A country of Europe, the fourth in size. Named from a Germanic tribe, the
Franks, which invaded Gaul, A.D. 486. Area, including Corsica and adjacent
islands, 204,177 square miles. Climate one of the finest in Europe. Average
temperature ranges from 50deg at Dunkirk to 62deg at Toulon: that of Paris
is 51deg. Rainfall: at Paris, 22 inches; at Bordeaux, 30 inches.
France has a coast line of 320 miles; the continental boundary line is 962
miles. Largest river, the Loire. The Alps on the east, and the Pyrenees on
the south, connect France with the most magnificent mountain systems of
Europe. The French portion of the Alps has a length of 280 miles.
The republic is divided into 87 Departments, Salary of President, $120,000;
length of term, 7 years. Paris, the capital and second city in Europe;
pop., 2,239,928. Lyons, the second city in size, and centre of silk
industry; pop., 376,613. Twenty-nine towns have a population of over
50,000; and 91, over 20,000.
Agricultural pop., census 1881, 18,249,209. Number of acres cultivated,
67,000,000. In 1883, 37,039,040 acres were in cereals, of which
five-sevenths were wheat and oats; total production, 742,176,807 bu. Number
of acres in orchards, 560,000; yearly production of cider, 220,000,000
gallons. Vineyards, 5,240,340 acres; annual average of wine product,
720,000,000 gals.; value, $225,000,000. Champagne vintage averages
20,000,000 bottles, 17,000,000 of which are exported; 1,204,145 acres under
beet-root cultivation in 1883, yielding 32,230,312,000 lbs. of sugar.
Commercially the country ranks with Great Britain. Entrances to and
clearances from her ports include annually over 60,000 vessels; total
capacity, 12,000,000 tons. Value of yearly imports, exclusive of coin and
bullion, $870,000,000; exports, $960,000,000; food imported, $308,000,000
annually. Value of exports, 1883, $912,340,000; imports, $1,277,340,000.
Value of silk exports was $93,402,000. There were 151,404 persons engaged
in silk culture. Number of pounds of raw silk produced, 19,149,587. France
makes yearly 26,000,000 pairs of gloves, of which 18,000,000 are exported.
There are 890 umbrella makers, who annually produce $5,900,000 worth. Value
of fishery products, $21,445,450. Average production of sardines,
980,000,000; oysters, 380,000,000. There are 83,572 men engaged in the
fisheries, with 22,345 vessels; total tonnage, 155,670.
About 79 per cent. of population Roman Catholic; less than 2 per cent.
Protestant. Number of elementary schools, 1884, 85,388; pupils, 6,111,236.
Number of normal schools, 163. Public libraries, 505. The Imperial Library
at Paris has 18 miles of shelving filled with books. Daily papers
published, 128.
The reorganization of the French army has been going on since 1872, and is
nearly completed. Every Frenchman not declared unfit for military service
may be called upon from the age of twenty to that of forty years to enter
the active army or the reserves. Substitution or enlistment for money
prohibited. In 1884 the army consisted of 524,797 officers and men, and
130,771 horses.
Railway system dates from 1840; number of miles, 1884, 17,000. Number of
miles telegraph lines, 46,932; offices, 7,523. Number of postoffices, 1884,
6,486.
The colonial possessions of France cover an area of 429,260 square miles,
with a total population of 9,300,000. Of the colonies, Algeria is the
largest and most important, having an area of 161,476 square miles, and a
population of 3,310,412. Algiers is the capital; population, 70,747. The
colonies next in importance commercially are Tunis and Cochin China. {23}
[Illustration]
* * * * *
{24}