dairy products; fish catch of 850,000 metric tons ranks
among world's top 20 countries and is all used domestically

Exports:
total value: $275 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals,
foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles
and clothing
partners: Germany 17%, Italy 9%, UK 9%, Spain 8%, Belgium-Luxembourg
8%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.5%, Japan 2%, Russia 0.7% (1996)

Imports:
total value: $256 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural
products, chemicals, iron and steel products
partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%,
Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, China 2% (1997 est.)

Debt-external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $7.915 billion (1993)

Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998),
5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632
(1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)

Telephone system: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (with total of 5
antennas-2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications
with more than 20 countries

Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave
0

Radios: 49 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 846 (mostly repeaters)
note: Eutelsat receive-only TV service

Televisions: 29.3 million (1993 est.)

@France:Transportation

Railways:
total: 32,027 km
standard gauge: 31,928 km 1.435-m gauge; 31,940 km are operated by
French National Railways (SNCF); 13,805 km of SNCF routes are
electrified and 12,132 km are double- or multiple-tracked
narrow gauge: 99 km 1.000-m gauge
note: does not include 33 tourist railroads, totaling 469 km, many
being of very narrow gauge (1996)

Highways:
total: 892,500 km
paved: 892,500 km (including 9,500 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1996 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