FRANCE (Continued)
but not legislative acts; legal education at over 25 schools of law
National holiday: National Day, 14 July
Branches: presidential appointed Prime Minister heads Council of Ministers, which is formally responsible to National Assembly; bicameral legislature—National Assembly (491 members), Senate (304 members) restricted to a delaying action; judiciary independent in principle
Government leader: President François MITTERRAND
Suffrage: universal over age 18; not compulsory
Elections: National Assembly — every five years, last election June 1981, direct universal suffrage, two ballots; Senate —indirect collegiate system for nine years, renewable by one-third every three years, last election September 1980; President, direct, universal suffrage every seven years, two ballots, last election May 1981
Political parties and leaders: majority coalition—Socialist Party (PS), Lionel Jospin; Communist Party (PCF), Georges Marchais; Left Radical Movement (MRG), Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg; right opposition—Rally for the Republic (RPR, formerly UDR), Jacques Chirac; Republicans (PR), Jacques Blanc; Center for Social Democrats (CDS), Jean Lecanuet; Radical (RAD), Didier Bariani; Union for French Democracy (federation of PR, CDS, and RAD), Jean Lecanuet
Voting strength (first ballot, 1981 election): diverse left, 2.05%; Communist, 16.17%; Socialist, 36.12%; left Radical 1.39%; RPR, 20.8%; UDF, 19.2%; diverse right, 2.8%; other 1.47%
Communists: 600,000 claimed; Communist voters, 4 million in 1981 elections
Other political or pressure groups: Communist-controlled labor union (Confédération Générale du Travail) nearly 2.4 million members (claimed); Socialist-leaning labor union (Confédération Française Democratique du Travail—CFDT) about 800,000 members est.; Independent labor union (Force Ouvrière) about 1,000,000 members est.; Independent white collar union (Confédération Générale des Cadres) 340,000 members (claimed); National Council of French Employers (Conseil National du Patronat Français—CNPF or Patronat)
Member of: ADB, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECSC, EEC, EIB, ELDO, EMA, ESRO, EURATOM, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, IPU, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, NATO (signatory), OAS (observer), OECD, South Pacific Commission, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
ECONOMY
GNP: $535 billion (1979), $10,010 per capita; 63.5% private consumption, 21.2% investment (including government), 13.0% government consumption; 1979 real growth rate, 3.2%; average annual growth rate (1970-79), 3.7%
Agriculture: Western Europe's foremost producer; main products—beef, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; self-sufficient for most temperate zone foodstuffs; food shortages—fats and oils, tropical produce; caloric intake, 3,270 calories per day per capita (1969-70)
Fishing: catch 713,620 metric tons (1979); exports (includes shellfish, etc.) $243 million, imports $968 million (1979)
Major industries: steel, machinery and equipment, textiles and clothing, chemicals, food processing, metallurgy, aircraft, motor vehicles
Shortages: crude oil, textile fibers, most nonferrous ores, coking coal, fats and oils
Crude steel: 23.4 million metric tons produced (1979), 440 kg per capita
Electric power: 74,913,000 kW capacity (1981); 300.150 billion kWh produced (1981), 5,589 kWh per capita
Exports: $98 billion (f.o.b., 1979); principal items—machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, agricultural products, iron and steel products, textiles and clothing, chemicals
Imports: $107 billion (c.i.f., 1979); principal items—crude petroleum, machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel products, foodstuffs, agricultural products
Major trade partners: 18% West Germany; 11% Italy; 9% Belgium-Luxembourg; 6% US; 7% Franc Zone; 7% UK; 6% Netherlands; 2% Eastern Europe; 2% USSR (1979)
Aid: donor—(1970-79) bilateral economic aid commitments (ODA and OOF), $24.5 billion
Budget: (1979) expenditures 478 billion francs, revenues 443 billion francs, deficit 35 billion francs
Monetary conversion rate: 1 franc=US$0.2352 (1979 average)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 36,775 km total; French National Railways (SNCF) operates 34,520 km standard gauge (1.435 m); 10,079 km electrified, 15,630 km double or multiple track; 2,255 km of various gauges (1.000 m to 1.440 m), privately owned and operated
Highways: 1,542,400 km total; 27,500 km national highway; 340,000 km departmental highway; 420,000 km community roads; 750,000 km rural roads; 4,900 km of controlled-access divided "autoroutes"; approx. 861,000 km have bituminous-treated surface or better
Inland waterways: 14,912 km; 6,969 km heavily traveled Pipelines: crude oil, 2,253 km; refined products, 4,344 km; natural gas, 22,532 km
