The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
60,180,529 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
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.)
Median age:
total: 38.3 years
male: 36.8 years
female: 39.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.42% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
12.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
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.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.28 years
male: 75.63 years
female: 83.11 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
100,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
800 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups:
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese,
Basque minorities
Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%,
unaffiliated 4%
Languages:
French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages
(Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1980 est.)
Government France
Country name:
conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
local long form: Republique Francaise
local short form: France
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Paris
Administrative divisions:
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)
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
Independence:
486 (unified by Clovis)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
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
Legal system:
civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative
but not legislative acts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May
2002)
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%
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
suggestion of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
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)
election