The 2003 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

60,180,529 (July 2003 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 18.6% (male 5,725,170; female 5,449,991)

       15–64 years: 65.1% (male 19,619,994; female 19,583,850)

       65 years and over: 16.3% (male 4,006,857; female 5,794,667) (2003

       est.)

      Median age:

       total: 38.3 years

       male: 36.8 years

       female: 39.8 years (2002)

      Population growth rate:

       0.42% (2003 est.)

      Birth rate:

       12.54 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Death rate:

       9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.69 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 3.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

       male: 4.89 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 79.28 years

       male: 75.63 years

       female: 83.11 years (2003 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.85 children born/woman (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       0.3% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       100,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       800 (2001 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

       adjective: French

      Ethnic groups:

       Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese,

       Basque minorities

      Religions:

       Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%,

       unaffiliated 4%

      Languages:

       French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages

       (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99%

       male: 99%

       female: 99% (1980 est.)

      Government France

      Country name:

       conventional long form: French Republic

       conventional short form: France

       local long form: Republique Francaise

       local short form: France

      Government type:

       republic

      Capital:

       Paris

      Administrative divisions:

       22 regions (regions, singular - region); Alsace, Aquitaine,

       Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre,

       Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie,

       Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine,

       Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie,

       Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes

       note: metropolitan France is divided into 22 regions (including the

       "territorial collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and is subdivided

       into 96 departments; see separate entries for the overseas

       departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion) and the

       overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre and

       Miquelon)

      Dependent areas:

       Bassas da India, Clipperton Island, Europa Island, French

       Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Glorioso Islands,

       Juan de Nova Island, New Caledonia, Tromelin Island, Wallis and

       Futuna

       note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

      Independence:

       486 (unified by Clovis)

      National holiday:

       Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

      Constitution:

       28 September 1958, amended concerning election of president in

       1962, amended to comply with provisions of 1992 EC Maastricht

       Treaty, 1996 Amsterdam Treaty, 2000 Treaty of Nice; amended to

       tighten immigration laws 1993

      Legal system:

       civil law system with indigenous concepts; review of administrative

       but not legislative acts

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

       head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN (since 7 May

       2002)

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term

       (changed from seven-year term in 2001); election last held 21 April

       and 5 May 2002 (next to be held, first round NA April 2007, second

       round NA May 2007); prime minister nominated by the National

       Assembly majority and appointed by the president

       election results: Jacques CHIRAC reelected president; percent of

       vote, second ballot - Jacques CHIRAC (RPR) 81.96%, Jean-Marie LE PEN

       (FN) 18.04%

       cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the

       suggestion of the prime minister

      Legislative branch:

       bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat

       (321 seats - 296 for metropolitan France, 13 for overseas

       departments and territories, and 12 for French nationals abroad;

       members are indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve

       nine-year terms; elected by thirds every three years) and the

       National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats; members are

       elected by popular vote under a single-member majoritarian system to

       serve five-year terms)

       election