Hemisphere: Northern

Continent: Europe

Location: In W Europe, between Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Neighbors: Spain, Andorra, Monaco on S, Italy, Switzerland, Germany on E, Luxembourg, Belgium on N.
Area: 210,026 sq mi, 543,965 sq km

Form of Government: Republic with two legislative houses (Senate 331), (National Assembly 577)

Population: (2007) 61,709,000

Population Density: (2007) persons per sq mi 293.8, persons per sq km 113.4

Principal Language(s): French rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (including Provencal, Breton, Alsatian)

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Muslim5%-10%.

Capital: Paris

Capital Population: 2,153,600

Capital Average Temperature: Maximum: 11.0 degrees Celsius, 51.8 degrees Fahrenheit 
                                               
Major Cities: Marseille820,900, Lyon 466,400,Toulouse 435,000, Nice 347,9000,Nantes 281,800, Strasbourg 272,700,Montpellier 244,300, Bordeaux 230,600,Lille 225,100 Rennes 209,900, Reims184,800,Le Havre 183,900, Saint Etienne 175,700, Toulon 166,800

Topography: A wide plain covers more than half of the country, in N and W, drained to W by Seine, Loire, Garonne rivers. The Massif Central is a mountainous plateau in center. In E are Alps (Mt. Blanc is tallest in W Europe, 15,771 ft), the lower Jura range, and forested Vosges. The Rhone flows from Lake Geneva to Mediterranean, Pyrenees are in SW, on border with Spain

Economy: G.D.P. $2.067 trillion

G.D.P. per Capita: $33,800
 
Vital Statistics: Birth rate per 1,000 population (2006) 13.1 (world average 20.3). Death rate per 1,000 population (2006) 8.4 (world avg. 8.6). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman 2006) 2.00. Life expectancy at birth (2006): male 77.2 years, female 84.1 years.

Government Website: www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr

Reference Sources: The World Almanac 2009, The New York Times Almanac   2009, Time Almanac 2009, World Climate Website.