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 hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier more purely parliamentary administrations.

In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999.

At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU's military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: total: 64,057,792 note: 62,150,775 in metropolitan France (July 2009 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,129,729/female 5,838,925) 15-64 years: 65% (male 20,963,124/female 20,929,280) 65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,403,248/female 6,155,767) (2009 est.)

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Median age: total: 39.4 years male: 38 years female: 40.9 years (2008 est.)

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Population growth rate: 0.549% (2009 est.)

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Birth rate: 12.73 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

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Death rate: 8.48 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

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Net migration rate: 1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

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Urbanization: urban population: 77% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2005-2010)

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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: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 3.33 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.66 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.98 years male: 77.79 years female: 84.33 years (2009 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2009 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 140,000 (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,600 (2007 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women) adjective: French

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Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian

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Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% overseas departments: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, pagan

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Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish) overseas departments: French, Creole patois

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.)

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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 16 years male: 16 years female: 17 years (2006)

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Education expenditures: 5.7% of GDP (2005)

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 government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence 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.

Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. During 2007-08, the government implemented several important labor reforms, including a de facto extension of the 35-hour workweek by allowing employees to work longer overtime hours.

During 2009, the government is expected to delay or even renounce other reform efforts due to the on-going financial crisis. GDP growth dropped to 0.7% in 2008; the French government plans to increase public investment and continue injecting capital into the banking sector to alleviate the negative effects of the crisis during 2009.

As a result of lower fiscal revenues and increased expenditures the general government deficit is expected to exceed the eurozone's ceiling 3% of GDP. France's tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe - at nearly 50% of GDP in 2005.

With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.097 trillion (2008 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $2.978 trillion (2008 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 0.7% (2008 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $32,700 (2008 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.2% industry: 20.3% services: 77.4% (2008 est.)

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Labor force: 28.5 million (2008 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 24.3%

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services: 71.8% (2005) Unemployment rate: 7.4% (2008 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 24.8% (2004)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32.7 (2008)

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Investment (gross fixed): 21% of GDP (2008 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $1.439 trillion expenditures: $1.525 trillion (2008 est.)

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Public debt: 67% of GDP (2008 est.)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2008 est.)

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Central bank discount rate: NA

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Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.6% (2008)

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Stock of money: NA note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 16 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi money circulating within their own borders

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Stock of quasi money: NA

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Stock of domestic credit: $5.739 trillion (April 2008)

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Market value of publicly traded shares: $2.771 trillion (31 December 2007)

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Agriculture - products: wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

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Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

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Industrial production growth rate: -8% (2008 est.)

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Electricity - production: 570 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Electricity - consumption: 480 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Electricity - exports: 67.6 billion kWh (2007)

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Electricity - imports: 10.8 billion kWh (2007)

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Oil - production: 71,400 bbl/day (2007)

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Oil - consumption: 1.95 million bbl/day (2007)

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Oil - exports: 584,700 bbl/day (2005)

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Oil - imports: 2.465 million bbl/day (2005)

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Oil - proved reserves: 122 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 953 million cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 42.69 billion cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 966 million cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 42.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 7.277 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

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Current account balance: -$58 billion (2008 est.)

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Exports: $761 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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Exports - commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

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Exports - partners: Germany 14.9%, Spain 9.3%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.1%, Belgium 7.3%, US 6.1%, Netherlands 4.1% (2007)

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Imports: $833 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals

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Imports - partners: Germany 18.9%, Belgium 11.4%, Italy 8.4%, Spain 7.1%, Netherlands 7%, UK 5.6%, US 4.4%, China 4% (2007)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $204.4 billion (2008)

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Debt - external: $5.37 trillion (30 September 2008)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: $1.234 trillion (2008 est.)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: $1.889 trillion (2008 est.)

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Exchange rates: euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6799 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)