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Key data for France, with
selected international comparisons
Definition: Technically speaking, "France" includes a
number of overseas departments and territories (known
in French as the DOM-TOMs). This guide is concerned with Metropolitan France,
which means continental France, together with the offshore islands,
including Corsica.
Government:
France is a republic; the head
of the executive is the President, elected by universal suffrage, currently Nicolas Sarkozy. The
President determines policy with the aid of his Council of Ministers (Conseil des ministres).
Ministers cannot sit in parliament, and if an elected member of
parliament (député) is appointed minister, he or she has to
hand over parliamentary duties to his / her deputy (adjoint). Since each elected member has a deputy, by-elections are unusual in France. The lower and
principal house of parliament is the Assemblée nationale, or
national assembly; the second chamber is the Sénat or Senate.
Députés are elected by universal suffrage, in general
elections (élections législatives)
that take place every five years. Senators are elected by
"grand electors", who are mostly other local elected representatives.
The electoral system for presidential and parliamentary elections
involves two rounds; a candidate can be elected on the first round by
obtaining an absolute majority of votes cast. The second round is a
runoff between the leading two candidates from round one (presidential
election), or two or more candidates (parliamentary elections). Click here for further information on the French Constitution and political system
Surface
area: 547,030 sq km, of which 545,630 sq km of
land and 1,400 sq km of rivers and lakes.
This is about double the surface area of the United Kingdom, and just
over four times the surface area of England.
Local administration:
Metropolitan France is administered as 22 regions, 96 "départements" or departments, and some 36,000 "communes". See maps of regions and departments. Each region is administered by a Regional council (Conseil régional), and each department is administered by a county council (Conseil Général). The central government is represented in each department and region by
a Prefect (préfet), with powers over the police and public security.
The Prefect's other main role is to make sure that local authorities
administer their area in compliance with national law.
Prefects are appointed by the President, regional councils
are elected by universal suffrage every six years, involving a complex
two-round semi-proportional voting system. Departmental councils,
conseils généraux, are elected by universal suffrage
every six years, in elections known as canton elections (élections cantonales). Communes are run by municipal councils (conseils municipaux) elected every six years by universal suffrage.
Population:
60,876,136 total estimated
population of Metropolitan France, mid 2007
This is just a few thousand more than the population of the United
Kingdom.
Population
density: 110 people per sq km
This is just less than the EU average of 112 /km²,
and less than half the density of the UK (246 p/km²)
Per
capita GDP for France:
2007 27,800 €
Compare to: Ireland 35,700 €, Belgium 30,200 €,
UK 29,400 €, Germany
28,200 €,
Spain 25,400 €, Portugal
18,200 €. Source: Eurostat, April 2007.
The French economy:
Economic
growth 2007:
France:
+2%
Compare to: Ireland +5% , Belgium
+2.2%, UK +2.9%, Germany +1.8% ,
Spain + 3.8%, Portugal
+1.8% . European union average: +2.8%
Source: IMF estimates, 2007
Inflation
2007:
France:
+ 1.7 %
Compare to: Ireland +2.5% , Belgium
+1.9%, UK +2.3%, Germany +2.0 % ,
Spain + 2.6 %, Portugal
+2.5 % . European union average: +2.2%
Source: IMF estimates, 2007
Unemployment:
France:
8.6 % (and falling)
Compare to: Ireland +4% , Belgium
7.2%, UK +5.4%, Germany 8.8 % ,
Spain + 8.0 %, Portugal
+7.9 % . European union average: +6.9%
Source: Eurostat, for June 2007.
Employment
by sector:
France:
Agriculture: 4.1%, industry: 24.4%, services: 71.5%
(1999)
Compare with :
U.K.: Agriculture: 1.4%, industry: 18.2%, services: 80.4%
(2006) . Source: CIA world factbook.
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