France

Semi-Presidential RepublicPop69.1MGDP (PPP)$3.7TCI77Beta CP−1.9↓Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

France

⌘K

Overview

Background: France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Geography

Area

Land: 640,427 sq km ; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)
Note: note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion
Water: 3,374 sq km ; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)
Total: 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)

Climate: 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
Terrain: 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

Land Use

Other: 15% (2023 est.)
Forest: 32.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 52.5% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 31.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 19.2% (2023 est.)

Location: 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
Coastline: 4,853 km

Elevation

Note: note: to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit
Lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
Highest point: Mont Blanc 4,810
Mean elevation: 375 m

Irrigated land: 14,236 sq km (2020)
Major aquifers: Paris Basin
Map references: metropolitan France: Europe

French Guiana: South America

Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean

Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean

Mayotte: Africa

Reunion: World

Land Boundaries

Total: 3,956 km
Border countries: Andorra 55 km; Belgium 556 km; Germany 418 km; Italy 476 km; Luxembourg 69 km; Monaco 6 km; Spain 646 km; Switzerland 525 km
French guiana total: 1205 km
Metropolitan france total: 2751 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean Sea)

Natural hazards: 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
Geography note: largest Western European nation; most major French rivers -- the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne -- flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea
Natural resources: 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
Area comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas
Geographic coordinates: 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
Population distribution: 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

Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)

Fresh water lake(s): Lake Geneva (shared with Switzerland) - 580 sq km

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

Atlantic ocean drainage: Loire (115,282 sq km), Seine (78,919 sq km), Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 sq km)

Major rivers (BY length in km): Rhin (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 km

note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

People & Society

Languages

Note: note: overseas departments - French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)
Languages: French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)
Major language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 10.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 9.91 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 41 years
Total: 42.7 years (2025 est.)
Female: 44.2 years

Population

Male: 33,627,639
Total: 68,512,806 (2025 est.)
Female: 34,885,167

Nationality

Noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
Adjective: French

Tobacco Use

Male: 30.7% (2025 est.)
Total: 28.9% (2025 est.)
Female: 27.3% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Urban population: 81.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 17.3% (male 6,060,087/female 5,792,805)
15 64 years: 60.7% (male 20,875,861/female 20,615,847)
65 years and over: 22% (2024 est.) (male 6,621,146/female 8,408,845)

Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, Basque minorities

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 65.2 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 28.4 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.7 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 36.8 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 3.28 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 12.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 15.3% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education Expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 9.1% national budget (2022 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.93 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: 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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 79.8 years
Female: 85.5 years
Total population: 82.6 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 2.52 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 6.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 11.44 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.)

Major urban areas population: 11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.6% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 28.9 years (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 54.9% (2020 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 16 years (2022 est.)
Total: 16 years (2022 est.)
Female: 17 years (2022 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: 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)

Capital

Name: Paris
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
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
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
Geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

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

Constitution

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

Country Name

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
Local long form: République française
Local short form: France
Conventional long form: French Republic
Conventional short form: France

Independence: 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)
Legal system: civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Dependent areas: Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)
Government type: semi-presidential republic

Judicial Branch

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

Executive Branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)
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%
Head of government: Sébastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025)
Most recent election date: 10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022
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
Expected date of next election: April 2027

National holiday: Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
National color(s): blue, white, red

National Heritage

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)

Political parties: 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)

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

Title: "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
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
Lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle

National symbol(s): Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification of the country)
Administrative divisions: 18 regions (régions, singular - région); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 577 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 9/24/2023
Expected date of next election: June 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 36.2%
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)

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Note: note 1: of the 348 Senate seats, 328 seats are for metropolitan France, overseas departments, and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte; the remainder of the seats include 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad

note 2: Senate members are indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges, using absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members, and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members
Chamber name: Senate (Sénat)
Term in office: 6 years
Number of seats: 348 (all indirectly elected)
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Most recent election date: 6/30/2024 to 7/7/2024
Expected date of next election: September 2026
Percentage of women in chamber: 37.1%

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 944-6166
Chancery: 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
Telephone: [1] (202) 944-6000
Chief of mission: Ambassador Laurent BILI (since 19 April 2023)
Consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco
Email address and website: info@ambafrance-us.org

https://franceintheus.org/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [33] (1) 42-66-97-83
Embassy: 2 avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris
Telephone: [33] (1) 43-12-22-22, [33] (1) 42-66-97-83
Consulate(s): Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes
Mailing address: 9200 Paris Place, Washington DC  20521-9200
Chief of mission: Ambassador Charles KUSHNER (since 11 July 2025); note - also accredited to Monaco
Consulate(s) general: Marseille, Strasbourg
Email address and website: Citizeninfo@state.gov

https://fr.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

FRANCE · LOWER HOUSE

Assemblée Nationale

577 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

577

Majority line

290

Largest party

New Popular Front (NFP)/UG

Parties

All political parties15 parties · 577 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

FRANCE · UPPER HOUSE

Sénat

348 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

348

Majority line

175

Largest party

Les Républicains

Parties

All political parties5 parties · 348 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Next election

Last: 2024

Leaders

Current

EM
Emmanuel Macron
- Head of StateSince 2017
SL
Sébastien Lecornu
- Head of GovernmentSince 2025

Bills

Proposition de loi ordinaire 52767 - Abrogation du Code noir

The bill repeals the historical Code Noir, a colonial legal document that institutionalized slavery and racial discrimination.

Assemblée NationaleLast action 2026-05-28