machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics,chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages
Exports - partners:
Germany 15%, Spain 9.5%, UK 9.3%, Italy 9%, Belgium 7.2%, US 6.7%
(2004)
Imports:
$419.7 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics,
chemicals
Imports - partners:
Germany 19.2%, Belgium 9.9%, Italy 8.8%, Spain 7.4%, UK 7%,
Netherlands 6.7%, US 5.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$70.76 billion (2003)
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $5.4 billion (2002)
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications France
Telephones - main lines in use:
33,905,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
41,683,100 (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; satellite earth stations - 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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 41, FM about 3,500 (this figure is an approximation and includes
many repeaters), shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
55.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
34.8 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.fr
Internet hosts:
2,396,761 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
62 (2000)
Internet users:
21.9 million (2003)
Transportation France
Railways:
total: 29,519 km
standard gauge: 29,352 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Highways:
total: 893,100 km
paved: 893,100 km (including 12,000 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2002)
Waterways:
8,500 km (1,686 km accessible to craft of 3,000 metric tons) (2000)
Pipelines:
gas 14,232 km; oil 3,024 km; refined products 4,889 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Bordeaux, Calais, Dunkerque, La Pallice, Le Havre, Marseille,
Nantes, Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg
Merchant marine:
total: 56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 703,639 GRT/889,705 DWT
by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 4, passenger 3,
passenger/cargo 30, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 6 (Sweden 5, Switzerland 1)
registered in other countries: 139 (2005)
Airports:
478 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 283 over 3,047 m: 13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 95 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 65 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 195 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 72 under 914 m: 120 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 3 (2004 est.)
Military France
Military branches:
Army (includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy
(includes naval air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National
Gendarmerie
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age with consent for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower
