T satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a
receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki

*Finland, Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Frontier Guard (including Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,323,381; fit for military service 1,091,613; reach
military age (17) annually 33,828 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.93 billion, about 2% of GDP (1992)

*France, Geography

Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Spain and Germany
Map references:
Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
547,030 km2
land area:
545,630 km2
comparative area:
slightly more than twice the size of Colorado
note:
includes Corsica and the rest of metropolitan France, but excludes the
overseas administrative divisions
Land boundaries:
total 2,892.4 km, Andorra 60 km, Belgium 620 km, Germany 451 km, Italy 488
km, Luxembourg 73 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Spain 623 km, Switzerland 573 km
Coastline:
3,427 km (mainland 2,783 km, Corsica 644 km)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
12-24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
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; Mexico claims Clipperton Island; territorial claim in
Antarctica (Adelie Land); Saint Pierre and Miquelon is focus of maritime
boundary dispute between Canada and France
Climate:
generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers
along the Mediterranean
Terrain:
mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is
mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber, zinc, potash
Land use:
arable land:
32%
permanent crops:
2%
meadows and pastures:
23%
forest and woodland:
27%
other:
16%
Irrigated land: 11,600 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
most of large urban areas and industrial centers in Rhone, Garonne, Seine,
or Loire River basins; occasional warm tropical wind known as mistral
Note:
largest West European nation

*France, People

Population:
57,566,091 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.48