French
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French
French Michelle Lampl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES France, French Republic, Republique Française.
LOCATION
AND
LINGUISTIC AFFILIATION
At slightly less than twice the size of the state of Colorado, France is the largest Western European nation. The French boundaries cover approximately 547,000 km2 in Europe and its overseas administrative divisions add approximately another 600 km2. With about 3,400 km of coastline on its western border, France is a boundary of Western Europe, from the Bay of Biscay in the Southwest to the English Channel in the Northwest. France is located between the present-day countries of Belgium and Spain, it is Southeast of the United Kingdom, and borders the Mediterranean Sea on the Southeast, situated between the borders of Italy and Spain. French is the national language, with a rapid decline in numerous local dialects and languages (e.g., Provençal, Breton, Languedoc, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish).
OVERVIEW
OF THE
CULTURE
With a population estimated at 59,765,983 in July 2002 (ratio of 0.95 males/females), the demographic structure is comprised of 18% aged 0–14 years (1.05 male : female ratio), 65% 15–64 years (1.00 male : female ratio), and 16% 65 years and over (0.69 male : female ratio). The population growth rate is 0.35%, with a birth rate of 11.9 births/1,000 population, death rate of 9.0/1,000 population, and a net migration rate of 0.64 migrants per 1,000. Immigration has increased since unification of the European Union in 1992, creating increasing social tensions in a country already faced with significant unemployment at that time. The life expectancy at birth is 79 years, with females averaging 83 years and males 75 years. The fertility rate is 1.7 children born per woman.
The HIV prevalence rate was 0.44% in 1999 and estimated at 130,000 individuals living with AIDS. Literacy, defined as reading and writing over 15 years of age, is said to be 99%. Having suffered extensive losses in terms of manpower and economic well-being during World Wars I and II, France is one of the most modern countries in the world and a leader among the European Union. Since 1958, it has had a presidential democracy which has provided greater stability than its previous parliamentary democracy. It is a republic, divided into 22 regions, including the territorial collectivity of Corsica and is subdivided into 96 departments. France includes four overseas departments (French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion) and three overseas territorial collectivities (Mayotte, Saint Pierre, and Miquelon). In addition, there are approximately 12 dependent areas over which France has transnational disputes of sovereignty. There are numerous political parties in France of opposing values, with a president elected by popular vote for a five-year term. France is an ethnically heterogeneous population, representing peoples from North Africa, Indo-China, the Basque region, Celtic, Latin, and Teutonic populations, and nomadic Gypsies. France is presently predominantly Roman Catholic (85%),
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