France
Semi-presidential republic
Official:
Republic of France
Local name:
France
Region:
Western Europe
Surface area:
549,087 km²
Capital:
Paris
Geography
France is located on the Atlantic coast of Western Europe, the north borders the English Channel and the Mediterranean coast runs for 900 km in the south-east. In total, the coastline is 3,427 km long. At 549,087 km², France is about one seventeenth the size of the USA and the third largest country in Europe after Russia and Ukraine.Most of the country is flat and level. The average height above sea level is only 375 meters. Larger mountain formations include the Pyrenees on the southern border with Spain and Andorra, as well as the Alps in the south-east. Mont Blanc, the highest point in France at 4,810 meters, is also located here. In the east, the border runs from north to south with Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
An exceptionally high proportion of the population (81.5%) is urban. Despite the country's large surface area, the country's largest cities are spread evenly across all regions. Although the capital region Île-de-France is by far the most densely populated, there are no sparsely populated areas outside the Alpine region.
On further pages:
Current time in France:
The countrywide time in France is Central European Time (CET), which is currently 6 hours ahead of New York.
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 27 at 2:00 am (local time).
Time zones and clock changesPublic Holidays in FranceSunrise + Sunset00:00
July 2024
The countrywide time in France is Central European Time (CET), which is currently 6 hours ahead of New York.
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 27 at 2:00 am (local time).
Population
Population:67,971,000
Population per km²:123.8
Life expectancy males:Ø 79.4 years
Life expectancy females:
Ø 85.2 yearsBirth rate:
11.0 ‰Death rate:
9.8 ‰Males/Females:
48.3% : 51.7%Population pyramid
The currency in France is the euro (EUR).
1 Euro is divided into 100 Cent.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 Euro is divided into 100 Cent.
Status: 07/05/2024
1 US dollar = 0.92 Euros
1 Euro = 1.08 US dollar
1 Euro = 1.08 US dollar
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. Corsica, located in the Mediterranean, is by far the warmest French region.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 % |
| Armenian | 0.1 % |
| other | 1.4 % |
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: | 2,779.09 bn $ |
| Exportations: | 1,013.03 bn $ |
| Importations: | 1,102.66 bn $ |
| Budget deficit: | 131.49 bn $ |
| › Tourism receipts: | 44.40 bn $ |
| › Debt rate: | 111.67 % |
| › Unemployment rate: | 7.08 % |
| › Inflation rate: | 5.22 % |
| › Corruption index: | 71 (good) |
| › Energy consumption: | 472.7 bn kWh |
With a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.910, France counts as one of the high developed economies by UN definition. The IMF also shares this classification.
With an average annual income of 45,290 USD France is one of the high-income countries. Even considering purchasing power parity, it is among the 30 richest countries in the world.
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: | 1,090,059 km |
| Railways: | 27,860 km |
| Waterways: | 5,216 km |
| Reg. vehicles: | 45,297,000 |
| › Airports: |
Administrative organization
France is divided into a total of 96 departments (excluding the 5 overseas departments of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte), which in turn are subdivided into 13 regions. These regions were only redistributed in 2016. Only 6 regions remained unchanged, 16 were combined to form larger areas in order to optimize administration and make it more cost-effective. Corsica is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean and is both a region and a department in France, but enjoys a special status with extended administrative autonomy.Most important cities
Population refers to the city proper, not metropolitan areas.
| City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Paris / Capital | Île-de-France | 2,103,000 |
| Marseille | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 862,000 |
| Lyon | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 513,000 |
| Toulouse | Occitania | 472,000 |
| Nice | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 343,000 |
| Nantes | Pays de la Loire | 303,000 |
| Montpellier | Occitania | 278,000 |
| Strasbourg | Grand Est | 277,000 |
| Bordeaux | New Aquitaine | 250,000 |
| Lille | Hauts-de-France | 233,000 |
| Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | Île-de-France | 228,000 |
| Rennes | Brittany | 215,000 |
| Cergy-Pontoise | Île-de-France | 207,000 |
| Reims | Grand Est | 184,000 |
| Saint-Étienne | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 171,000 |
| Toulon | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 167,000 |
| Le Havre | Normandy | 166,000 |
| Grenoble | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 161,000 |
| Dijon | Burgundy-Franche-Comté | 155,000 |
| Angers | Pays de la Loire | 152,000 |
| Nîmes | Occitania | 151,000 |
| Villeurbanne | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 149,000 |
| Le Mans | Pays de la Loire | 143,000 |
| Aix-en-Provence | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 143,000 |
| Clermont-Ferrand | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 141,000 |
| Brest | Brittany | 139,000 |
| Orléans | Centre-Val de Loire | 115,000 |
| Rouen | Normandy | 110,000 |
| Ajaccio | Corsica | 54,000 |
The difference between the urban area and the city proper alone can be considerable. Paris, for example, has an urban population of 10,859,000. However, the actual proper city is much smaller with only 2,103,000 inhabitants. The difference to metropolitan regions, i.e. conurbations with several cities, is even greater.
Political indicators
(Based on the "Worldwide Governance Indicators" project of the World Bank)
| Political stability: | ◈ |
| Rule of law: | ◈ |
| Effectivity: | ◈ |
| Regulatory quality: | ◈ |
| Voice accountability: | ◈ |
| Democratic values: | ◈ |
| 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
- PfP - Partnership for Peace
- 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)
Country comparison: France / United Kingdom
Germany: country data and statistics
Climate: Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany