France

Background

France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Area

Climate

metropolitan France: typically experiences cool winters and mild summers, although mild winters and hot summers are found along the Mediterranean coast; occasionally affected by a strong, cold, dry wind called the mistral, which blows from the north to northwest

Terrain

metropolitan France: predominantly flat plains or gently rolling hills in the northern and western regions; the rest is mountainous, particularly in the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east

French Guiana: comprises low-lying coastal plains that rise to hills and small mountains

Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic with mountainous interiors; Grande-Terre is a low-lying limestone formation; most of the other seven islands are of volcanic origin

Martinique: features a mountainous landscape with a deeply indented coastline; contains a dormant volcano

Mayotte: generally has undulating terrain, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Reunion: mostly characterized by rugged mountains, with fertile lowlands along the coastline

Land use

Location

metropolitan France: located in Western Europe, adjacent to the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, bordered by Belgium to the north and Spain to the southwest, southeast of the United Kingdom; also borders the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Spain

French Guiana: situated in Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, located between Brazil and Suriname

Guadeloupe: located in the Caribbean, islands situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast of Puerto Rico

Martinique: located in the Caribbean, an island positioned between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Mayotte: located in the Southern Indian Ocean, an island in the Mozambique Channel, approximately halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Reunion: situated in Southern Africa, an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Coastline

4,853 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

14,236 sq km (2020)

Major aquifers

Paris Basin

Map references

metropolitan France: Europe

French Guiana: South America

Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean

Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean

Mayotte: Africa

Reunion: World

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

metropolitan France: faces flooding; avalanches; winter windstorms; drought; and forest fires in the southern regions

overseas departments: experience hurricanes (cyclones) and flooding

volcanism: Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles, although its last eruption occurred in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in 1902 devastated the city of St. Pierre, resulting in approximately 30,000 fatalities; La Soufrière (1,467 m) on Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years

Geography - note

the largest nation in Western Europe; the majority of significant French rivers, including the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne, flow towards the north or west into the Atlantic Ocean, while only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea

Natural resources

metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Area - comparative

a little over four times larger than Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas

Geographic coordinates

metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W

Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W

Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W

Mayotte: 12 50 S, 45 10 E

Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E

Population distribution

a significant portion of the population is located in the northern and southeastern regions; while numerous urban areas exist across the nation, Paris stands out as the largest city, with Lyon being a distant second

Major lakes (area sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rhin (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 km

note: [s] indicates river source after the country name; [m] indicates river mouth after the country name

Languages

Religions

Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)

Sex ratio

Birth rate

10.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

9.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco use

Urbanization

Age structure

Ethnic groups

Celtic and Latin influences alongside Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, and Basque minorities

Dependency ratios

Physician density

3.28 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health expenditure

Net migration rate

1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.9 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Education expenditure

Infant mortality rate

Population growth rate

0.2% (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.93 (2025 est.)

Population distribution

a significant portion of the population is located in the northern and southeastern regions; although numerous urban centers exist across the nation, Paris remains the largest city by a considerable margin, with Lyon being a distant second

Life expectancy at birth

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

Alcohol consumption per capita

Major urban areas - population

11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.6% (2016)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.9 years (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.9% (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Climate

metropolitan France: typically experiences cool winters and mild summers, though the Mediterranean region has milder winters and hotter summers; the region may also encounter a strong, cold, dry wind from the north to northwest known as the mistral.

Geoparks

Land use

Urbanization

Methane emissions

Waste and recycling

Environmental issues

air quality issues due to pollution and acid rain resulting from industrial and vehicular emissions; water contamination caused by urban waste and agricultural runoff.

Total water withdrawal

Carbon dioxide emissions

Particulate matter emissions

9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

211 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

Flag

description: features three equal vertical stripes of blue (on the left), white, and red

history: referred to as le tricolore (tricolor), the flag originated in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the traditional white color was combined with the blue and red colors of the Paris militia; during its initial four years of usage (1790-1794), the sequence of colors was inverted (red-white-blue)

Capital

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Constitution

Country name

Independence

there is no official independence date: 486 (unification of Frankish tribes under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (establishment of Western Francia following the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (overthrow of the French monarchy); 22 September 1792 (foundation of the First French Republic); 4 October 1958 (establishment of the Fifth French Republic)

Legal system

civil law; oversight of administrative actions but not legislative ones

Dependent areas

Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Judicial branch

Executive branch

National holiday

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

National color(s)

blue, white, red

National heritage

Political parties

Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC 
Debout la France or DLF 
Democratic Movement or MoDem 
Ensemble or ENS (electoral coalition including RE, MoDem, Horizons, PRV, UDI)
The Ecologists - the Greens or EELV
French Communist Party or PCF 
Horizons 
La France Insoumise or FI 
Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories or LIOT 
Movement of Progressives or MDP 
National Rally or RN (formerly National Front or FN)
New Democrats or LND (formerly Ecology Democracy Solidarity or EDS)
New Popular Front or NFP (electoral coalition including FI, EELV, PS, PCF)
Radical Party of the Left or PRV 
Reconquete or REC 
Renaissance or RE 
Résistons! 
Socialist Party or PS 
The Republicans or LR 
Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI
Union of Far Right or UXD (electoral coalition of LR, RN)

Legislative branch

National anthem(s)

National symbol(s)

Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (the female personification of the nation)

Administrative divisions

18 regions (régions, singular - région); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion

Legislative branch - lower chamber

Legislative branch - upper chamber

Diplomatic representation in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

International law organization participation

has not provided an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; acknowledges ICCt jurisdiction

Budget

Exports

Imports

Industries

machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism

Labor force

31.725 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Remittances

Exchange rates

Economic overview

high-income, developed EU economy and member of the eurozone; robust sectors in tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industry; significant public debt; ongoing reforms in pension systems; moving towards a green economy through the "France 2030" initiative

Unemployment rate

Exports - partners

Germany 11%, Italy 9%, USA 8%, Belgium 8%, Spain 7% (2023)

Imports - partners

Germany 15%, Belgium 11%, Netherlands 9%, Spain 8%, Italy 8% (2023)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP growth rate

Agricultural products

wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, sunflower seeds (2023)

Exports - commodities

aircraft, cars, packaged medicine, gas turbines, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)

Imports - commodities

cars, natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, garments (2023)

Current account balance

Taxes and other revenues

23.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.162 trillion (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

Population below poverty line

15.6% (2021 est.)

Average household expenditures

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural gas

Nuclear energy

Electricity access

Energy consumption per capita

Electricity generation sources

Internet users

Broadcast media

a combination of both state-run and privately held television stations; government-operated TV stations run 4 networks and have partial stakes in various thematic cable/satellite channels as well as international channels; a significant number of privately owned local and regional TV stations; satellite and cable services offering multiple channels; the public broadcaster Radio France manages 7 national networks, along with a range of regional networks and services catering to overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, which operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a prominent international broadcaster; a considerable number of commercial FM stations

Internet country code

metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re

Telephones - fixed lines

Telephones - mobile cellular

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ports

Airports

1,218 (2025)

Railways

Heliports

405 (2025)

Merchant marine

Transportation - note

Initiated in 1988 and finalized in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (commonly referred to as the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover; it connects Folkestone, Kent, in England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France and serves as the sole fixed connection between the island of Great Britain and the European mainland.

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

F

Military - note

The French military possesses a worldwide presence and undertakes a diverse array of missions and responsibilities, including the protection of French territory, citizens, and interests, as well as upholding France's obligations to NATO, European security, and UN-led international peacekeeping efforts. It stands as the largest military force within the EU and plays a prominent role in the EU security structure, in addition to NATO. In recent years, the French military has been actively engaged in coalition peacekeeping and various security missions across regions like Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, frequently taking a lead role. The military regularly carries out extensive exercises and participates in numerous bilateral and multinational training operations. Furthermore, it has a domestic mission focused on security, which encompasses providing heightened protection at sensitive locations and large events, along with support during national emergencies or disasters, such as combating forest fires. Recently, its defense responsibilities have been broadened to encompass cyber and space domains.

In 2010, France and the UK formalized their defense and security collaboration through a declaration that emphasized enhanced military interoperability and the establishment of a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), which serves as a deployable, combined Anglo-French military unit intended for a wide range of crisis situations, inclusive of high-intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster response, and humanitarian aid. The CJEF does not maintain standing forces but can be mobilized on short notice for French-UK bilateral missions, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations (2025).

Military deployments

France typically has up to 30,000 total air, ground, and naval forces deployed on permanent or temporary foreign missions; up to 10,000 are permanently deployed, including Djibouti (1,500); French Guyana (2,600); French Polynesia (1,000); French West Indies (1,000); Reunion Island (2,100); UAE (800)

other non-permanent deployments include military missions under NATO, the EU, and the UN, as well as some unilateral operations, in such places as Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and adjacent waters (2025)

Military expenditures

Military and security forces

French Armed Forces (Forces Armées Françaises): Army (l'Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air and Space Force (l'Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace; includes Air Defense), National Guard (Garde Nationale), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) (2025).

Military service age and obligation

Typically, the age range for both men and women is 17-30, with some variations depending on service, position, and whether they are enlisted or officers; for the National Gendarmerie, the age range is 17-40. The basic service contract lasts for 12 months, and conscription was abolished in 2001 (2025).

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The arsenal of the French military is predominantly composed of weapons systems manufactured domestically, with some developed in collaboration with other European nations; a smaller portion of armaments is sourced from additional Western nations, notably the United States; France boasts a substantial and advanced defense sector that is capable of producing a comprehensive range of military weapon systems for air, land, and naval forces (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

around 200,000 personnel in active duty Armed Forces; around 150,000 members of the National Gendarmerie; around 80,000 individuals in the National Guard (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Space launch site(s)

Guiana Space Center, located in Kourou, French Guiana, functions as the launch site for the ESA; it is noteworthy that France conducted rocket launches from Algeria before the Guiana Space Center's establishment in 1969 (2025)

Space agency/agencies

National Center for Space Studies, known as Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), was founded in 1961 (2025)

Space program overview

possesses one of the largest space programs in Europe and ranks among the leading contributors to the ESA; maintains independent capabilities across all sectors, with the exception of autonomous manned space flight; has the ability to design, launch, and manage a variety of space/satellite launch vehicles (SLVs) and spacecraft, which encompass exploratory probes and a comprehensive array of satellites; transferred astronaut training responsibilities to the ESA in 2001; serves as the location for the ESA headquarters and its launch facilities; engages in collaborative international space initiatives such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope and the International Space Station; collaborates with numerous space agencies and commercial space enterprises, including those from China, Egypt, various ESA and EU member nations, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the UAE, the US, and multiple African nations; features a significant commercial space sector involved in satellite development and payloads, launch services, and a variety of other space-related technologies and capabilities (2025)

Key space-program milestones

early 1960s - initiated a rocket program and began launching animals into space

1965 - successfully sent the first domestically manufactured satellite (Asterix) into orbit aboard a French Diamant rocket, becoming the third nation to achieve this after the Soviet Union and the US

1973 - commenced the development of the Ariane heavy-lift satellite launch vehicle (SLV) in collaboration with other European nations, notably Germany and the UK; Ariane would evolve into the ESA's SLV

1970s-1990s - engaged in the development of a space plane/shuttle program (Hermes)

1982 - marked the launch of the first French astronaut into space aboard a Soviet rocket

1986 - initiated the first joint European Earth observation/remote sensing program (SPOT)

2018 - launched the Spaceship FR project to establish foundations for robotic and crewed missions to the Moon and Mars

2024 - witnessed the inaugural launch of the Ariane-6 SLV, which claimed to be the world's first satellite to facilitate ground communications through laser technology