The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
gas - consumption:
42.01 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
1.725 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
40.26 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
12.86 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$13.8 billion (2003)
Exports:
$346.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners:
Germany 14.9%, Spain 9.6%, UK 9.4%, Italy 9.3%, Belgium 7.2%, US
6.8% (2003)
Imports:
$339.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals
Imports - partners:
Germany 19.1%, Belgium 9.4%, Italy 9%, Spain 7.4%, Netherlands 7%,
UK 7%, US 5.4% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$70.76 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
NA
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)
Currency:
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
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001),
1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications France
Telephones - main lines in use:
33,905,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
41,683,100 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; 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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes
many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
55.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
34.8 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.fr
Internet hosts:
2,396,761 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
62 (2000)
Internet users:
21.9 million (2003)
Transportation France
Railways:
total: 32,175 km
standard gauge: 32,008 km 1.435-m gauge (14,320 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
Highways:
total: 894,000 km
paved: 894,000 km (including 11,500 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Waterways:
8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)
Pipelines:
gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le
Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mulhouse, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Saint
Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg (2003)
Merchant marine:
total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT
by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 6, container 2, liquefied gas 4,
passenger 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off 2,
short-sea/passenger 4
registered in other countries: 118 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Germany 1, Monaco 2, New Caledonia 1, Sweden 5
Airports:
477 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 283 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 65 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 195 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 72 under 914 m: 120 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 3 (2003 est.)
Military France
Military branches:
Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy
(including naval air), Air Force (including Air Defense), National
Gendarmerie
Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age with consent for voluntary military service (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15–49: 14,487,165 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 12,044,827 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 394,413 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$45,238.1 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.6% (2003)
Transnational Issues France
Disputes - international:
Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands,
and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims