Christian dating :
France
Geography
Area: 551,670 sq. km. (220,668 sq. mi.); largest west European
country, about four-fifths the size of Texas.
Cities: Capital--Paris. Other cities--Marseille, Lyon,
Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nice, Rennes, Lille, Bordeaux.
Terrain: Varied.
Climate: Temperate; similar to that of the eastern U.S.
People
Nationality: Adjective--French.
Population (Jan. 2003 est.): 61.4 million.
Annual growth rate (2001): 0.37%.
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Sub-Saharan African, Indochinese, and Basque minorities.
Christian singles note-Religion: Roman Catholic 90%.
Language: French.
Education: Years compulsory--10. Literacy--99%. Health:
Infant mortality rate--4.46/1,000.
Work force (25 million): Services--71%; industry and
commerce--26%; agriculture--3%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: September 28, 1958.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister
(head of government). Legislative--bicameral Parliament
(577-member National Assembly, 319-member Senate). Judicial--Court
of Cassation (civil and criminal law), Council of State
(administrative court), Constitutional Council (constitutional law).
Subdivisions: 22 administrative regions containing 96 departments
(metropolitan France). Four overseas departments (Guadeloupe,
Martinique, French Guiana, and Reunion); five overseas territories
(New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, and
French Southern and Antarctic Territories); and two special status
territories (Mayotte and St. Pierre and Miquelon).
Political parties: Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) [a new coalition
of center-right parties, among which are Rally for the Republic
(Gaullists/conservatives) and Liberal Democracy]; Union for French
Democracy (a center-right conglomerate of smaller parties); Socialist
Party; Communist Party; National Front; Greens; various minor parties.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
GDP (2003 estimate, PPP): $1.65 trillion.
Avg. annual growth rate (2004 estimate): 2.6%.
Per capita GDP: $27,500 (2003).
Agriculture: Products--grains (wheat, barley, corn); wines and
spirits; dairy products; sugarbeets; oilseeds; meat and poultry;
fruits and vegetables.
Industry: Types--aircraft, electronics, transportation,
textiles, clothing, food processing, chemicals, machinery, steel.
Trade (est.): Exports (2002)--$346.5 billion: aircraft,
automobile spare parts, pharmaceuticals, electronic components, wine,
electricity. Imports (2001)--$ 308.3 billion: crude oil,
automobiles and automobile spare parts, natural gas, pharmaceuticals,
electronics, aircraft spare parts. Major trading partners--EU
and U.S.
PEOPLE
Christian singles note-Since
prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, travel, and
invasion. Three basic European ethnic stocks--Celtic, Latin, and
Teutonic (Frankish)--have blended over the centuries to make up its
present population. France's birth rate was among the highest in
Europe from 1945 until the late 1960s. Since then, its birth rate has
fallen but remains higher than that of most other west European
countries. Traditionally, France has had a high level of immigration.
About 90% of the people are Roman Catholic, 7% Muslim, less than 2%
Protestant, and about 1% Jewish. More than 1 million Muslims
immigrated in the 1960s and early 1970s from North Africa, especially
Algeria. In mid-2002, there were between 4 and 6 million persons of
Arab descent living in France.
Education is free, beginning at age 2, and mandatory between ages 6
and 16. The public education system is highly centralized. Private
education is primarily Roman Catholic. Higher education in France
began with the founding of the University of Paris in 1150. It now
consists of 91 public universities and 175 professional schools, such
as the post-graduate Grandes Ecoles.
The French language derives from the vernacular Latin spoken by the
Romans in Gaul, although it includes many Celtic and Germanic words.
French has been an international language for centuries and is a
common second language throughout the world. It is one of five
official languages at the United Nations. In Africa, Asia, the
Pacific, and the West Indies, French has been a unifying factor,
particularly in those countries where it serves as the only common
language among a variety of indigenous languages and dialects.
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