🌍 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
Area & Boundaries
Total Area
643,801 km²
Land Area
640,427 km²
Water Area
3,374 km²
World Rank by Area
#49
Land Boundaries
2,751 km
Coastline
4,853 km
Bordering Countries
Andorra (55 km)
Belgium (556 km)
Germany (418 km)
Italy (476 km)
Luxembourg (69 km)
Terrain & Climate
Terrain: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
Climate: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind (mistral)
Elevation
Highest Point
Mont Blanc: 4,807m
Lowest Point
Rhône River delta: -2m
Mean Elevation
375m
Major Rivers
- Loire: 1,012 km
- Seine: 776 km
- Rhône: 812 km
- Garonne: 575 km
Natural Resources
metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish
👥 Demographics
Population Overview
Total Population (2024)
68,305,148
World Rank
#20
Growth Rate
0.29%
Urbanization
81.5%
Age & Life Expectancy
Median Age
42 years
Life Expectancy
82.5 years
Birth Rate
10.9 per 1,000
Death Rate
10 per 1,000
Major Urban Areas
- Paris: 11,060,000 people
- Lyon: 1,748,000 people
- Marseille-Aix-en-Provence: 1,620,000 people
- Lille: 1,050,000 people
- Toulouse: 1,004,000 people
- Bordeaux: 993,000 people
- Nice-Cannes: 967,000 people
Languages
- French (Official) - 100%
- Regional languages - Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish
Education
Literacy Rate: 99% (Male: 99%, Female: 99%)
💼 Economy
highly developed, diversified economy; major tourism, aircraft, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors; high public spending and social protection; aging workforce; EU and NATO member; climate-focused economic policies
GDP & Economic Indicators
GDP (PPP)
$3.57 trillion
GDP (Official Rate)
$2.92 trillion
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$52,360
World GDP Rank
#9
GDP Growth Rate
0.9%
Unemployment Rate
7.3%
Inflation Rate
5.2%
Public Debt (% of GDP)
111.8%
GDP Composition by Sector
Agriculture
1.7%
Industry
17.9%
Services
70.4%
Major Industries
machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism, pharmaceuticals
Trade
Exports
$778.00 billion
Imports
$869.00 billion
Foreign Exchange Reserves
$242.70 billion
Currency
Euro (EUR)
🏛️ Government
Government Type
semi-presidential republic
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President Emmanuel MACRON
Head of Government: Prime Minister Michel BARNIER
Term Limit: two 5-year terms
Legislative Branch
bicameral Parliament consists of Senate (348 seats) and National Assembly (577 seats)
National Holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
📈 Social Indicators
Human Development Index
0.91 (Rank: #28)
Physicians
3.27 per 1,000
Hospital Beds
5.98 per 1,000
Health Expenditure
12.2% of GDP
Education Expenditure
5.5% of GDP
🎨 Cultural Heritage
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
53
UNESCO Intangible Heritage
26
Notable Sites
- Eiffel Tower
- Palace of Versailles
- Mont-Saint-Michel
- Loire Valley châteaux
- Prehistoric cave paintings of the Vézère Valley
- Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles
Major Museums
- Louvre Museum
- Musée d'Orsay
- Centre Pompidou
- Palace of Versailles
- Musée Rodin
🌐 International Relations
International Memberships
UN Security Council (permanent member)
European Union (founding member)
NATO
G7
G20
OECD
WTO
Council of Europe
OSCE
Francophonie
African Union (observer)