Chapter XXII: Front Matter (22)

Area:
total: 338,145 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 2,690 km
border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km

Coastline:
1,250 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary
with Sweden

Climate:
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild
because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current,
Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low
hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Halti 1,328 m

Natural resources:
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold,
silver, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 7.19%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 92.78% (2001)

Irrigated land:
640 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to
acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural
chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, 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

Geography - note:
long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national
capital on European continent; population concentrated on small
southwestern coastal plain

People Finland

Population:
5,214,512 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 466,036; female 448,339)
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 1,760,472; female 1,719,917)
65 years and over: 15.7% (male 323,082; female 496,666) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.7 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 42.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.18% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
10.56 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.69 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 3.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.24 years
male: 74.73 years
female: 81.89 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish

Ethnic groups:
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%,
Sami 0.1%

Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1%

Languages:
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and
Russian-speaking minorities

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% (2000 est.)
male: NA
female: NA

Government Finland

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local short form: Suomi
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Helsinki

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani,
Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani

Independence:
6 December 1917 (from Russia)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

Constitution:
1 March 2000

Legal system:
civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request
the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June
2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April
2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the
president, responsible to Parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be
held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and
deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority
coalition after Parliamentary elections and the Parliament must
approve the appointment
note: government coalition - KESK, SDP, and SFP
election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote -
Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%,
Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party -
Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD
[Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left
Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and
Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition
(conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic
Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP
[Jan-Erik ENESTAM]

International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU
(observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jukka Robert VALTASAARI
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 298-6030
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5800
chancery: 3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Earle I. MACK
embassy: Itainen Puistotie 14B, FIN-00140, Helsinki
mailing address: APO AE 09723
telephone: [358] (9) 616250
FAX: [358] (9) 6162 5800

Flag description:
white with a blue cross extending 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)

Economy Finland

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 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. Rapidly increasing integration
with Western Europe - Finland was one of the 12 countries joining
the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) - will dominate the
economic picture over the next several years. Growth in 2003 was
held back by the global slowdown but will pick up in 2004 provided
the world economy suffers no further blows.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $142.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 32.7%
services: 62.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.2%
highest 10%: 21.6% (1991)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25.6 (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
2.599 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture and forestry 8%, industry 22%, construction 6%,
commerce 14%, finance, insurance, and business services 10%,
transport and communications 8%, public services 32%

Unemployment rate:
9% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $87.03 billion
expenditures: $81.62 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
48.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes; dairy cattle; fish

Industries:
metal products, electronics, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, copper
refining, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Industrial production growth rate:
0.8% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
71.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
76.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
1.81 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
11.77 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
211,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
101,000 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
318,300 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
4.557 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
4.567 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance:
$10.3 billion (2003)

Exports:
$54.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals; timber, paper, pulp
(1999)

Exports - partners:
Germany 11.8%, Sweden 9.9%, US 8.2%, UK 8%, Russia 7.5%,
Netherlands 4.8% (2003)

Imports:
$37.35 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, transport
equipment, iron and steel, machinery, textile yarn and fabrics,
grains (1999)

Imports - partners:
Germany 16.2%, Sweden 14.1%, Russia 11.7%, Netherlands 6.3%,
Denmark 5.7%, UK 5.3%, France 4.3% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$11.17 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$30 billion (December 1993)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $379 million (2001)

Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Finland

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.548 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.7 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland
Estonia Connection); 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:
120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999)

Televisions:
3.2 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.fi

Internet hosts:
1,219,173 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2002)

Internet users:
2.65 million (2002)

Transportation Finland

Railways:
total: 5,851 km
broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 78,137 km
paved: 50,398 km (including 750 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,739 km (2003)

Waterways:
7,842 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased
from Russia (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 694 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma,
Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus

Merchant marine:
total: 90 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT
registered in other countries: 39 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, chemical tanker 5, container 1, passenger
2, petroleum tanker 9, roll on/roll off 28, short-sea/passenger 10
foreign-owned: Estonia 1

Airports:
148 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 75
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.)

Military Finland

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service
(October 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,226,890 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,013,961 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 32,058 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.8 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues Finland

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@France

Introduction France

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. Nevertheless, France today is one of the
most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European
nations. 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 introduction of a common exchange currency,
the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of
efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement
progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Geography France

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
note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas
administrative divisions
water: 1,400 sq km

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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)

Climate:
generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot
summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry,
north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

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, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash,
feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Land use:
arable land: 33.53%
permanent crops: 2.07%
other: 64.4% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires
in south near the Mediterranean

Environment - current issues:
some forest damage from acid rain; 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-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
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

Geography - note:
largest West European nation

People France

Population:
60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 5,724,185; female 5,446,716)
15-64 years: 65.1% (male 19,698,497; female 19,663,776)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,049,970; female 5,841,069) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 38.6 years
male: 37 years
female: 40.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.39% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.44 years
male: 75.8 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
120,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 1,000 (2003 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 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%,
unaffiliated 4%

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.)

Government France

Country name:
conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique Francaise
local short form: France

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:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution:
28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in
1962, amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht
Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to
tighten immigration laws in 1993; amended in 2000 to change the
seven-year presidential term to a five-year term

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 Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May
2002)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held
21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round April 2007,
second round May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National
Assembly majority and appointed by the president
election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of
vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN
(FN) 18.04%
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister

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); note -
between now and 2010, 25 new seats will be added to the Senate for a
total of 346 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas
departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre
and Miquelon, 3 for overseas territories, and 12 for French
nationals abroad; members will be indirectly elected by an electoral
college to serve six-year terms, with one-half the seats being
renewed 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)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF 33, PCF 23, RDSE 15, other 7; National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 355,
PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22
elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held
September 2007); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next
to be held not later than June 2007)

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 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:
Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT];
Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly RAD. and PRG)
[Jacques PELLETIER]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George
BUFFET]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist
Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel
BAYLET]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; Rally
for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois
HOLLANDE]; Greens [Gilles LEMAIRE, Francine BAVAY, Jean DESESSARD,
Christophe PORQUIER, Maud LELIEVRE]; Union for French Democracy or
UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP
(including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Nicolas SARKOZY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du
Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed);
left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du
Travail) or CFDT, approximately 889,000 members (claimed);
independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force
Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar
union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members
(claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or
MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC
(observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5,
G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN
Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR,
UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB
(nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE
chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. LEACH
embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 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 "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of
the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution; the design and/or
colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of
Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands;
the official flag for all French dependent areas

Economy France

Economy - overview:
France is in the midst of transition, from a well-to-do modern
economy that has featured extensive government ownership and
intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The
Socialist-led government partially or fully privatized many large
companies, banks, and insurers, but the government retains
controlling stakes in several leading firms, including Air France,
France Telecom, Renault, and Thales, and is dominant in some
sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense
industries. The telecommunications sector is gradually being opened
to competition. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in
which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies,
and social spending that reduce income disparity and the impact of
free markets on public health and welfare. The current government
has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost
employment. The government is focusing on the problems of the high
cost of labor and labor market inflexibility resulting from the
35-hour workweek and restrictions on lay-offs. The government is
also pushing for pension reforms and simplification of
administrative procedures. The tax burden remains one of the highest
in Europe (43.8% of GDP in 2003). The current economic slowdown and
inflexible budget items have pushed the 2003 deficit to 4% of GDP,
above the EU's 3% debt limit. Business investment remains listless
because of low rates of capital utilization, sluggish demand, high
debt, and the steep cost of capital.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.661 trillion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $27,600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.7%
industry: 24.4%
services: 72.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
6.5% (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
27.39 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 4.1%, industry 24.4%, services 71.5% (1999)

Unemployment rate:
9.7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $882.8 billion
expenditures: $955.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $23
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
68.8% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy
products; fish

Industries:
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft,
electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
-0.3% (2003)

Electricity - production:
520.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
415.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
72.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.2 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
34,920 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
2.026 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
409,600 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
2.281 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
144.3 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
1.898 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
42.01 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
1.725 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
40.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
12.86 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$13.8 billion (2003)

Exports:
$346.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports - partners:
Germany 14.9%, Spain 9.6%, UK 9.4%, Italy 9.3%, Belgium 7.2%, US
6.8% (2003)

Imports:
$339.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals

Imports - partners:
Germany 19.1%, Belgium 9.4%, Italy 9%, Spain 7.4%, Netherlands 7%,
UK 7%, US 5.4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$70.76 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
NA

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)

Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications France

Telephones - main lines in use:
33,905,400 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
41,683,100 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; 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:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
34.8 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.fr

Internet hosts:
2,396,761 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
62 (2000)

Internet users:
21.9 million (2003)

Transportation France

Railways:
total: 32,175 km
standard gauge: 32,008 km 1.435-m gauge (14,320 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 894,000 km
paved: 894,000 km (including 11,500 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways:
8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le
Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint
Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg (2003)

Merchant marine:
total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT
by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 2, liquefied gas 4,
passenger 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 2,
short-sea/passenger 4
registered in other countries: 118 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Germany 1, Monaco 2, New Caledonia 1, Sweden 5

Airports:
477 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 283
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
914 to 1,523 m: 82
under 914 m: 65 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 95

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 195
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 120 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2003 est.)

Military France

Military branches:
Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy
(including naval air), Air Force (including Air Defense), National
Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age with consent for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 14,487,165 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,044,827 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 394,413 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$45,238.1 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues France

Disputes - international:
Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands,
and Juan de Nova 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,
Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@French Guiana

Introduction French Guiana

Background:
First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of
notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency
launches its communication satellites from Kourou.

Geography French Guiana

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
water: 1,850 sq km
land: 89,150 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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), petroleum, kaolin, fish,
niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use:
arable land: 0.14%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 99.81% (90% forest, 10% other) (2001)

Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of
the South American continent

People French Guiana

Population:
191,309 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.6% (male 28,959; female 27,657)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 66,388; female 57,020)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,736; female 5,549) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.3 years
male: 29.4 years
female: 27.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.25% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
21 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.46 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.89 years
male: 73.57 years
female: 80.38 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.05 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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 French Guiana

Country name:
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana
local short form: Guyane
local long form: none

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:
Bastille Day, 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 Ange MANCINI (since 31 July 2002)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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
head of government: President of the General Council Joseph
HO-TEN-YOU (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council
Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992)
cabinet: NA

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 NA March 2000 (next to be
held NA 2006); 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 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7,
other 2; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%,
various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari
Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6,
independents 3, Walwari Committee 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 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007);
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1,
Walwari Committee 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:
Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese
Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Guyana Democratic
Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Popular National Guyanese Party or
PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Paul DEBRIETTE]; Union for
a Popular Movement or UMP [Muriel ICARE]; Walwari Committee (aligned
with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
UPU, 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 French Guiana

Economy - overview:
The economy is tied closely to the larger French economy through
subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou
(which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most
important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the
country. 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; rice and manioc
are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports
of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly
among younger workers.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.551 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
58,800 (1997)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 18.2%, industry 21.2%, services, government, and
commerce 60.6% (1980)

Unemployment rate:
22% (2001)

Budget:
revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105
million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas;
cattle, pigs, poultry

Industries:
construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
455 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
423.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$155 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing

Exports - partners:
France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2001)

Imports:
$625 million c.i.f. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment,
fuels and chemicals

Imports - partners:
France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2002 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (1988)

Economic aid - recipient:
NA (1995)

Currency:
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
Euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications French Guiana

Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
138,200 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5
repeaters) (1998)

Radios:
104,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
30,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.gf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
3,200 (2002)

Transportation French Guiana

Highways:
total: 722 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km (1996)

Waterways:
3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and
river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni

Airports:
11 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.)

Military French Guiana

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 52,294 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 33,914 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Guiana

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

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@French Polynesia

Introduction French Polynesia

Background:
The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th
century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by
resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year
moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996.

Geography French Polynesia

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)
water: 507 sq km
land: 3,660 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
2,525 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 0.82%
permanent crops: 5.46%
other: 93.72% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
occasional cyclonic storms in January

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); 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 French Polynesia

Population:
266,339 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.5% (male 37,372; female 35,818)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 92,594; female 85,455)
65 years and over: 5.7% (male 7,616; female 7,484) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.1 years
male: 27.4 years
female: 26.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.58 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.92 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.67 years
male: 73.29 years
female: 78.18 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.09 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

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 10%, no religion 6%

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 French Polynesia

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia
local short form: Polynesie Francaise
local long form: Territoire de la Polynesie Francaise
former: French Colony of Oceania

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:
Bastille Day, 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 Michel
MATHIEU (since 24 October 2001)
head of government: President of the Territorial Government of
French Polynesia Gaston FLOSSE (since 9 October 2004); President of
the Territorial Assembly Lucette TAERO (since 17 May 2001)
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 five-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

Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats
- changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held NA May 2009)
note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on NA September 1998
(next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the
French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA
2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy
27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1

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

Political parties and leaders:
Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini
Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile
VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR
(Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; The New Star (Te Fetia Api)
[Philippe SHYLE]; This Country is Yours (No Oe E Te Nunaa) [Nicle
BOUTEAU]; Union for Democracy or UPD [Oscar TEMARU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), UPU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description:
two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered
on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the
lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a
stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the
French flag is used for official occasions

Economy French Polynesia

Economy - overview:
Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region,
French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy
to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either
employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the
halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to
the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of
GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources
of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The
small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural
products. The territory benefits substantially from development
agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses
and strengthening social services.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $4.58 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 18%
services: 76% (1997)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
70,000 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 13%, industry 19%, services 68% (1997)

Unemployment rate:
11.8% (1994)

Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $900 million, including capital expenditures of $185
million (1996)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits; poultry, beef, dairy
products, coffee

Industries:
tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
428.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
398.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
4,750 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$244 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark
meat

Exports - partners:
France 66.3%, Japan 16.1%, US 9.1% (2003)

Imports:
$1.341 billion f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment

Imports - partners:
France 59.9%, Australia 11.9%, New Zealand 6%, US 6% (2003)

Debt - external:
NA (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$367 million (1997)

Currency:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code:
XPF

Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73
(2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications French Polynesia

Telephones - main lines in use:
52,500 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
90,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
128,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
40,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.pf

Internet hosts:
5,123 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
35,000 (2002)

Transportation French Polynesia

Highways:
total: 2,590 km
paved: 1,735 km
unpaved: 855 km (1999)

Ports and harbors:
Mataura, Papeete, Rikitea, Uturoa

Merchant marine:
total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 17,537 GRT/15,150 DWT
by type: cargo 3, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 3, refrigerated cargo
1, roll on/roll off 1 (2004 est.)

Airports:
49 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 37
over 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 23

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military French Polynesia

Military branches:
no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Polynesia

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Introduction French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Background:
The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and
Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile
Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited
only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion
consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent
discovered and claimed by the French in 1840.

Geography French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Location:
southeast of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about
equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French
Southern and Antarctic Lands include Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul,
Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along
with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US
does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land"

Geographic coordinates:
43 00 S, 67 00 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 7,829 sq km
note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles
Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in
Antarctica that is not recognized by the US
water: 0 sq km
land: 7,829 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,232 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm from Iles Kerguelen (does not
include the rest of French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

Climate:
antarctic

Terrain:
volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m

Natural resources:
fish, crayfish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in
the southern Indian Ocean

People French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants (July 2002 est.)
note: in 2002, there were 145 researchers whose numbers vary from
winter (July) to summer (January) (July 2004 est.)

Government French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the French Southern and
Antarctic Lands
conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands
local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques
Francaises
local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises

Dependency status:
overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by
Administrateur Superieur Michel CHAMPON (since 20 December 2004),
assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles
Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica
that is not recognized by the US

Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and
geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets.
The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are
exported to France and Reunion.

Communications French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Internet country code:
.tf

Transportation French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Merchant marine:
total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,092,387 GRT/5,056,658 DWT
by type: bulk 4, cargo 2, chemical tanker 19, container 11,
liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle
carrier 2
foreign-owned: Denmark 2, France 49, Japan 4, Monaco 5, Norway 5,
Sweden 5 (2004 est.)

Airports:
none

Military French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Disputes - international:
French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by
the US

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

======================================================================

@Gabon

Introduction Gabon