Compare Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003) - France (2003)

Compare Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003) z France (2003)

	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2003)	France (2003)

Administrative divisions	6 parishes; Charlotte, Grenadines, Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint Patrick	22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.2% (male 16,755; female 16,163) 15-64 years: 65.5% (male 39,308; female 37,149) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 3,215; female 4,222) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 18.6% (male 5,725,170; female 5,449,991) 15-64 years: 65.1% (male 19,619,994; female 19,583,850) 65 years and over: 16.3% (male 4,006,857; female 5,794,667) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	bananas, coconuts, sweet potatoes, spices; small numbers of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats; fish	wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish
Airports	6 (2002)	477 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2002)	total: 273 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95 914 to 1,523 m: 80 under 914 m: 57 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 204 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 74 under 914 m: 128 (2002)
Area	total: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km) land: 389 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 547,030 sq km land: 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France; excludes the overseas administrative divisions
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC	slightly less than twice the size of Colorado
Background	Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.	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 the euro in January 2002. At present, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.
Birth rate	17.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	12.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $94.6 million expenditures: $85.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)	revenues: $286 billion expenditures: $330 billion, including capital expenditures of $23 billion (2002 est.)
Capital	Kingstown	Paris
Climate	tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)	generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
Coastline	84 km	3,427 km
Constitution	27 October 1979	28 September 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 1993
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	conventional long form: French Republic conventional short form: France local long form: Republique Francaise local short form: France
Currency	East Caribbean dollar (XCD)	euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Death rate	6.08 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$167.2 million (2000)	NA (1998)
Dependent areas	-	Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and Futuna note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. LEACH 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 Ellsworth I. A. JOHN chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6736 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-David LEVITTE chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000 FAX: [1] (202) 944-6166 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco
Disputes - international	protests Venezuela's claim to give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea	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 French Guiana; territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia, claimed by France and Vanuatu
Economic aid - donor	-	ODA, $6.3 billion (1997)
Economic aid - recipient	$47.5 million (1995); note - EU $34.5 million (1998)	-
Economy - overview	Bananas and other agricultural products remain the staple of this lower-middle income country's economy. Although tourism and other services have been growing moderately in recent years, the government has been ineffective at introducing new industries. Unemployment remains high, and economic growth hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector, but its restrictive secrecy laws have come under international review. As of June 2001, it remained on the Financial Action Task Force's list of noncooperative jurisdictions. Saint Vincent is also the largest producer of marijuana in the Eastern Caribbean and is increasingly being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.	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 Socialist-led government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, but still retains controlling stakes in several leading firms, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales, and remains 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 current government has lowered income taxes and introduced measures to boost employment. At the end of 2002 the government was 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 government was also pushing for pension reforms and simplification of administrative procedures. The tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe. The current economic slowdown and inflexible budget items have pushed the deficit above the EU's 3% debt limit. Business investment remains listless because of low rates of capital utilization, high debt, and the steep cost of capital.
Electricity - consumption	86 million kWh (2001)	415.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	72.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	4.2 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	92.48 million kWh (2001)	520.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 69.3% hydro: 30.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	fossil fuel: 8.2% hydro: 14% nuclear: 77.1% other: 0.7% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Soufriere 1,234 m	lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Environment - current issues	pollution of coastal waters and shorelines from discharges by pleasure yachts and other effluents; in some areas, pollution is severe enough to make swimming prohibitive	some forest damage from acid rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol	party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups	black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%	Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Exchange rates	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000), 2.7 (1999), 2.7 (1998)	euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Fredrick Nathaniel BALLANTYNE (since 2 September 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Ralph E. GONSALVES (since 29 March 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister	chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the suggestion of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (changed from seven-year term in 2001); election last held 21 April and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round NA April 2007, second round NA May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly majority and appointed by the president election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN (FN) 18.04%
Exports	NA (2001)	409,600 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	bananas 39%, eddoes and dasheen (taro), arrowroot starch, tennis racquets	machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners	France 25.2%, Greece 19.1%, Spain 16.4%, UK 9.5%, US 7.1% (2002)	Germany 15%, UK 9.8%, Spain 9%, Italy 9%, US 7.8%, Belgium 6.9% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	three vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold (double width), and green; the gold band bears three green diamonds arranged in a V pattern	three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, Luxembourg, and Netherlands; the official flag for all French dependent areas
GDP	purchasing power parity - $339 million (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1.558 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 10% industry: 26% services: 64% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 26% services: 71% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)	purchasing power parity - $26,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-0.5% (2002 est.)	1.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	13 15 N, 61 12 W	46 00 N, 2 00 E
Geography - note	the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays	largest West European nation
Heliports	-	3 (2002)
Highways	total: 1,040 km paved: 320 km unpaved: 720 km (1999 est.)	total: 894,000 km paved: 894,000 km (including 11,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 25.1% (1995)
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation	transshipment point for and consumer of South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics
Imports	NA (2001)	2.281 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, minerals and fuels	machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals
Imports - partners	France 32.7%, US 11.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.4%, Singapore 10.1%, Spain 7.9%, Greece 4.3% (2002)	Germany 19.4%, Belgium 9.2%, Italy 8.8%, UK 7.3%, Netherlands 7%, US 6.8%, Spain 6.7% (2002)
Independence	27 October 1979 (from UK)	486 (unified by Clovis)
Industrial production growth rate	-0.9% (1997 est.)	-0.3% (2002)
Industries	food processing, cement, furniture, clothing, starch	machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 15.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-0.4% (2001 est.)	1.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO	ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CDB (non-regional), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, 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, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WCO, WEU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	15 (2000)	62 (2000)
Irrigated land	10 sq km (1998 est.)	20,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)	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	67,000 (1984 est.)	26.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 26%, industry 17%, services 57% (1980 est.)	services 71%, industry 25%, agriculture 4% (1997)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 2,889 km border countries: Andorra 56.6 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Land use	arable land: 10.26% permanent crops: 17.95% other: 71.79% (1998 est.)	arable land: 33.3% permanent crops: 2.11% other: 64.59% (1998 est.)
Languages	English, French patois	French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Legal system	based on English common law	civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Legislative branch	unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators; representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ULP 12, NDP 3	bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2004); National Assembly - last held 8-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA June 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 83, PS 68, UDF 37, DL 35, RDES 16, PCF 16, other 66; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 355, PS 140, UDF 29, PCF 21, Radical Party 7, Greens 3, other 22
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.08 years male: 71.3 years female: 74.92 years (2003 est.)	total population: 79.28 years male: 75.63 years female: 83.11 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 96% male: 96% female: 96% (1970 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1980 est.)
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago	Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Europe
Maritime claims	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (does not apply to the Mediterranean) territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 769 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,365,887 GRT/9,665,937 DWT ships by type: bulk 133, cargo 376, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 7, container 58, liquefied gas 8, livestock carrier 4, multi-functional large-load carrier 2, passenger 5, petroleum tanker 43, refrigerated cargo 46, roll on/roll off 45, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 10, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 1, Anguilla 1, Argentina 1, Australia 2, The Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Barbados 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 14, Canada 1, Cayman Islands 1, China 135, Colombia 1, Croatia 12, Cyprus 6, Denmark 16, Egypt 7, Estonia 6, France 27, Germany 12, Greece 156, Guyana 7, Hong Kong 23, Iceland 1, India 11, Indonesia 3, Israel 2, Italy 19, Japan 1, Kenya 4, Latvia 5, Lebanon 9, Liberia 5, Lithuania 1, Malta 1, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 3, Mexico 1, Monaco 6, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Nigeria 3, Norway 33, Pakistan 5, Panama 2, Poland 2, Portugal 2, Puerto Rico 2, Russia 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saudi Arabia 3, Singapore 4, Slovenia 7, South Korea 4, Spain 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 10, Syria 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 15, Ukraine 8, UAE 45, UK 16, US 25, Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)	total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 749,570 GRT/939,134 DWT ships by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 9, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: French Polynesia 2, Greece 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Sweden 9 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (includes Special Service Unit), Coast Guard	Army (includes marines), Navy (includes naval air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$NA	$46.5 billion (2000)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA%	2.57% (2002)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 14,523,208 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 12,079,413 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 392,824 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 27 October (1979)	Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality	noun: Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) adjective: Saint Vincentian or Vincentian	noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French
Natural hazards	hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat	flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean
Natural resources	hydropower, cropland	coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potash, timber, fish
Net migration rate	-7.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 13,946 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	National Reform Party or NRP [Joel MIGUEL]; New Democratic Party or NDP [Arnhim EUSTACE]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Ken BOYEA]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [leader NA]; United People's Movement or UPM [Adrian SAUNDERS]; Unity Labor Party or ULP [Ralph GONSALVES] (formed by the coalition of Saint Vincent Labor Party or SVLP and the Movement for National Unity or MNU)	Citizen and Republican Movement or MCR [Jean Pierre CHEVENEMENT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or RDSE (mainly RAD and PRG) [leader NA]; 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]; Liberal Democracy or DL (originally Republican Party or PR; now merged into the UMP) [Alain MADELIN]; Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]; Rally for France or RPF [Charles PASQUA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR (merged into UMP) [Serge LEPELTIER]; Socialist Party or PS [Francois HOLLANDE]; Greens [Martine BILLARD, Denis BAUPIN, Stephane POCRAIN, Maryse ARDITI]; Union for French Democracy or UDF (coalition of DL, CDS, UDF, RP, and other parties) [Francois BAYROU]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (including RPR, DL, and a part of UDF) [Alain JUPPE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	historically-Communist labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail) or CGT, approximately 700,000 members (claimed); left-leaning labor union (Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail) or CFDT, approximately 865,000 members (claimed, of which 810,000 are actively employed); independent labor union (Confederation Generale du Travail - Force Ouvriere) or FO, 300,000 members (est.); independent white-collar union (Confederation Generale des Cadres) or CGC, 196,000 members (claimed); employers' union (Mouvement des Entreprises de France) or MEDEF, 750,000 companies as members (claimed)
Population	116,812 (July 2003 est.)	60,180,529 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	6.4% (1999)
Population growth rate	0.34% (2003 est.)	0.42% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Kingstown	Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nates, Paris, Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	0 km	total: 32,682 km standard gauge: 32,515 km 1.435-m gauge (14,104 km electrified) narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Religions	Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant	Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	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: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: adequate system domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia	general assessment: highly developed domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries
Telephones - main lines in use	20,500 (1998)	34.86 million (yearend 1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	11.078 million (yearend 1998)
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus three repeaters) (1997)	584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous	mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Total fertility rate	1.95 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.85 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	22% (1997 est.)	9.1% (2002 est.)
Waterways	none	14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)

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.