metropolitan France: 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
total: 4,668 km
Country name conventional long form: French Republic
Country name conventional short form: France
Country name former: French Republic
Population: 65,102,719
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.5% (male 6,180,905/female 5,886,849); 15-64 years: 64.7% (male 21,082,175/female 21,045,867); 65 years and over: 16.8% (male 4,578,089/female 6,328,834) (2011 est.);
Population growth rate: 0.5% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 12.29 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 8.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.051 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female; total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.);
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 3.61 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 2.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.19 years; male: 78.02 years; female: 84.54 years (2011 est.);
Total fertility rate: 1.96 children born/woman (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 150,000 (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,700 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women); adjective: French;
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities; overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian;
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%; overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan;
Languages: French (official) 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish); overseas departments: French, Creole patois;
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 99%; male: 99%; female: 99% (2003 est.);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.16 trillion (2010 est.); $2.126 trillion (2009 est.); $2.18 trillion (2008 est.);
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.555 trillion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 1.6% (2010 est.); -2.5% (2009 est.); 0.1% (2008 est.);
GDP - per capita (PPP): $33,300 (2010 est.); $33,000 (2009 est.); $34,000 (2008 est.);
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8%; industry: 19.2%; services: 79% (2010 est.);
Population below poverty line: 6.2% (2004);
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3%; highest 10%: 24.8% (2004);
Labor force: 28.21 million (2010 est.);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3.8%; industry: 24.3%; services: 71.8% (2005);
Unemployment rate: 9.5% (2010 est.); 9.1% (2009 est.);
Budget: revenues: $1.241 trillion; expenditures: $1.441 trillion (2010 est.);
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism;
Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2010 est.);
Electricity - production: 535.7 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - consumption: 447.2 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - exports: 58.69 billion kWh (2008 est.);
Electricity - imports: 10.68 billion kWh (2008 est.);
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Kalliste Tours, based in California, specializes in Corsica and its founder and owner, France-Marie Louvet, has handcrafted with native knowledge a special Christmas tour that offers a unique experience with authentic cultural immersion, historical discoveries and gastronomic delights.
The French have rejected the European constitution and plunged the European Union into its worst crisis in 50 years.
More than once echoing the late John Paul II’s “be not afraid,” Chirac set himself up as a paladin of an anti-globalist Europe, and argued that the European Union must arm itself with an effective set of rules.
French voters are mad as hell say the polls and ready to trash Europe’s new constitution.
