@France:Transportation

Railways:
total: 34,123 km
standard gauge: 33,524 km 1.435-m gauge; 32,275 km are operated by
French National Railways (SNCF); 13,741 km of SNCF routes are
electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked
narrow gauge : 599 km 1.000-m gauge
note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many
being of very narrow gauge (1995)

Highways:
total: 1,512,700 km
paved : 812,700 km (including 9,140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 700,000 km (1995 est.)

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: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,038,151 GRT/1,441,498
DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 3, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 1,
container 7, liquefied gas tanker 3, multi-function large load carrier
1, oil tanker 13, passenger 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea
passenger 7, specialized tanker 1
note: France also maintains a captive register for French-owned ships
in the Kerguelen Islands (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) (1996
est.)

Airports: 460 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 382
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 91
914 to 1,523 m : 73
under 914 m: 179 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 78
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m : 75 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1996 est.)

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: 14,800,821 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 12,315,337 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 394,362 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $47.7 billion (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (1995)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Madagascar claims Bassas da India, Europa
Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island;
Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; Seychelles
claims Tromelin Island; Suriname claims part of French Guiana;
territorial