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Compare Guatemala (2007) - France (2007)

Compare Guatemala (2007) z France (2007)

 Guatemala (2007)France (2007)
 GuatemalaFrance
Administrative divisions 22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa 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: 40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397)


15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157)


65 years and over: 3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 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 sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports 402 (2007) 476 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 12


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
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: 390


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 82


under 914 m: 301 (2007)
total: 184


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 72


under 914 m: 108 (2007)
Area total: 108,890 sq km


land: 108,430 sq km


water: 460 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 Tennessee slightly less than the size of Texas
Background The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees. 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 29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 12.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $3.847 billion


expenditures: $4.435 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $1.152 trillion


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


geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W


time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009
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 tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands 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 400 km total: 4,668 km


metropolitan France: 3,427 km
Constitution 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993 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 Guatemala


conventional short form: Guatemala


local long form: Republica de Guatemala


local short form: Guatemala
conventional long form: French Republic


conventional short form: France


local long form: Republique francaise


local short form: France
Death rate 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $5.175 billion (2006 est.) $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 James M. DERHAM


embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City


mailing address: APO AA 34024


telephone: [502] 2326-4000


FAX: [502] 2326-4654
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 Guillermo CASTILLO


chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952


FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Providence, San Francisco
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 annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States 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 $253.6 million (2005 est.) -
Economy - overview Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered in to force between the US and Guatemala. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit. Remittances from a large expatriate community that moved to the United States during the war have become the primary source of foreign income, exceeding the total value of exports and tourism combined. 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 6.361 billion kWh (2005) 451.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 339 million kWh (2005) 68.33 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 23 million kWh (2005) 8.035 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 7.281 billion kWh (2005) 543.6 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Environment - current issues deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution 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: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census) Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities


overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
Exchange rates quetzales per US dollar - 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002) 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 Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011)


election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%; note - COLOM will take office 14 January 2008
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 15,560 bbl/day (2006 est.) 474,200 bbl/day (2005)
Exports - commodities coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners US 44.6%, El Salvador 11.9%, Honduras 7.2%, Mexico 5.2% (2006) 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 three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath 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: 22.2%


industry: 19.1%


services: 58.7% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 2%


industry: 20.7%


services: 77.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.6% (2006 est.) 2.2% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 15 30 N, 90 15 W 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 no natural harbors on west coast largest West European nation
Heliports - 3 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 43.4% (2002)
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 24.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem 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 72,960 bbl/day (2006 est.) 1.89 million bbl/day (2005)
Imports - commodities fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports - partners US 33.3%, Mexico 8.8%, China 6.5%, El Salvador 5.3%, South Korea 4.9% (2006) Germany 19%, Belgium 11%, Italy 8.3%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.7%, UK 6.5%, US 4.6% (2006)
Independence 15 September 1821 (from Spain) 486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
Industrial production growth rate 3.6% (2006 est.) 0.2% (2006 est.)
Industries sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 32.26 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 27.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 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) 6.6% (2006 est.) 1.7% (2006 est.)
International organization participation BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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 1,300 sq km (2003) total: 26,190 sq km;


metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms) 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 3.86 million (2006 est.) 27.75 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 50%


industry: 15%


services: 35% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 4.1%


industry: 24.4%


services: 71.5% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 1,687 km


border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 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: 13.22%


permanent crops: 5.6%


other: 81.18% (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 Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)


overseas departments: French, Creole patois
Legal system civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; 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 unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held in September 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18


note: in the 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased from 113 to 158
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: 69.69 years


male: 67.94 years


female: 71.52 years (2007 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: 69.1%


male: 75.4%


female: 63.3% (2002 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize 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 Central America and the Caribbean metropolitan France: Europe


French Guiana: South America


Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean


Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean


Reunion: World
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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 Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.4% (2006) 2.6% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 15 September (1821) 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: Guatemalan(s)


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


adjective: French
Natural hazards numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms 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 petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower 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 -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines oil 480 km (2006) gas 14,588 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Edgar DE LEON Sotomayor]; Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Ruben Dario MORALES]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvaro COLOM Caballeros]; National Well-Being or BIEN [Fidel REYES]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [Pablo MONSANTO]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Libertarian Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES]; Reform Movement or MR [Juan Jose CABRERA Alonso]; Unionista Party or PU [Fritz GARCIA]; Unity of National Change or UCN [Sidney SHAW]; Social Democratic Party of Guatemala or PSG [Roger VALENZUELA] 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 Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM 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 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.) total: 63,713,926


note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 56.2% (2004 est.) 6.2% (2004)
Population growth rate 2.152% (2007 est.) 0.588% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways total: 886 km


narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)
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 Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs 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: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.861 male(s)/female


total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 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 18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala


domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity 11 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 60 per 100 persons


international: country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; 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: 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 1.355 million (2006) 34.63 million; 33.897 million (metropolitan France) (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7.179 million (2006) 53.023 million; 51.662 million (metropolitan France) (2006)
Television broadcast stations 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau 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 3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.2% (2005 est.) 8.7% (2006 est.)
Waterways 990 km


note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2007)
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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