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Compare Cape Verde (2004) - France (2002)

Compare Cape Verde (2004) z France (2002)

 Cape Verde (2004)France (2002)
 Cape VerdeFrance
Administrative divisions 17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal 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)
Age structure 0-14 years: 40% (male 83,835; female 82,318)


15-64 years: 53.3% (male 106,846; female 114,312)


65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,580; female 17,403) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 5,675,269; female 5,401,661)


15-64 years: 65.2% (male 19,503,556; female 19,479,646)


65 years and over: 16.3% (male 3,948,433; female 5,757,418) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports 7


note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2003 est.)
477 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 6


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2004 est.)
total: 273


over 3,047 m: 13


2,438 to 3,047 m: 28


1,524 to 2,437 m: 95


914 to 1,523 m: 80


under 914 m: 57 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 204


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 74


under 914 m: 128 (2002)
Area total: 4,033 sq km


land: 4,033 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 547,030 sq km


land: 545,630 sq km


water: 1,400 sq km


note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Area - comparative slightly larger than Rhode Island slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
Background The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. 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 advent of the euro in January 1999. Presently, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.
Birth rate 26.13 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 11.94 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $252.9 million


expenditures: $269.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
revenues: $210 billion


expenditures: $240 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Praia Paris
Climate temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic 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
Coastline 965 km 3,427 km
Constitution new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) 28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in 1962, amended to comply with provisions of EC Maastricht Treaty in 1992, Amsterdam Treaty in 1996, Treaty of Nice in 2000; amended to tighten immigration laws 1993
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde


conventional short form: Cape Verde


local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde


local short form: Cabo Verde
conventional long form: French Republic


conventional short form: France


local long form: Republique Francaise


local short form: France
Currency Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)


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
Death rate 6.72 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $325 million (2002) $106 billion (1998)
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
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON


embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia


mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia


telephone: [238] 61 56 16, 61 56 17


FAX: [238] 61 13 55
chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. LEACH


embassy: 2 Avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris


mailing address: PSC 116, B210 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 Jose BRITO


chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820


FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207


consulate(s) general: Boston
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE


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, and San Francisco
Disputes - international none Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin 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
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $6.3 billion (1997) (1997)
Economic aid - recipient $136 million (1999) -
Economy - overview This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for 72% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 2001 was only 11%, of which fishing accounted for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 2004 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. France is in the midst of a gradual 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, but still retains large stakes in several leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, and Renault, and remains dominant in some sectors, particularly the 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 has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost employment but has done little to reform an overly expensive pension system, rigid labor market, and restrictive bureaucracy which discourage hiring and make the tax burden one of the highest in Europe. In addition to the tax burden, the reduction of the workweek to 35 hours has drawn criticism for lowering the competitiveness of French businesses. The current economic slowdown has thrown the government's goal of balancing the budget by 2004 off track.
Electricity - consumption 39.08 million kWh (2001) 408.51 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 73.172 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 3.737 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 42.03 million kWh (2001) 513.92 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 10%


hydro: 13%


nuclear: 77%


other: 1% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Exchange rates Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001), 115.877 (2000), 102.7 (1999) euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001)


head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 11 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president


election results: Pedro PIRES elected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note - the election was won by only twelve votes
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May 2002)


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


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in 2001); election last held 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round NA April 2007, second round NA 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%
Exports NA (2001) $307.8 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners Portugal 31%, France 27.6%, UK 17.2%, US 17.2% (2003) EU 61.3% (Germany 14.7%, UK 9.8%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.8%), US 8.7% (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); 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 purchasing power parity - $600 million (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.54 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10%


industry: 16.5%


services: 62.8% (2003)
agriculture: 3%


industry: 26%


services: 71% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $25,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2002 est.) 1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 00 N, 24 00 W 46 00 N, 2 00 E
Geography - note strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site largest West European nation
Heliports - 3 (2002)
Highways total: 1,100 km


paved: 858 km


unpaved: 242 km (1999 est.)
total: 892,900 km


paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1995)
Illicit drugs used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics
Imports NA (2001) $303.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports - partners Portugal 46.7%, Netherlands 9.1%, Belgium 3.8% (2003) EU 58.6% (Germany 16.7%, Benelux 7.0%, Italy 9.1%, UK 7.5%), US 8.9% (2001)
Independence 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) 486 (unified by Clovis)
Industrial production growth rate NA -0.3% (2002)
Industries food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 49.14 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 43.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
4.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2003) 1.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, FZ, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 62 (2000)
Irrigated land 30 sq km (1998 est.) 20,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia 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 NA (1980) 26.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - services 71%, industry 25%, agriculture 4% (1997)
Land boundaries 0 km 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
Land use arable land: 9.68%


permanent crops: 0.5%


other: 89.82% (2001)
arable land: 33.3%


permanent crops: 2.11%


other: 64.59% (1998 est.)
Languages Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Legal system derived from the legal system of Portugal civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA December 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2
bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2004); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 83, PS 68, UDC 37, DL 35, RDES 16, PCF 16, other 66; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7, The Greens 3, other 22
Life expectancy at birth total population: 70.14 years


male: 66.83 years


female: 73.54 years (2004 est.)
total population: 79.05 years


male: 75.17 years


female: 83.14 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 76.6%


male: 85.8%


female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (1980 est.)
Location Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal 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
Map references Political Map of the World Europe
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 NM


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


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


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT


by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 1


foreign-owned: United Kingdom 1 (2004 est.)
total: 49 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,263,691 GRT/1,769,932 DWT


ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, chemical tanker 9, combination bulk 1, container 3, liquefied gas 3, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 4


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: French Polynesia 2, Greece 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Sweden 9 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Coast Guard Army (includes marines), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure $12.3 million (2003) $46.5 billion (2000)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (2003) 2.57% (2002)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 98,394 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 14,534,480 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 55,477 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 12,092,938 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 390,064 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 5 July (1975) Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality noun: Cape Verdean(s)


adjective: Cape Verdean
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)


adjective: French
Natural hazards prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Natural resources salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potash, timber, fish
Net migration rate -12.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural gas 24,746 km
Political parties and leaders African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president] Citizen adn Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDES (mainly RAD and PRG) [leader NA]; Forum of Social Republicans or FRS (offshoot from UMP) [Christine BOUTIN]; French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Generation Ecology [France GAMERRE]; Hunting, Fishing, Nature, and Tradition or CPNT [Jean SAINT-JOSSE]; Independent Ecological Movement or MEI [Antoine WAECHTER]; Left Radical Party or PRG (previously Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG) [Jean-Michel BAYLET]; Liberal-Christian Right [Charles MILLON]; Liberal Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR) [Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; National Front or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; National Republican Movement or MNR [Bruno MEGRET]; Radical Party or RP [Francois LOOS]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Michelle ALLIOT-MARIE]; Revolutionary Communists' League or LCR [Alain KRIVINE]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; The Greens [Gilles LEMAIRE, national secretary]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of DL, CDS, UDF, RP, and other parties) [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Alain JUPPE]; Union of the Center or UDC [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA 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 865,000 members (claimed, of which 810,000 are actively employed); 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)
Population 415,294 (July 2004 est.) 59,765,983 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 30% (2000) NA%
Population growth rate 0.73% (2004 est.) 0.35% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 15 (and 17 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios - 55.3 million (1997)
Railways - total: 31,939 km (operated by French National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-track)


standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)
Religions Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.06 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 (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: effective system, being improved


domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system which is scheduled for completion in 2003


international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: highly developed


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


international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries
Telephones - main lines in use 71,700 (2003) 34.86 million (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 53,300 (2003) 11.078 million (yearend 1998)
Television broadcast stations 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Total fertility rate 3.62 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.74 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 21% (2000 est.) 9.1% (2002 est.)
Waterways - 14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)
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