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FACTS ABOUT FRANCE, Part 3

 
 
           
 

IntroductionGeographyPeopleGovernment
EconomyCommunicationsTransportation
MilitaryTransnational Issues

 Communications TOP of PAGE 
Telephones - main lines in use: 35.533 million; 34.8 million (metropolitan France) (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 56.719 million; 55.358 million (metropolitan France) (2007)
Telephone system: general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and U.S.; satellite earth stations: more than 3 — 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
country codes: France, 33; overseas departments - French Guiana, 594; Guadeloupe, 590; Martinique, 596; Réunion, 262
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Internet country code: metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Réunion - .re
Internet hosts: 14,256,000; 14,256,000 (metropolitan France) (2008)
note: an Internet host is any computer or computing device with an IP address that is connected to the Internet
Internet users: 31,295,000; 30,838,000 (metropolitan France) (2007)
 Transportation TOP of PAGE 
Airports: 476 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 292
over 3,047 m: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 97
914 to 1,523 m: 80
under 914 m: 74 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 184
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 108 (2007)
Heliports: 3 (2007)
Pipelines: gas 14,688 km [9,127 mi]; oil 3,036 km [1,887 mi]; refined products 5,080 km [3,157 mi] (2008)
Railways: total: 29,370 km [18,250 mi]
standard gauge: 29,203 km [18,146 mi] 1.435-m gauge (14,778 km/9,183 mi electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km [104 mi] 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Roadways: total: total: 951,500 km [591,235 mi]
paved: 951,500 km [591,235 mi] (metropolitan France; includes 10,950 km/6,804 mi of expressways)
note: there are another 5,100 km [3,169 mi] of roadways in overseas departments (2006)
Waterways: metropolitan France: 8,501 km [5,282 mi] (1,621 km/1,007 mi accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons)
French Guiana: 3,760 km [2,336 mi] (460 km/286 mi navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft) (2008)
Merchant marine: total: 138
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 32, container 25, liquefied gas 12, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 33, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 7
foreign-owned: 38 (Belgium 6, China 5, Denmark 2, Germany 1, Italy 2, Japan 1, NZ 1, Norway 5, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Sweden 9, Switzerland 3)
registered in other countries: 127 (Antigua and Barbuda 1, Australia 1, Bahamas 30, Belgium 2, Bermuda 1, Hong Kong 1, Indonesia 1, Isle of Man 1, Italy 2, Liberia 5, Luxembourg 17, Malta 5, Morocco 14, Netherlands 1, Norway 3, Panama 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 1, Taiwan 1, U.K. 23, Wallis and Futuna 6) (2008)
Ports and terminals: Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
 Military TOP of PAGE 
Military branches: Army (Armée de Terre, includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (Marine Nationale, includes Naval Air, Maritime Gendarmerie [Coast Guard]), Air Force (Armée de l'Air, includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation: 17-40 years of age for male or female voluntary military service; no conscription; 12-month service obligation; women serve in non-combat military posts (2005)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 14,646,427
females age 16-49: 14,379,630 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 12,087,606
females age 16-49: 11,811,260 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: male: 391,480
female: 373,334 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
 Transnational Issues TOP of PAGE 
Disputes - international: Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia
Illicit drugs: metropolitan France: trans-shipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics
French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor trans-shipment point to Europe
Martinique: trans-shipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the U.S. and Europe
This page was last updated on 19 March 2009

Return to Page 1 (Intro, Geography, People)

IntroductionGeographyPeopleGovernment
EconomyCommunicationsTransportation
MilitaryTransnational Issues

 
 

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