France

metropolitan France:

• Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK;
• bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain

French Guiana:

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

Guadeloupe:

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Martinique:

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Mayotte:

Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Reunion:

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

metropolitan France:

46 00 N, 2 00 E

French Guiana:

4 00 N, 53 00 W

Guadeloupe:

16 15 N, 61 35 W

Martinique:

14 40 N, 61 00 W

Mayotte:

12 50 S, 45 10 E

Reunion:

21 06 S, 55 36 E

metropolitan France:

Europe

French Guiana:

South America

Guadeloupe:

Central America and the Caribbean

Martinique:

Central America and the Caribbean

Mayotte:

Africa

Reunion:

World

metropolitan France:

• generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean;
• occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral

French Guiana:

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• little seasonal temperature variation

Guadeloupe and Martinique:

• subtropical tempered by trade winds;
• moderately high humidity;
• rainy season (June to October);
• vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average

Mayotte:

• tropical;
• marine;
• hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May);
• dry season is cooler (May to November)

Reunion:

tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

metropolitan France:

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

French Guiana:

low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

Guadeloupe:

• Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains;
• Grande-Terre is low limestone formation;
• most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Martinique:

mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Mayotte:

generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Reunion:

mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

metropolitan France:

• coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish;
• French Guiana : gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

• much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast;
• although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

metropolitan France:

• flooding;
• avalanches;
• midwinter windstorms;
• drought;
• forest fires in south

overseas departments:

hurricanes (cyclones); flooding

volcanism:

• Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, although it last erupted in 1932;
• a catastrophic eruption in 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people;
• La Soufrière (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years

noun:

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

adjective:

French

total:

42.7 years (2025 est.)

male:

41 years

female:

44.2 years

• much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast;
• although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.79 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

82.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

79.8 years

female:

85.5 years

total:

11.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

6.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

28.9% (2025 est.)

male:

30.7% (2025 est.)

female:

27.3% (2025 est.)

metropolitan France:

• generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean;
• occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral

French Guiana:

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• little seasonal temperature variation

Guadeloupe and Martinique:

• subtropical tempered by trade winds;
• moderately high humidity;
• rainy season (June to October);
• vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average

Mayotte:

• tropical;
• marine;
• hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May);
• dry season is cooler (May to November)

Reunion:

tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

urban population:

81.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

energy:

232 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

1,496.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

550.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

37.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

36.749 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

31.6% (2022 est.)

municipal:

5.271 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

16.641 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

2.515 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

9 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

• Armorique;
• Beaujolais;
• Causses du Quersey;
• Chablais;
• Haute-Provence;
• Luberon;
• Massif des Bauges;
• Monts d'Ardèche;
• Normandie-Maine (2024)

conventional long form:

French Republic

conventional short form:

France

local long form:

République française

local short form:

France

etymology:

• derives from the Latin name Francia, meaning "Land of the Franks";
• the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D.;
• the origin of the tribal name is unclear but may come from the Old German word franka , meaning "brave," or from a personal name such as Francio or Francus

name:

Paris

geographic coordinates:

48 52 N, 2 20 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

time zone note:

applies to metropolitan France only; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunion

etymology:

• name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C.;
• the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii);
• over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then Paris

history:

many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958

amendment process:

• proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament;
• proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum;
• passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of France

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)

head of government:

Sébastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• prime minister appointed by the president

most recent election date:

10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022

election results:

• 2022: Emmanuel MACRON reelected in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (LREM) 27.8%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 23.2%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (LFI) 22%, Eric ZEMMOUR (Reconquête) 7.1%, Valerie PECRESSE (LR) 4.8%, Yannick JADOT (EELV) 4.6%, other 10.6%;
• percent of vote in second round - MACRON 58.5%, LE PEN 41.5%

;

• 2017: Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%;
• percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%

expected date of next election:

April 2027

legislature name:

Parliament (Parlement)

legislative structure:

bicameral

chamber name:

National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)

number of seats:

577 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

plurality/majority

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

9/24/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

• New Popular Front (NFP)/UG (178);
• Ensemble (presidential majority) (150);
• National Rally (RN) (125);
• The Republicans (LR) (39);
• Other (85)

percentage of women in chamber:

36.2%

expected date of next election:

June 2029

highest court(s):

• Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions -- 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal);
• Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members;
• judges appointed for life;
• Constitutional Council has 3 members appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents;
• members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years

subordinate courts:

• appellate courts or cours d'appel;
• regional courts or tribunaux judiciaires;
• first instance courts or tribunaux de proximité;
• administrative courts

• Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC
• Debout la France or DLF
• Democratic Movement or MoDem
• Ensemble or ENS (electoral coalition including RE, MoDem, Horizons, PRV, UDI)
• The Ecologists - the Greens or EELV
• French Communist Party or PCF
• Horizons
• La France Insoumise or FI
• Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories or LIOT
• Movement of Progressives or MDP
• National Rally or RN (formerly National Front or FN)
• New Democrats or LND (formerly Ecology Democracy Solidarity or EDS)
• New Popular Front or NFP (electoral coalition including FI, EELV, PS, PCF)
• Radical Party of the Left or PRV
• Reconquete or REC
• Renaissance or RE
• Résistons!
• Socialist Party or PS
• The Republicans or LR
• Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI
• Union of Far Right or UXD (electoral coalition of LR, RN)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Laurent BILI (since 19 April 2023)

chancery:

4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 944-6000

FAX:

[1] (202) 944-6166

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://franceintheus.org/

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco

no official date of independence:

• 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship);
• 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire);
• 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown);
• 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established);
• 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)

description:

three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), white, and red

history:

• known as the le tricolore (tricolor), the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution, when the traditional color of white was combined with the blue and red of the Paris militia;
• for the first four years of the flag's use (1790-94), the order of colors was reversed (red-white-blue)

note 1: serves as the official flag for all French dependencies

note 2: the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands

title:

"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)

lyrics/music:

Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle

history:

• adopted 1795, restored 1870;
• acquired its name when the National Guard of Marseille sang the song while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolution;
• one of the most recognized anthems in the world

total World Heritage Sites:

54 (46 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in New Caledonia and one site in French Polynesia

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Chartres Cathedral (c);
• Palace and Park of Versailles (c);
• Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (c);
• Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley (c);
• Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m);
• Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay (c);
• Paris, Banks of the Seine (c);
• The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (c);
• Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (c);
• Amiens Cathedral (c);
• Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (c);
• Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne (c);
• The Maison Carrée of Nîmes (c);
• Gulf of Porto:
  • Calanche of Piana,
  • Gulf of Girolata,
  • Scandola Reserve (Corsica) (n)
  ;
• Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan (c)

• high-income, advanced EU economy and eurozone member;
• strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors;
• high public debt;
• ongoing pension reform efforts;
• transitioning to a green economy via "France 2030" strategy

agriculture:

1.4% (2024 est.)

industry:

17.5% (2024 est.)

services:

70.4% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

16.6% (2024 est.)

male:

17.1% (2024 est.)

female:

16% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

12.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

24.6% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

57 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

61.37GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

64.8% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

14 (2025)

production:

2.157 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

12.57 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

64,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

10.347 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

160 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

80,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

1.536 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

61.719 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

17.928 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

33.238 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports:

13.584 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

46.909 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

7.787 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations;
• state-owned TV stations operate 4 networks and have part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels;
• large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations;
• multi-channel satellite and cable services;
• public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and services for overseas territories and foreign audiences;
• Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster;
• large number of commercial FM stations

total:

27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified

narrow gauge:

-5 km

total ports:

66 (2024)

large:

6

medium:

12

small:

22

very small:

26

ports with oil terminals:

31

key ports:

Bayonne, Bordeaux, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dunkerque Port Est, Dunkerque Port Ouest, La Pallice, La Rochelle, Les Sables d'Olonne, Lorient, Montoir, Nantes, Le Havre, Rouen, Rade de Brest, Rade de Cherbourg, Rochefort, St. Nazaire, Toulon

• begun in 1988 and completed in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel under the English Channel at the Strait of Dover;
• it runs from Folkestone, Kent, in England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France and is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe