wave 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 62 (2000)

Internet users: 9 million (2000)

France Transportation

Railways: total: 31,939 km (31,939 km are operated by French
National Railways (SNCF); 14,176 km of SNCF routes are electrified
and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked)

standard gauge: 31,840 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge (1998)

Highways: total: 892,900 km

paved: 892,900 km (including 9,900 km of expressways)

unpaved: 0 km (1999)

Waterways: 14,932 km (6,969 km heavily traveled)

Pipelines: crude oil 3,059 km; petroleum products 4,487 km; natural
gas 24,746 km

Ports and harbors: Bordeaux, Boulogne, Cherbourg, Dijon, Dunkerque,
La Pallice, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille, Mullhouse, Nantes, Paris,
Rouen, Saint Nazaire, Saint Malo, Strasbourg

Merchant marine: total: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
942,333 GRT/1,304,754 DWT

ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, chemical tanker 6, combination bulk
1, container 1, liquefied gas 3, multi-functional large-load carrier
1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 17, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea
passenger 3

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag
of convenience: Germany 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 475 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 268

over 3,047 m: 14

2,438 to 3,047 m: 30

1,524 to 2,437 m: 94

914 to 1,523 m: 72

under 914 m: 58 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 207

1,524 to 2,437 m: 4

914 to 1,523 m: 73

under 914 m: 130 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2000 est.)

France Military

Military branches: Army (includes Marines), Navy (includes Naval
Air), Air Force (includes Air Defense), National Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 14,573,199 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
12,127,793 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 390,064
(2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $39.831 billion (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY97)

France Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa
Island, Glorioso Islands,