopes for new jobs
on economic growth and on legislation to gradually reduce the
workweek from 39 to 35 hours by 2002. France joined 10 other EU
members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.32 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$22,600 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 28.4%
services: 69.2% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 24.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.7% (1998)
Labor force: 25.4 million
Labor force--by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%,
agriculture 5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 11.5% (1998)
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: 3.9% (1998)
Electricity--production: 480.783 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 8.72%
hydro: 12.92%
nuclear: 78.25%
other: 0.11% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 411.743 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 72.64 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 3.6 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine
grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Exports: $289 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: machinery and transportation equipment,
chemicals, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel
products, textiles and clothing
Exports--partners: Germany 16%, UK 10%, Italy 9%, Spain 8%,
Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, US 6.5%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia
0.9% (1997)
Imports: $255 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment,
agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products
Imports--partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%,
Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%,
China 2.5% (1997)
Debt--external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid--donor: ODA, $8.4 billion (1995)
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.65 (January 1999),
5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520
(1994)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common
currency that is now being used by financial institutions in some
member countries at the rate of 0.8597 euros per US$ and a fixed
rate of 6.55957 French francs per euro; the euro will replace the
local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002
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: 310 (in addition, there are about
1,400 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 29.3 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 32,027 km ( 31,940 km are operated by French National
Railways (SNCF); 13,803 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132
km are double- or multiple-tracked)
standard gauge: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge
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: 892,900 km
paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1997 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: 64 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,826,364 GRT/2,962,338
DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk
1, container 6, liquefied gas tanker 4, multifunction large-load
carrier 2, oil tanker 20, passenger 3, 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) (1998
est.)
Airports: 474 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 267
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 94
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 56 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 207
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 75
under 914 m: 129 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 3 (1998 est.)
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: 14,666,286 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,203,675 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 411,911 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $39.831 billion (1997)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2.5% (1995)
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;
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 and Southwest Asian heroin
======================================================================
@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
People
Population: 167,982 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 26,713; female 25,514)
15-64 years: 64% (male 57,935; female 48,959)
65 years and over: 5% (male 4,479; female 4,382) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.19% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 23.27 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 4.52 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 13.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 12.93 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.61 years
male: 73.41 years
female: 79.97 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.31 children born/woman (1999 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.)
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
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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (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: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the
French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional
Councils are appointed by the members of those councils
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 15 March 1998 (next to be
held NA 2004)
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--PS 28.28%, various left
parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari 6%; seats by
party--PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari 2
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998
(next to be held NA September 2007); results--percent of vote by
party--NA; seats by party--NA; 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
subset of PSG); Nationalist Popular Party of Guyana (Parti
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
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 which provides sawn logs for export.
Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the
population is largely concentrated; sugar cane is the major cash
crop. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and
energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among
younger workers.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$6,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1992)
Labor force: 58,800 (1997)
Labor force--by occupation: services, government, and commerce
60.6%, industry 21.2%, agriculture 18.2% (1980)
Unemployment rate: 25.7% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $191 million
expenditures: $332 million, including capital expenditures of $88
million (1996)
Industries: construction, shrimp processing, forestry products,
rum, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: 425 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 425 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: sugar, rice, corn, manioc (tapioca), cocoa,
vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry
Exports: $148 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities: shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence,
clothing
Exports--partners: France 60%, EU 7% (1994)
Imports: $600 million (c.i.f., 1997)
Imports--commodities: food (grains, processed meat), machinery and
transport equipment, fuels and chemicals
Imports--partners: France 62%, Germany 4%, Belgium-Luxembourg 4%,
US 2% (1994)
Debt--external: $1.2 billion (1988)
Economic aid--recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1--5.65 (January 1999),
5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520
(1994)
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: 3 (in addition, there are eight
low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 22,000 (1992 est.)
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 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: French Forces, Gendarmerie
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 47,354 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 30,656 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of France
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
----------------
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: Mont 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
People
Population: 242,073 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33% (male 40,422; female 38,913)
15-64 years: 63% (male 78,637; female 72,832)
65 years and over: 4% (male 5,642; female 5,627) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.72% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 22.08 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 5.06 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.59 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.33 years
male: 69.93 years
female: 74.85 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.64 children born/woman (1999 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
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1977 est.)
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
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 Jacques CHIRAC of France (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: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; high commissioner appointed by the French president 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