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Compare Lithuania (2007) - France (2008)

Compare Lithuania (2007) z France (2008)

 Lithuania (2007)France (2008)
 LithuaniaFrance
Administrative divisions 10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus 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, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Reunion, 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: 14.9% (male 273,573/female 259,570)


15-64 years: 69.3% (male 1,213,011/female 1,264,996)


65 years and over: 15.8% (male 194,500/female 369,789) (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 grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports 87 (2007) 476 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 30


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 17 (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: 57


over 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 53 (2007)
total: 184


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 72


under 914 m: 108 (2007)
Area total: 65,200 sq km


land: NA sq km


water: NA 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 larger than West Virginia slightly less than the size of Texas
Background Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795, when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I, but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. 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 hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations. 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 8.87 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 12.91 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $10.05 billion


expenditures: $10.12 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $1.311 trillion


expenditures: $1.372 trillion (2007 est.)
Capital name: Vilnius


geographic coordinates: 54 41 N, 25 19 E


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


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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 transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers 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 90 km total: 4,668 km


metropolitan France: 3,427 km
Constitution adopted 25 October 1992 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, 1997 Amsterdam Treaty, 2003 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 Lithuania


conventional short form: Lithuania


local long form: Lietuvos Respublika


local short form: Lietuva


former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic
conventional long form: French Republic


conventional short form: France


local long form: Republique francaise


local short form: France
Death rate 11.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 8.55 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $16.2 billion (2006 est.) $4.396 trillion (30 June 2007)
Dependent areas - Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, 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 John A. CLOUD


embassy: Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106


mailing address: American Embassy, Akmenu Gatve 6, Vilnius LT-03106


telephone: [370] (5) 266 5500


FAX: [370] (5) 266 5510
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 Audrius BRUZGA


chancery: 4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860


FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466


consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York
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, Washington, DC
Disputes - international Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as a EU member state having an external border with a non-EU member, to strict Schengen border rules; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over potential hydrocarbons; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documents in preparation 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, $12 billion (2006)
Economic aid - recipient $249.7 million (2004) -
Economy - overview Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has grown rapidly since rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. Unemployment fell to 3.7% in 2006, while wages grew 17.6%, contributing to rising inflation. Exports and imports continue to grow strongly, and the current account deficit rose to nearly 10% of GDP in 2006. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and joined the EU in May 2004. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities is nearly complete. Foreign government and business support have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy, but foreign direct investment declined in 2006. 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. Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. In 2007, the government launched divisive labor reform efforts that will continue into 2008. France's tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). France brought the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit for the first time in 2007 and has reduced unemployment to roughly 8%. 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 9.296 billion kWh (2005) 451.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 8.607 billion kWh (2005) 68.33 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 5.641 billion kWh (2005) 8.035 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 13.48 billion kWh (2005) 543.6 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Juozapines Kalnas 293.6 m
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Environment - current issues contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases 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: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


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 Lithuanian 83.4%, Polish 6.7%, Russian 6.3%, other or unspecified 3.6% (2001 census) Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities


overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian
Exchange rates litai per US dollar - 2.7498 (2006), 2.774 (2005), 2.7806 (2004), 3.0609 (2003), 3.677 (2002) euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)


head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July 2006)


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


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament


election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with five abstentions
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 145,100 bbl/day (2004) 474,200 bbl/day (2005)
Exports - commodities mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001) machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners Russia 12.8%, Latvia 11.1%, Germany 8.6%, Estonia 6.5%, Poland 6.1%, Netherlands 4.8%, Sweden 4.5%, UK 4.4%, US 4.3%, Denmark 4.2%, France 4.2% (2006) Germany 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.3%, Belgium 7.3%, US 6.6%, Netherlands 4% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red 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: 5.5%


industry: 35%


services: 59.6% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 2%


industry: 20.7%


services: 77.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 7.5% (2006 est.) 1.8% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 56 00 N, 24 00 E metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E


French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W


Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W


Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W


Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E
Geography - note fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits largest West European nation
Heliports - 3 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.7%


highest 10%: 27.7% (2003)
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 24.8% (2004)
Illicit drugs transshipment and destination point for cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, and opiates from Southwest Asia, Latin America, Western Europe, and neighboring Baltic countries; growing production of high-quality amphetamines, but limited production of cannabis, methamphetamines; susceptible to money laundering despite changes to banking legislation 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 187,800 bbl/day (2004) 1.89 million bbl/day (2005)
Imports - commodities mineral products, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, textiles and clothing, metals machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports - partners Russia 24.3%, Germany 14.9%, Poland 9.5%, Latvia 4.8% (2006) Germany 18.9%, Belgium 11.1%, Italy 8.4%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.8%, UK 6.6%, US 4.6% (2006)
Independence 11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by Soviet Union) 486 (Frankish tribes unified); 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire)
Industrial production growth rate 7% (2006 est.) 1.6% (2007 est.)
Industries metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 6.68 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.99 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.29 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) 3.8% (2006 est.) 1.5% (2007 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ABEDA, ACCT, ADB (nonregional members), AfDB, Arctic Council (observer), 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, MINURCAT, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, 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, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 70 sq km (2003) total: 26,190 sq km;


metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President 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 1.588 million (2006 est.) 27.76 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 15.8%


industry: 28.2%


services: 56% (2004)
agriculture: 4.1%


industry: 24.4%


services: 71.5% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 1,613 km


border countries: Belarus 653.5 km, Latvia 588 km, Poland 103.7 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 267.8 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
Land use arable land: 44.81%


permanent crops: 0.9%


other: 54.29% (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 Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census) French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)


overseas departments: French, Creole patois
Legal system based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court; 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 Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members are elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS 14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29, Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11, National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union) 11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center Union 8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)
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 six-year terms; one third elected every three years); note - between 2006 and 2011, 15 new seats will be added to the Senate for a total of 348 seats - 326 for metropolitan France and overseas departments, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for Mayotte, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 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 in June 2012)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 156, PS 97, UDF (now MoDem) 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: 74.44 years


male: 69.46 years


female: 79.69 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: 99.6%


male: 99.6%


female: 99.6% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia 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 Europe 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 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: 50 ships (1000 GRT or over) 363,795 GRT/366,624 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 16


foreign-owned: 9 (Denmark 9)


registered in other countries: 20 (Antigua and Barbuda 6, North Korea 1, Norway 1, Panama 5, St Vincent and The Grenadines 7, unknown 3) (2007)
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 Ground Forces, Naval Force, Lithuanian Military Air Forces, National Defense Volunteer Forces (2005) Army (includes marines, Foreign Legion, light aviation), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes air defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (2006; 1.23% 2007 est.) 2.6% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and established its statehood; 11 March 1990 was the date it declared its independence from the Soviet Union 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: Lithuanian(s)


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


adjective: French
Natural hazards NA 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 peat, arable land, amber 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 -0.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,696 km; oil 228 km; refined products 121 km (2006) gas 14,665 km; oil 3,032 km; refined products 4,947 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI]; National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS]; Labor Party [Kestutis DAUKSYS]; Liberal and Center Union [Arturas ZUOKAS]; Liberal Democratic Party [Rolandas PAKSAS]; Liberal Movement [Petras AUSTREVICIUS]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania [Julius VESELKA]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS]; Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas VAGNORIUS]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists [Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS] Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF); Democratic and Social European Rally or RDSE [Pierre LAFFITTE] (mainly Radical Republican and Socialist Parties, and PRG); French Communist Party or PCF [Marie-George BUFFET]; Greens [Cecile DUFLOT]; 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 or NC [Herve MORIN]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT and Georges SARRE]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP [Patrick DEVEDJIAN, Jean-Claude GAUDIN, Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN, Pierre MEHAIGNERIE]; Radical Party [Jean-Louis BORLOO]
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 803,000 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 for an Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI; The Socialist Renewal Movement


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


Reunion: NA
Population 3,575,439 (July 2007 est.) total: 64,057,790


note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line 4% (2003) 6.2% (2004)
Population growth rate -0.289% (2007 est.) 0.588% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001) AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways total: 1,771 km


broad gauge: 1,749 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)


standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-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 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census) 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: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.054 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.959 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.526 male(s)/female


total population: 0.887 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 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access


domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications


international: country code - 370; landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite
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 792,400 (2006) 34.63 million; 33,897,000 (metropolitan France) (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 4.718 million (2006) 53.023 million; 51,662,000 (metropolitan France) (2006)
Television broadcast stations 27 (may have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations) (2001) 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil 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 1.21 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.98 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 3.7%


note: based on survey data, official registered unemployment of 5.7% (2006 est.)
8% (2007 est.)
Waterways 425 km (2005) 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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