)

Airports:
total: 157
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 3
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 23
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 21
with paved runways under 914 m: 92
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 5 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 2.78 million (1986 est.)

Telephone system: good service from cable and microwave radio
relay network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations - access
to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth
station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean Regions); note -
Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 105, shortwave 0

Radios: 4.98 million (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 235

Televisions: 2.1 million (1983 est.)

Defense
-------

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (includes Sea
Guard)

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,307,128
males fit for military service: 1,074,540
males reach military age (17) annually: 32,760 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.9 billion,
1.6% of GDP (1995)

======================================================================

@France
------

Map
---

Location: 46 00 N, 2 00 E -- 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

Flag
----

Description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side),
white, and red; known as the French Tricouleur (Tricolor); the
design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including
those of Belgium, Chad, Ireland, Cote d'Ivoire, and Luxembourg; the
official flag for all French dependent areas

Geography
---------

Location: 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

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 2 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area:
total area: 547,030 sq km
land area: 545,630 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
note: includes only metropolitan France (which includes Corsica),