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Compare Burundi (2006) - France (2007)

Compare Burundi (2006) z France (2007)

 Burundi (2006)France (2007)
 BurundiFrance
Administrative divisions 17 provinces; Bubanza, Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rurale, Bururi, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza, Kirundo, Makamba, Muramvya, Muyinga, Mwaro, Ngozi, Rutana, Ruyigi 26 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy), Bourgogne, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse (Corsica), Franche-Comte, Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy), Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Martinique, Reunion, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes


note: France is divided into 22 metropolitan regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and 4 overseas regions (including French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 4 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)
Age structure 0-14 years: 46.3% (male 1,884,825/female 1,863,200)


15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,051,451/female 2,082,017)


65 years and over: 2.6% (male 83,432/female 125,143) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,063,181/female 5,776,272)


15-64 years: 65.2% (male 20,798,889/female 20,763,283)


65 years and over: 16.2% (male 4,274,290/female 6,038,011) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, cotton, tea, corn, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, manioc (tapioca); beef, milk, hides wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports 8 (2006) 476 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
total: 292


over 3,047 m: 14


2,438 to 3,047 m: 27


1,524 to 2,437 m: 97


914 to 1,523 m: 80


under 914 m: 74 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2006)
total: 184


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 72


under 914 m: 108 (2007)
Area total: 27,830 sq km


land: 25,650 sq km


water: 2,180 sq km
total: 643,427 sq km; 547,030 sq km (metropolitan France)


land: 640,053 sq km; 545,630 sq km (metropolitan France)


water: 3,374 sq km; 1,400 sq km (metropolitan France)


note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly less than the size of Texas
Background Burundi's first democratically elected president was assassinated in October 1993 after only 100 days in office, triggering widespread ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions. Over 200,000 Burundians perished during the conflict that spanned almost a dozen years. Hundreds of thousands of Burundians were internally displaced or became refugees in neighboring countries. An internationally brokered power-sharing agreement between the Tutsi-dominated government and the Hutu rebels in 2003 paved the way for a transition process that led to an integrated defense force, established a new constitution in 2005, and elected a majority Hutu government in 2005. The new government, led by President Pierre NKURUNZIZA, signed a South African brokered ceasefire with the country's last rebel group in the summer of 2006 but still faces many challenges. 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.
Birth rate 42.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 12.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $215.4 million


expenditures: $278 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $1.152 trillion


expenditures: $1.211 trillion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Bujumbura


geographic coordinates: 3 23 S, 29 22 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Paris


geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate equatorial; high plateau with considerable altitude variation (772 m to 2,670 m above sea level); average annual temperature varies with altitude from 23 to 17 degrees centigrade but is generally moderate as the average altitude is about 1,700 m; average annual rainfall is about 150 cm; two wet seasons (February to May and September to November), and two dry seasons (June to August and December to January) metropolitan France: 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


French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation


Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average


Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) total: 4,668 km


metropolitan France: 3,427 km
Constitution 28 February 2005; ratified by popular referendum adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 1958


note: 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; amended in 2005 to make the EU constitutional treaty compatible with the Constitution of France and to ensure that the decision to ratify EU accession treaties would be made by referendum
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Burundi


conventional short form: Burundi


local long form: Republique du Burundi/Republika y'u Burundi


local short form: Burundi


former: Urundi
conventional long form: French Republic


conventional short form: France


local long form: Republique francaise


local short form: France
Death rate 13.46 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $1.2 billion (2003) $3.461 trillion (30 June 2006)
Dependent areas - Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna


note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a "sui generis" collectivity of France since 1999, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia Newton MOLLER


embassy: Avenue des Etats-Unis, Bujumbura


mailing address: B. P. 1720, Bujumbura


telephone: [257] 223454


FAX: [257] 222926
chief of mission: Ambassador Craig R. STAPLETON


embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Celestin NIYONGABO


chancery: Suite 212, 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 342-2574


FAX: [1] (202) 342-2578
chief of mission: Ambassador Pierre VIMONT


chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000


FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco
Disputes - international Tutsi, Hutu, other conflicting ethnic groups, associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region, transcending the boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda in an effort to gain control over populated and natural resource areas; government heads pledge to end conflict, but localized violence continues despite the presence of about 6,000 peacekeepers from the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) since 2004; although some 150,000 Burundian refugees have been repatriated, as of February 2005, Burundian refugees still reside in camps in western Tanzania as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $10.1 billion (2006)
Economic aid - recipient $105.5 million (2003) -
Economy - overview Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. The economy is predominantly agricultural with more than 90% of the population dependent on subsistence agriculture. Economic growth depends on coffee and tea exports, which account for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. The ability to pay for imports, therefore, rests primarily on weather conditions and international coffee and tea prices. The Tutsi minority, 14% of the population, dominates the government and the coffee trade at the expense of the Hutu majority, 85% of the population. An ethnic-based war that lasted for over a decade resulted in more than 200,000 deaths, forced more than 48,000 refugees into Tanzania, and displaced 140,000 others internally. Only one in two children go to school, and approximately one in 10 adults has HIV/AIDS. Food, medicine, and electricity remain in short supply. Political stability and the end of the civil war have improved aid flows and economic activity has increased, but underlying weaknesses - a high poverty rate, poor education rates, a weak legal system, and low administrative capacity - risk undermining planned economic reforms. 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 government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence 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 government in 2006 focused on introducing measures that attempt to boost employment through increased labor market flexibility; however, the population has remained opposed to labor reforms, hampering the government's ability to revitalize the economy. The tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). The lingering economic slowdown and inflexible budget items probably pushed the budget deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit in 2006; unemployment hovers near 9%. With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism.
Electricity - consumption 141.4 million kWh (2003) 451.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 68.33 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 10 million kWh; note - supplied by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003) 8.035 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 141.3 million kWh (2003) 543.6 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Lake Tanganyika 772 m


highest point: Heha 2,670 m
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion as a result of overgrazing and the expansion of agriculture into marginal lands; deforestation (little forested land remains because of uncontrolled cutting of trees for fuel); habitat loss threatens wildlife populations 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy) 1%, Europeans 3,000, South Asians 2,000 Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities


overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
Exchange rates Burundi francs per US dollar - 1,138 (2005), 1,100.91 (2004), 1,082.62 (2003), 930.75 (2002), 830.35 (2001) euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006)


head of government: President Pierre NKURUNZIZA (since 26 August 2005); First Vice President Martin NDUWIMANA - Tutsi (since 29 August 2005); Second Vice President Marina BARAMPAMA - Hutu (since 8 September 2006)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by president


elections: the president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the parliament; vice presidents nominated by the president, endorsed by parliament


election results: Pierre NKURUNZIZA was elected president by the parliament by a vote of 151 to 9; note - the constitution adopted in February 2005 permits the post-transition president to be elected by a two-thirds majority of the legislature
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Francois FILLON (since 17 May 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in October 2000); election last held 22 April and 6 May 2007 (next to be held spring 2012); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president


election results: Nicolas SARKOZY wins the election; First Round: percent of vote - Nicolas SARKOZY 31.18%, Segolene ROYAL 25.87%, Francois BAYROU 18.57%, Jean-Marie LE PEN 10.44%, others 13.94%; Second Round: SARKOZY 53.1% and ROYAL 46.9%
Exports NA bbl/day 474,200 bbl/day (2005)
Exports - commodities coffee, tea, sugar, cotton, hides machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners Germany 24.4%, Belgium 11.1%, Netherlands 8%, Switzerland 5.8%, US 4.6%, Pakistan 4% (2005) Germany 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.2%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.7%, Netherlands 4% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description divided by a white diagonal cross into red panels (top and bottom) and green panels (hoist side and fly side) with a white disk superimposed at the center bearing three red six-pointed stars outlined in green arranged in a triangular design (one star above, two stars below) 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
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 46.3%


industry: 20.3%


services: 33.4% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 2%


industry: 20.7%


services: 77.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.1% (2005 est.) 2.2% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 3 30 S, 30 00 E 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


Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note landlocked; straddles crest of the Nile-Congo watershed; the Kagera, which drains into Lake Victoria, is the most remote headstream of the White Nile largest West European nation
Heliports - 3 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.8%


highest 10%: 32.9% (1998)
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 24.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs - metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics


French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe


Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe
Imports NA bbl/day 1.89 million bbl/day (2005)
Imports - commodities capital goods, petroleum products, foodstuffs machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports - partners Kenya 12.9%, Tanzania 10.6%, Belgium 10.4%, Italy 8.1%, France 5.4%, Uganda 5.3%, China 5%, India 4.1% (2005) Germany 19%, Belgium 11%, Italy 8.3%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, UK 6.5%, US 4.6% (2006)
Independence 1 July 1962 (from UN trusteeship under Belgian administration) 486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
Industrial production growth rate 18% (2001) 0.2% (2006 est.)
Industries light consumer goods such as blankets, shoes, soap; assembly of imported components; public works construction; food processing machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 63.13 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 70.26 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 55.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 16% (2005 est.) 1.7% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (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, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IFTU, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 210 sq km (2003) total: 26,190 sq km;


metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal (there are three in separate locations); Tribunals of First Instance (17 at the province level and 123 small local tribunals) 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
Labor force 2.99 million (2002) 27.75 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 93.6%


industry: 2.3%


services: 4.1% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 4.1%


industry: 24.4%


services: 71.5% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 974 km


border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 233 km, Rwanda 290 km, Tanzania 451 km
metropolitan France - 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


French Guiana - total: 1,183 km


border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km


Saint Martin - total: 10.2 km


border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km
Land use arable land: 35.57%


permanent crops: 13.12%


other: 51.31% (2005)
arable land: 33.46%


permanent crops: 2.03%


other: 64.51%


note: French Guiana - arable land 0.13%, permanent crops 0.04%, other 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other); Guadeloupe - arable land 11.70%, permanent crops 2.92%, other 85.38%; Martinique - arable land 9.09%, permanent crops 10.0%, other 80.91%; Reunion - arable land 13.94%, permanent crops 1.59%, other 84.47% (2005)
Languages Kirundi (official), French (official), Swahili (along Lake Tanganyika and in the Bujumbura area) French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)


overseas departments: French, Creole patois
Legal system based on German and Belgian civil codes and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlement, consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (minimum 100 seats - 60% Hutu and 40% Tutsi with at least 30% being women; additional seats appointed by a National Independent Electoral Commission to ensure ethnic representation; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and a Senate (54 seats; 34 by indirect vote to serve five year terms, with remaining seats assigned to ethnic groups and former chiefs of state)


elections: National Assembly - last held 4 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); Senate - last held 29 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CNDD-FDD 58.6%, FRODEBU 21.7%, UPRONA 7.2%, CNDD 4.1%, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2.1%, others 6.2%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 59, FRODEBU 25, UPRONA 10, CNDD 4, MRC-Rurenzangemero 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CNDD-FDD 30, FRODEBU 3, CNDD 1
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (331 seats, 305 for metropolitan France, 9 for overseas departments, 5 for dependencies, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; one third elected every three years); note - between 2006 and 2010, 15 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; starting in 2008, members will be indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve six-year terms, with one-half elected every three years; and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats, 555 for metropolitan France, 15 for overseas departments, 7 for dependencies; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majority system to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 26 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2008); National Assembly - last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012)


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 - UMP 46.37%, PS 42.25%, miscellaneous left wing parties 2.47%, PCF 2.28%, NC 2.12%, PRG 1.65%, miscellaneous right wing parties 1.17%, the Greens 0.45, other 1.24%; seats by party - UMP 313, PS 186, NC 22, miscellaneous left wing parties 15, PCF 15, miscellaneous right wing parties 9, PRG 7, the Greens 4, other 6
Life expectancy at birth total population: 50.81 years


male: 50.07 years


female: 51.58 years (2006 est.)
total population: 80.59 years


male: 77.35 years


female: 84 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 51.6%


male: 58.5%


female: 45.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location Central Africa, east of Democratic Republic of the Congo 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


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


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


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


Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Map references Africa metropolitan France: Europe


French Guiana: South America


Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean


Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean


Reunion: World
Maritime claims none (landlocked) territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


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


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,777,107 GRT/7,533,631 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 31, container 25, liquefied gas 14, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 32, petroleum tanker 22, roll on/roll off 7, vehicle carrier 4


foreign-owned: 56 (Belgium 6, China 5, Denmark 3, Germany 1, Italy 2, Japan 5, Norway 17, NZ 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 10, Switzerland 3)


registered in other countries: 145 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia 1, Bahamas 43, Belgium 1, Bermuda 1, Cameroon 1, Gibraltar 1, Hong Kong 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 2, Italy 5, South Korea 8, Liberia 5, Luxembourg 14, Malta 4, Morocco 13, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, Panama 15, Singapore 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7, Taiwan 1, UK 9, Wallis and Futuna 6) (2007)
Military branches National Defense Force (Forces de Defense Nationales, FDN): Army (includes Naval Detachment and Air Wing), National Gendarmerie (being disbanded) (2006) Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure $43.9 million (2005 est.) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5.6% (2005 est.) 2.6% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 1 July (1962) Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)
Nationality noun: Burundian(s)


adjective: Burundian
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)


adjective: French
Natural hazards flooding, landslides, drought metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean


overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones), flooding, volcanic activity (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion)
Natural resources nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish


French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay
Net migration rate 8.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders the three national, mainstream, governing parties are: Burundi Democratic Front or FRODEBU [Leonce NGENDAKUMANA, president]; National Council for the Defense of Democracy, Front for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD-FDD [Hussein RADJABU, president]; Unity for National Progress or UPRONA [Aloys RUBUKA, president]


note: a multiparty system was introduced after 1998, included are: National Council for the Defense of Democracy or CNDD; National Resistance Movement for the Rehabilitation of the Citizen or MRC-Rurenzangemero [Epitace BANYAGANAKANDI]; Party for National Redress or PARENA [Jean-Baptiste BAGAZA]
Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE [Jacques PELLETIER] (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG); French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Yann WEHRLING]; Left Radical Party or PRG [Jean-Michel BAYLET] (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG); Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; New Center of NC [Herve MORIN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Nicolas SARKOZY]; Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO]
Political pressure groups and leaders none 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)


French Guiana: NA


Guadeloupe: Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement of Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement


Martinique: Caribbean Revolutionary Alliance or ARC; Central Union for Martinique Workers or CSTM [Marc PULVAR]; Frantz Fanon Circle; League of Workers and Peasants; Proletarian Action Group or GAP


Reunion: NA
Population 8,090,068


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
total: 63,713,926


note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 68% (2002 est.) 6.2% (2004)
Population growth rate 3.7% (2006 est.) 0.588% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways - total: 29,370 km


standard gauge: 29,203 km 1.435-m gauge (14,778 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions Christian 67% (Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 5%), indigenous beliefs 23%, Muslim 10% Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%


overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.002 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.708 male(s)/female


total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage NA years of age; universal adult 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: primitive system


domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay


international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: highly developed


domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system


international: country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; 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


overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262
Telephones - main lines in use 27,700 (2004) 34.63 million; 33.897 million (metropolitan France) (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 153,000 (2005) 53.023 million; 51.662 million (metropolitan France) (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2001) 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain hilly and mountainous, dropping to a plateau in east, some plains metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east


French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains


Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin


Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano


Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
Total fertility rate 6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 8.7% (2006 est.)
Waterways mainly on Lake Tanganyika (2003) metropolitan France: 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons)


French Guiana: 3,760 km (460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft) (2006)
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