Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Jaakko Tapani LAAJAVA

chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 298-5800

FAX: (202) 298-6030

consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Eric EDELMAN

embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14A, FIN-00140, Helsinki

mailing address: APO AE 09723

telephone: (9) 171931

FAX: (9) 174681

Flag description: white with a blue cross that extends to the edges of

the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side

in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

@Finland:Economy

Economy - overview: Finland has a highly industrialized, largely

free-market economy, with per capita output roughly that of the UK,

France, Germany, and Italy. Its key economic sector is manufacturing -

principally the wood, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and

electronics industries. Trade is important, with exports equaling more

than one-third of GDP. Except for timber and several minerals, Finland

depends on imports of raw materials, energy, and some components for

manufactured goods. Because of the climate, agricultural development

is limited to maintaining self-sufficiency in basic products.

Forestry, an important export earner, provides a secondary occupation

for the rural population. The economy has come back from the recession

of 1990-92, which had been caused by economic overheating, depressed

foreign markets, and the dismantling of the barter system between

Finland and the former Soviet Union. Rapidly increasing integration

with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 11 countries joining the

euro monetary system (EMU) on 1 January 1999 - will dominate the

economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2000 will

probably be at the same level as in 1999, enough to continue the

decline in unemployment from its current high level.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $108.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 5%

industry: 32%

services: 63% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 4.2%

highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 2.533 million

Labor force - by occupation: public services 32%, industry 22%,

commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%,

agriculture and forestry 8%, transport and communications 8%,

construction 6%

Unemployment rate: 10% (1999 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $41 billion

expenditures: $41 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997

est.)

Industries: metal products, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper

refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (1999)

Electricity - production: 75.299 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 41.62%

hydro: 19.59%

nuclear: 27.59%

other: 11.2% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 79.278 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 300 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 9.55 billion kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: cereals, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle;

fish

Exports: $43 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals;

timber, paper, and pulp

Exports - partners: EU 56% (Germany 12%, UK 9%, Sweden 9%, France 5%),

US 7%, Russia 6%, Japan (1998)

Imports: $30.7 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products,

chemicals, transport equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile

yarn and fabrics, fodder grains

Imports - partners: EU 60% (Germany 15%, Sweden 12%, UK 7%), US 8%,

Russia 7%, Japan 6% (1998)

Debt - external: $30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $379 million (1997)

Currency: 1 markka (FMk) or Finmark = 100 pennia

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999);

markkaa (FMk) per US$1 - 5.3441 (1998), 5.1914 (1997), 4.5936 (1996),

4.3667 (1995)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is

now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at a

fixed rate of 5.94573 markkaa per euro; the euro will replace the

local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Finland:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 2.861 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,162,574 (1997)

Telephone system: modern system with excellent service

domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net

take provide of domestic needs

international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access to

Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1

Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares

the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,

Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 7.7 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 3.2 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 36 (1999)

@Finland:Transportation

Railways:

total: 5,865 km

broad gauge: 5,865 km 1.524-m gauge (2,192 km electrified; 480 km

double- or multiple-track) (1998)

Highways:

total: 77,895 km

paved: 49,853 km (including 473 km of expressways)

unpaved: 28,042 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 6,675 km total (including Saimaa Canal); 3,700 km suitable

for steamers

Pipelines: natural gas 580 km

Ports and harbors: Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu,

Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Merchant marine:

total: 101 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,185,966 GRT/1,153,089

DWT

ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 23, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1,

petroleum tanker 11, rail car carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off 38,

short-sea passenger 12 (1999 est.)

Airports: 157 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 69

over 3,047 m: 3

2,438 to 3,047 m: 26

1,524 to 2,437 m: 10

914 to 1,523 m: 20

under 914 m: 10 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 88

914 to 1,523 m: 6

under 914 m: 82 (1999 est.)

@Finland:Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea

Guard)

Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age

Military manpower - availability:

males age 15-49: 1,262,526 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:

males age 15-49: 1,041,795 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:

males: 34,651 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1.8 billion (FY98)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (FY98)

@Finland:Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

______________________________________________________________________

FRANCE

@France:Introduction

Background: Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II,

France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and

rank as a dominant nation-state. Since 1958, it has constructed a

presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in

earlier parliamentary democracies. In recent years, its reconciliation

and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic

integration of Europe, including the advent of the euro in January

1999. Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to

exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a

more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.

@France:Geography

Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English

Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the

Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:

total: 547,030 sq km

land: 545,630 sq km

water: 1,400 sq km

note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas

administrative divisions

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Land boundaries:

total: 2,889 km

border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km,

Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km,

Switzerland 573 km

Coastline: 3,427 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone: 24 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and

hot summers along the Mediterranean

Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west;

remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m

highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash

Land use:

arable land: 33%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 27%

other: 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain (major

forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm);

air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution

from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air

Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile

Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,

Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life

Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber

83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants,

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional strong,

cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

@France:People

Population: 59,329,691 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 19% (male 5,719,502; female 5,448,608)

15-64 years: 65% (male 19,345,269; female 19,322,902)

65 years and over: 16% (male 3,849,783; female 5,643,627) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.38% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 12.27 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 9.14 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.76 years

male: 74.85 years

female: 82.89 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

adjective: French

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,

Indochinese, Basque minorities

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim (North

African workers) 1%, unaffiliated 6%

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.)

@France:Government

Country name:

conventional long form: French Republic

conventional short form: France

local long form: Republique Francaise

local short form: France

Data code: FR

Government type: republic

Capital: Paris

Administrative divisions: 22 regions (regions, singular - region);

Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne,

Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie,

Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine,

Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,

Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes

note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the

"territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into

96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments

(French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas

territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)

Dependent areas: Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island,

French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso

Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis

and Futuna

note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence: 486 (unified by Clovis)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of

president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht

Treaty in 1992; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993

Legal system: civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of

administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

head of government: Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN (since 3 June 1997)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the

suggestion of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;

election last held 23 April and 7 May 1995 (next to be held by May

2002); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and

appointed by the president

election results: Jacques CHIRAC elected president; percent of vote,

second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 52.64%, Lionel JOSPIN (PS) 47.36%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the

Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for

overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals

abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to

serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are

elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to

serve five-year terms)

elections: Senate - last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held

September 2001); National Assembly - last held 25 May-1 June 1997

(next to be held NA May 2002)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by

party - RPR 99, UDC 52, DL 47, PS 78, PCF 16, other 29; National

Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PS 245, RPR

140, UDF 109, PCF 37, PRS 13, MEI 8, MDC 7, LDI-MPF 1, FN 1, various

left 9, various right 7

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation, judges

are appointed by the president from nominations of the High Council of

the Judiciary; Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel,

three members appointed by the president, three members appointed by

the president of the National Assembly, and three appointed by the

president of the Senate; Council of State or Conseil d'Etat

Political parties and leaders: Citizens Movement or MdC [Jean Pierre

CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic Force or FD ; Ecology Gereration

or GE ; French Communist Party or PCF ;

Independent Ecological Movement or MEI ; Left

Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and

the Left Radical Movement or MRG) ; Liberal

Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR) ;

Movement for France or LDI-MPF ; National Center

of Independents and Peasants or CNIP ; National Front or

FN ; National Front-National Movement [Bruno

MEGRET]; Popular Party for French Democracy or PPDF [Herve de

CHARETTE]; Radical Party or RRRS ; Rally for the

Republic or RPR ; Reformers' Movement or MR

; Socialist Party or PS ; The

Greens (Les Verts) ; The Right (La Droite)

; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of UDC,

FD, RRRS, PPDF) ; Union of the Center or UDC [leader

NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Communist-controlled labor

union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, nearly 2.4 million

members (claimed); 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; Socialist-leaning labor union (Confederation

Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, about 800,000 members

(est.)

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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,

NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security

Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH,

UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB (nonregional), 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: (202) 944-6000

FAX: (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: (1) 43-12-22-22

FAX: (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: France's economy combines modern capitalistic

methods with extensive, but declining, government intervention. 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 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. Persistently high unemployment will continue to pose a major

problem for the government; a 35-hour work week is being introduced.

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. France

joined 10 other EU members to launch the euro on 1 January 1999.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.373 trillion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.3%

industry: 26.1%

services: 70.6% (1998)

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): 0.5% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 25.4 million (1994)

Labor force - by occupation: services 69%, industry 26%, agriculture

5% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 11% (1999 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $325 billion

expenditures: $360 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA

(1999 est.)

Industries: steel, machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy,

aircraft, electronics, mining; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production: 480.972 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 10.77%

hydro: 12.45%

nuclear: 76.24%

other: 0.54% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 389.254 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 62 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 3.95 billion kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine

grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

Exports: $304.7 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment,

chemicals, iron and steel products; agricultural products, textiles

and clothing

Exports - partners: EU 63% (Germany 16%, UK 10%, Italy 9%, Spain 9%,

Belgium-Luxembourg 8%), US 7% (1998)

Imports: $280.8 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, chemicals;

agricultural products

Imports - partners: EU 62% (Germany 17%, Italy 10%, Belgium-Luxembourg

8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%), US 9% (1998)

Debt - external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - donor: ODA, $6.3 billion (1997)

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000), 0.9386 (1999);

French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998),

5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995)

note: on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced a common currency that is

now being used by financial institutions in some member countries at 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

@France:Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 34.86 million (yearend 1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 11.078 million (yearend 1998)

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 about 3,500 (this figure is an

approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios: 55.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 574 (plus 9,634 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 34.8 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 128 (1999)

@France:Transportation

Railways:

total: 31,939 km (31,940 km are operated by French National Railways

(SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are

double- or multiple-tracked)

standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998)

Highways:

total: 893,300 km

paved: 893,300 km (including 10,300 km of expressways)

unpaved: 0 km (1998 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: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,155,286 GRT/1,693,030

DWT

ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk 1,

container 5, liquified gas 4, multi-functional large load carrier 1,

passenger 3, petroleum tanker 16, roll-on/roll-off 6, short-sea

passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (1999 est.)

note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships

in Iles Kerguelen (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1998 est.)

Airports: 474 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 267

over 3,047 m: 14

2,438 to 3,047 m: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 92

914 to 1,523 m: 74

under 914 m: 57 (1999 est.)