France
Semi-presidential republicIndependent since 843

Official:
Republic of France
Local name:
France
Region:
Western Europe
Area:
549,087 km²
Capital:
Paris

Geography
France is a country on the Atlantic coast of Western Europe. The land has a total area of 549,087 km² (212,004 mi²) and a total coastline of 3,427 km (2,129.4 mi). This land area is approximately 79% of the area of Texas. In terms of area, France is the third largest country in Europe after Russia and Ukraine and the 49th largest in the world. An exceptionally high proportion of residents (81%) belongs to the urban population.France is comparatively low at an average elevation of 375 meters above sea level. The highest mountain peak (Mont Blanc) is at 4,810 meters. The country has about 70 islands. There are direct national borders with the eight neighboring countries Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain and Switzerland. The distance between New York City and the Capital Paris is about 5,840 km (3,629 mi).
On further pages:
Current time in France:
The countrywide time in France is Central European Time (CET).
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually +1 hours in summer and +2 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 29 at 2:00 am (local time).
Time zones and clock changesPublic Holidays in FranceSunrise and sunset00:00
June 2023
The countrywide time in France is Central European Time (CET).
As in many countries far away from the equator, there is a daylight savings time in the summer. Related to GMT, the time difference is usually +1 hours in summer and +2 hours in winter. The next time change will be on October 29 at 2:00 am (local time).
Population
Population:67,750,000
Population per km²:123.4
Life expectancy males:Ø 79.3 years
Life expectancy females:
Ø 85.5 yearsBirth rate:
10.9 ‰Death rate:
9.7 ‰Males/Females:
48.3% : 51.7%Population pyramid

The currency in France is the euro (EUR).
1 Euro is divided into 100 Cent.
Status: 06/05/2023
1 Euro is divided into 100 Cent.
Status: 06/05/2023
1 US dollar = 0.94 Euros
1 Euro = 1.07 US dollar
1 Euro = 1.07 US dollar
The climate in France
Due to the size of the country and its extension from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, France has a wide variety of climate zones. In the northwest, there is a temperate maritime climate with mild winters and only moderately warm summers. In the east, far from the Atlantic coast, there is a continental climate with sometimes quite severe winters. Winters are warmest on the Mediterranean coast. Summers are consistently hot with only low precipitation.Average daytime and nighttime temperatures


Languages
Official language:
French
Mother tongue | Distribution |
---|---|
French | 93.6 % |
Arabic | 2.5 % |
Portuguese | 1.2 % |
Italian | 0.4 % |
Spanish | 0.4 % |
Turkish | 0.4 % |
other | 1.5 % |
Religions
Religion | Distribution |
---|---|
Buddhists | 0.6% |
Roman Catholics | 58.0% |
other Christs | 6.0% |
Muslims | 8.0% |
Jews | 0.7% |
nondenominational | 24.0% |
other | 2.7% |
more...
Economy
GDP: | 2,957.88 bn $ |
Exportations: | 921.61 bn $ |
Importations: | 957.53 bn $ |
Budget deficit: | 131.49 bn $ |
› Tourism receipts: | 35.96 bn $ |
› Debt rate: | 112.58 % |
› Unemployment rate: | 7.5 % |
› Inflation rate: | 5.22 % |
› Corruption index: | 72 (good) |
› Energy consumption: | 472.7 bn kWh |
With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.903, France counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.
Considering the purchasing power parity, France is among the 30 richest countries in the world and, with an average annual income of 44,160 USD is one of the high-income countries.
Land use
16% Urban areas: | 86,463 km² |
52% Agricultural areas: | 288,051 km² |
32% Forest: | 173,017 km² |
0% Water areas: | 1,530 km² |
0% Others: | 1,556 km² |
more...
Transport
Roadways: | 1,053,215 km |
Railways: | 29,640 km |
Commercial harbors: | 548 |
› Airports: | 50 |
Most important cities
City | Region | Population |
---|---|---|
Paris / Capital | Île-de-France | 2,206,000 |
Marseille | Côte d'Azur | 862,000 |
Lyon | Rhone-Alpes | 513,000 |
Toulouse | Midi-Pyrénées | 472,000 |
Nice | Côte d'Azur | 343,000 |
Nantes | Pays de la Loire | 303,000 |
Montpellier | Languedoc-Roussillon | 278,000 |
Strasbourg | Alsace | 277,000 |
Bordeaux | Aquitaine | 250,000 |
Lille | Pas-de-Calais | 233,000 |
Rennes | Brittany | 215,000 |
Reims | Champagne | 184,000 |
Cergy-Pontoise | Île-de-France | 183,000 |
Le Havre | Haute-Normandie | 172,000 |
Saint-Étienne | Rhone-Alpes | 171,000 |
Toulon | Côte d'Azur | 167,000 |
Dijon | Bourgogne | 155,000 |
Clermont-Ferrand | Auvergne | 141,000 |
Limoges | Limousin | 134,000 |
Amiens | Picardie | 133,000 |
Metz | Lorraine | 117,000 |
Besançon | Franche-Comté | 117,000 |
Orléans | Centre | 115,000 |
Rouen | Haute-Normandie | 110,000 |
Caen | Basse-Normandy | 106,000 |
Nanterre | Île-de-France | 87,000 |
Poitiers | Poitou-Charentes | 86,000 |
Ajaccio | Corsica | 54,000 |
Châlons-en-Champagne | Champagne | 51,000 |
Political indicators
(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)
Political stability: | ◈ |
Rule of law: | ◈ |
Effectivity: | ◈ |
Regulatory quality: | ◈ |
Voice accountability: | ◈ |
Death penalty: | abolished in 1981 |
Existing trade agreements
Alliances
- ADB - Asian Development Bank
- European Union
- G20 - Group of Twenty
- G8 - Group of Eight
- Latin Union
- NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- OECD
- OSZE
- Schengen Countries
- UN - United Nations
- UNESCO
- WTO - World Trade Organization
Dependent territories
French Guiana (South America)
French Polynesia (Polynesia)
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Antarctica)
Guadeloupe (Caribbean)
Martinique (Caribbean)
Mayotte (Eastern Africa)
New Caledonia (Melanesia)
Reunion (Eastern Africa)
Saint Barthelemy (Caribbean)
Saint Martin (Caribbean)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (North America)
Wallis and Futuna (Polynesia)
French Polynesia (Polynesia)
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Antarctica)
Guadeloupe (Caribbean)
Martinique (Caribbean)
Mayotte (Eastern Africa)
New Caledonia (Melanesia)
Reunion (Eastern Africa)
Saint Barthelemy (Caribbean)
Saint Martin (Caribbean)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (North America)
Wallis and Futuna (Polynesia)
