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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: 547,030 sq km
land: 545,630 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km
note: includes only metropolitan France, but excludes the
overseas administrative divisions
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of
Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 2,889 km
border countries: Andorra 56.6 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
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean)
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, timber,
zinc, potash
Land use:
arable land: 33%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 27%
other: 18% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 16,300 sq km (1995 est.)
Natural hazards: flooding; avalanches
Environment - current issues: some forest damage from acid
rain (major forest damage occurred as a result of severe December
1999 windstorm); air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: largest West European nation; occasional
strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral
Geography
The largest Western European nation,(France) covers 543,965 square
kilometers (210,026 square miles), a territory about four-fifths
the size of Texas.
France is bordered by the English Channel to the northwest, Belgium
and Luxembourg to the northeast, Germany and Switzerland to the
east, Italy to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea and Spain to
the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Climate
The climate of France is temperate, but wide regional contrasts
exist. Broadly, the areas along the Atlantic coast respond to ocean
air that makes summers pleasant, but not too hot, and winters mild,
though rainy.
In Mediterranean coastal areas, semitropical conditions prevail,
bringing hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters.
As for the interior of the country, the climate takes on a more
continental character: winters are cold, and summers are hot ( though
rarely above 32° C or 90° F ).
Generally, temperatures in the northern two-thirds of the country
swing from 2° C or 35° F to 27° C or 80° F throughout the year.
Background: Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I
and II, France lost many men, much wealth, its extensive empire,
and its rank as a dominant nation-state.
France has struggled since 1958—arguably with success—to
construct a presidential democracy resistant to the severe instabilities
inherent in the parliamentary democracy of early 20th century France.
In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany
have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including
the advent of the euro in January 1999.
Today, France is at the forefront of European states seeking to
exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of
a more unified and capable European defense and security apparatus.
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