World Factbook
France
République française
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), white, and red history: known as the le tricolore (tricolor), the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution, when the traditional color of white was combined with the blue and red of the Paris militia; for the first four years of the flag's use (1790-94), the order of colors was reversed (red-white-blue)
note 1: serves as the official flag for all French dependencies
note 2: the design and colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands
Capital
name
Paris
etymology
name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then Paris
time zone note
applies to metropolitan France only; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunion
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
geographic coordinates
48 52 N, 2 20 E
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of France
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958
amendment process
proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly
Country name
etymology
derives from the Latin name Francia, meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D.; the origin of the tribal name is unclear but may come from the Old German word franka , meaning "brave," or from a personal name such as Francio or Francus
local long form
République française
local short form
France
conventional long form
French Republic
conventional short form
France
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)
Legal system
civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts
Dependent areas
Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)
note: the US Government does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a "sui generis" collectivity of France since 1998, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions -- 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)
subordinate courts
appellate courts or cours d'appel; regional courts or tribunaux judiciaires; first instance courts or tribunaux de proximité; administrative courts
judge selection and term of office
Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council has 3 members appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister
chief of state
President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)
election results
2022: Emmanuel MACRON reelected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (LREM) 27.8%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 23.2%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (LFI) 22%, Eric ZEMMOUR (Reconquête) 7.1%, Valerie PECRESSE (LR) 4.8%, Yannick JADOT (EELV) 4.6%, other 10.6%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 58.5%, LE PEN 41.5% 2017: Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%
head of government
Sébastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025)
most recent election date
10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022
election/appointment process
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
expected date of next election
April 2027
National holiday
Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790)
note: often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on 14 July 1789 and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are la Fête nationale (National Holiday) and le Quatorze Juillet (14th of July)
National color(s)
blue, white, red
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
54 (46 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in New Caledonia and one site in French Polynesia
selected World Heritage Site locales
Chartres Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Versailles (c); Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay (c); Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley (c); Pyrénées - Mont Perdu (m); Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay (c); Paris, Banks of the Seine (c); The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes (c); Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) (c); Amiens Cathedral (c); Palace and Park of Fontainebleau (c); Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne (c); The Maison Carrée of Nîmes (c); Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve (Corsica) (n); Megaliths of Carnac and of the shores of Morbihan (c)
Political parties
Citizen and Republican Movement or MRC Debout la France or DLF Democratic Movement or MoDem Ensemble or ENS (electoral coalition including RE, MoDem, Horizons, PRV, UDI) The Ecologists - the Greens or EELV French Communist Party or PCF Horizons La France Insoumise or FI Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories or LIOT Movement of Progressives or MDP National Rally or RN (formerly National Front or FN) New Democrats or LND (formerly Ecology Democracy Solidarity or EDS) New Popular Front or NFP (electoral coalition including FI, EELV, PS, PCF) Radical Party of the Left or PRV Reconquete or REC Renaissance or RE Résistons! Socialist Party or PS The Republicans or LR Union of Democrats and Independents or UDI Union of Far Right or UXD (electoral coalition of LR, RN)
Legislative branch
legislature name
Parliament (Parlement)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
history
adopted 1795, restored 1870; acquired its name when the National Guard of Marseille sang the song while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolution; one of the most recognized anthems in the world
lyrics/music
Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
National symbol(s)
Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification of the country)
Administrative divisions
18 regions ( régions , singular - région ); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion
note: France is divided into 13 metropolitan regions (including the "collectivity" of Corse, or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
National Assembly (Assemblée nationale)
term in office
5 years
number of seats
577 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
9/24/2023
expected date of next election
June 2029
percentage of women in chamber
36.2%
parties elected and seats per party
New Popular Front (NFP)/UG (178); Ensemble (presidential majority) (150); National Rally (RN) (125); The Republicans (LR) (39); Other (85)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
note
note 1: of the 348 Senate seats, 328 seats are for metropolitan France, overseas departments, and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte; the remainder of the seats include 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad note 2: Senate members are indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges, using absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members, and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members
chamber name
Senate (Sénat)
term in office
6 years
number of seats
348 (all indirectly elected)
scope of elections
partial renewal
most recent election date
6/30/2024 to 7/7/2024
expected date of next election
September 2026
percentage of women in chamber
37.1%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 944-6166
chancery
4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone
[1] (202) 944-6000
chief of mission
Ambassador Laurent BILI (since 19 April 2023)
consulate(s) general
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco
email address and website
info@ambafrance-us.org https://franceintheus.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[33] (1) 42-66-97-83
embassy
2 avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris
telephone
[33] (1) 43-12-22-22, [33] (1) 42-66-97-83
consulate(s)
Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes
mailing address
9200 Paris Place, Washington DC 20521-9200
chief of mission
Ambassador Charles KUSHNER (since 11 July 2025); note - also accredited to Monaco
consulate(s) general
Marseille, Strasbourg
email address and website
Citizeninfo@state.gov https://fr.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction