Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (does not apply to the
Mediterranean)

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: 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 mistral

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m

highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potash, timber,
fish

Land use: arable land: 33%

permanent crops: 2%

permanent pastures: 20%

forests and woodland: 27%

other: 18% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches

Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid rain
(major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December 1999
windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: largest West European nation

France People

Population: 59,551,227 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.68% (male 5,698,604; female 5,426,838)

15-64 years: 65.19% (male 19,424,018; female 19,399,588)

65 years and over: 16.13% (male 3,900,579; female 5,701,600) (2001
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.37% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 12.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 9.09 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64