iver delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash,
feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish

Land use:
arable land: 33.53%
permanent crops: 2.07%
other: 64.4% (2001)

Irrigated land:
20,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires
in south near the Mediterranean

Environment - current issues:
some forest damage from acid rain; 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-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic
Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
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

Geography - note:
largest West European nation

People France

Population:
60,424,213 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 18.5% (male 5,724,185; female 5,446,716)
15-64 years: 65.1% (male 19,698,497; female 19,663,776)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,049,970; female 5,841,069) (2004
est.)

Median age:
total: 38.6 years
male: 37 years
female: 40.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.39% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.34 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.44 years
male: 75.8 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (200