Part 291

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 547,030 sq km land : 545,630 sq km water: 1,400 sq km note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the overseas administrative divisions

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Colorado

Land boundaries: total: 2,892.4 km border countries: Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488 km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km

Coastline: 3,427 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone : 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean) territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean

Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash

Land use: arable land: 33% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures : 20% forests and woodland: 27% other : 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Desertification

Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral

@France:People

Population: 58,609,285 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19% (male 5,712,739; female 5,449,139) 15-64 years : 65% (male 19,178,683; female 19,126,672) 65 years and over: 16% (male 3,687,216; female 5,454,836) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.35% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 11.98 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 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: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.38 years male: 74.44 years female: 82.53 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1997 est.)