Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare France (2005) - Antigua and Barbuda (2002)

Compare France (2005) z Antigua and Barbuda (2002)

 France (2005)Antigua and Barbuda (2002)
 FranceAntigua and Barbuda
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)
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Age structure 0-14 years: 18.4% (male 5,717,761/female 5,440,060)


15-64 years: 65.2% (male 19,784,749/female 19,752,432)


65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,084,193/female 5,876,983) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 28% (male 9,618; female 9,293)


15-64 years: 67.3% (male 22,695; female 22,682)


65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,289; female 1,871) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane; livestock
Airports 478 (2004 est.) 3 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 283


over 3,047 m: 13


2,438 to 3,047 m: 28


1,524 to 2,437 m: 95


914 to 1,523 m: 82


under 914 m: 65 (2004 est.)
total: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
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.)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area 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
total: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)


land: 442 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of Colorado 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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. The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak and Carib Indians populated the islands when Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.
Birth rate 12.15 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 18.84 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.005 trillion


expenditures: $1.08 trillion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (2004 est.)
revenues: $123.7 million


expenditures: $145.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Paris Saint John's
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 tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 3,427 km 153 km
Constitution adopted by referendum 28 September 1958, effective 4 October 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 1 November 1981
Country name conventional long form: French Republic


conventional short form: France


local long form: Republique Francaise


local short form: France
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda
Currency - East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Death rate 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 5.75 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $NA $231 million (1999)
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 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
the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador Lionel Alexander HURST


chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016


telephone: [1] (202) 362-5211


FAX: [1] (202) 362-5225


consulate(s) general: Miami
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 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 none
Economic aid - donor ODA, $5.4 billion (2002) -
Economic aid - recipient - $2.3 million (1995)
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 government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers. It 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 government has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost employment and reform the pension system. In addition, it 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 tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (43.8% of GDP in 2003). The lingering economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the budget deficit above the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit. Finance Minister Herve GAYMARD has promised that the 2005 deficit will fall below 3%. Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages in tourism and construction work. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts, and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for about one-third of all tourist arrivals.
Electricity - consumption 414.7 billion kWh (2002) 93 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 79.9 billion kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 3 billion kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 528.6 billion kWh (2002) 100 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m
Environment - current issues some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly
Environment - international agreements 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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Executive branch chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)


head of government: Prime Minister Dominique DE VILLEPIN (since 31 May 2005)


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 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%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General James B. CARLISLE (since NA 1993)


head of government: Prime Minister Lester Bryant BIRD (since 8 March 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Robin YEARWOOD


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Exports 409,600 bbl/day (2001) $40 million (2000 est.)
Exports - commodities machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%
Exports - partners Germany 15%, Spain 9.5%, UK 9.3%, Italy 9%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.7% (2004) OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band
GDP - purchasing power parity - $674 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.7%


industry: 24.3%


services: 73% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 19%


services: 77% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - $10,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2.1% (2004 est.) 3.5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 46 00 N, 2 00 E 17 03 N, 61 48 W
Geography - note largest West European nation Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor
Heliports 3 (2004 est.) -
Highways total: 893,100 km


paved: 893,100 km (including 12,000 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (2002)
total: 1,165 km


paved: 384 km


unpaved: 781 km


note: it is assumed that the main roads are paved; the secondary roads are assumed to be unpaved (1995)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center
Imports 2.281 million bbl/day (2001) $357 million (2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, oil
Imports - partners Germany 19.2%, Belgium 9.9%, Italy 8.8%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, US 5.1% (2004) US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%
Independence 486 (unified by Clovis) 1 November 1981 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 1.7% (2004 est.) 6% (1997 est.)
Industries machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household appliances)
Infant mortality rate total: 4.26 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 3.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
21.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.3% (2004 est.) 0.4% (2000 est.)
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 ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 16 (2000)
Irrigated land 20,000 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
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 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Labor force 27.7 million (2004 est.) 30,000
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 4.1%, industry 24.4%, services 71.5% (1999) commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983) (1983)
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
0 km
Land use arable land: 33.53%


permanent crops: 2.07%


other: 64.4% (2001)
arable land: 18.18%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 81.82% (1998 est.)
Languages French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) English (official), local dialects
Legal system civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts based on English common law
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 majority system to serve five-year terms)


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)


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
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Representatives - last held 9 March 1999 (next to be held prior to March 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - ALP 53.2%, UPP 45.5%, independent 1.3%; seats by party - ALP 12, UPP 4, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.6 years


male: 75.96 years


female: 83.42 years (2005 est.)
total population: 71.02 years


male: 68.72 years


female: 73.45 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (1980 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 89%


male: 90%


female: 88% (1960 est.)
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 Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims 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
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT


by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 4, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 30, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1


foreign-owned: 6 (Sweden 5, Switzerland 1)


registered in other countries: 139 (2005)
total: 762 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,541,940 GRT/5,894,553 DWT


ships by type: bulk 20, cargo 469, chemical tanker 9, combination bulk 4, container 202, liquefied gas 7, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 9, roll on/roll off 35


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bangladesh 2, Belgium 3, Colombia 1, Cuba 1, Estonia 1, Germany 747, Greece 1, Iceland 8, Latvia 1, Lebanon 2, Lithuania 1, Netherlands 22, New Zealand 2, Portugal 1, Slovenia 6, South Africa 1, Sweden 2, United Kingdom 1, United States 7 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force (including the Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $45,238.1 million (2003) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6% (2003) NA%
National holiday Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)
Nationality noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)


adjective: French
noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s)


adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan
Natural hazards flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts
Natural resources coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Net migration rate 0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) -6.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, 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]; National Front or NF [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Greens [Yann WEHRLING, national secretary]; 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] Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] (a coalition of three opposition parties - United National Democratic Party or UNDP, Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM, and Progressive Labor Movement or PLM)
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) Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]
Population 60,656,178 (July 2005 est.) 67,448 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 6.5% (2000) NA%
Population growth rate 0.37% (2005 est.) 0.69% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg Saint John's
Radio broadcast stations AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998) AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 36,000 (1997)
Railways total: 29,519 km


standard gauge: 29,352 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
total: 77 km


narrow gauge: 64 km 0.760-m gauge; 13 km 0.610-m gauge (used almost exclusively for handling sugarcane) (2001 est.)
Religions Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% Christian, (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some Roman Catholic)
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: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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
general assessment: NA


domestic: good automatic telephone system


international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe
Telephones - main lines in use 33,905,400 (2003) 28,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular 41,683,100 (2003) 1,300 (1996)
Television broadcast stations 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995) 2 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher volcanic areas
Total fertility rate 1.85 children born/woman (2005 est.) 2.29 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.1% (2004 est.) 7% (2000 est.)
Waterways 8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000) none
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.