France Travel Podcast with Camille Laurent

Location

Metropolitan France: 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

French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname

Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago

Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique

Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Terrain

Metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east

French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains

Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano

Mayotte: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks

Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Climate

Metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral

Elevation

Highest point

Mont Blanc 4,810

Lowest point

Rhone River delta -2 m

Mean elevation

375 m

Area

Total

643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)

Land

640,427 sq km ; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)

Water

3,374 sq km ; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)

Size comparison

Slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas

Coastline

4,853 km

Land borders

Total

3,956 km

Border countries

Andorra 55 km; Belgium 556 km; Germany 418 km; Italy 476 km; Luxembourg 69 km; Monaco 6 km; Spain 646 km; Switzerland 525 km

Metropolitan France - total

2751 km

French Guiana - total

1205 km

Natural resources

Metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

Land use

Agricultural land

52.5% (2023 est.)

Arable land

31.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

1.9% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

19.2% (2023 est.)

Forest

32.7% (2023 est.)

Other

15% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Metropolitan France

Flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south

Overseas departments

Hurricanes (cyclones); flooding

Volcanism

Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, although it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people; La Soufrière (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years

Note

Largest Western European nation; most major French rivers -- the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne -- flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea

Population

Total

68,512,806 (2025 est.)

Male

33,627,639

Female

34,885,167

Nationality

Noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Adjective

French

Ethnic groups

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, Basque minorities

Languages

Languages

French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)

Major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

Religions

Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)

Median age

Total

42.7 years (2025 est.)

Male

41 years

Female

44.2 years

Life expectancy

Total population

82.6 years (2024 est.)

Male

79.8 years

Female

85.5 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

81.8% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

Largest cities

11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)

Background

France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Government

Semi-presidential republic

Capital

Paris

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

République française

Independence

No official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)

National day

Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)

Overview

High-income, advanced EU economy and eurozone member; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via "France 2030" strategy

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$54,500 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$54,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$53,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

7.4% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

7.4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

7.4% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism

Agriculture

Wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, sunflower seeds (2023)

Airports

1,218 (2025)

Railways

Total

27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified

Narrow gauge

-5 km

Ports

Total ports

66 (2024)

Large

6

Medium

12

Small

22

Very small

26

Ports with oil terminals

31

Key ports

Bayonne, Bordeaux, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dunkerque Port Est, Dunkerque Port Ouest, La Pallice, La Rochelle, Les Sables d'Olonne, Lorient, Montoir, Nantes, Le Havre, Rouen, Rade de Brest, Rade de Cherbourg, Rochefort, St. Nazaire, Toulon

Internet domain

Metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re

Internet users

Percent of population 87% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

77.5 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

117 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution and acid rain from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Fresh water

211 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

9 (2024)

Global geoparks and regional networks

Armorique; Beaujolais; Causses du Quersey; Chablais; Haute-Provence; Luberon; Massif des Bauges; Monts d'Ardèche; Normandie-Maine (2024)