Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Major Rivers
Seine, Rhone, Garonne, Loire, Rhine
Climate
Temperate
Natural Resources
Coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic,
potash, feldspar, l uorospar, gypsum, timber, i sh
Population
There are 60 million French people today. In the Paris area,
there are 12 million, with two million of those inside the
city proper. Almost half of the 20- to 25-year-olds live in the
greater Paris area. Many of the rest live in the other large
cities. Thus the countryside's population is aging and its
density quite low (101 people per sq km).
Ethnic Groups
Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, Basque minorities
Religion
Roman Catholic 83-88 per cent, Protestant 2 per cent,
Jewish 1 per cent, Muslim 5-10 per cent, unaffiliated
4 per cent
Languages and Dialects
French 100 per cent; rapidly declining regional dialects and
languages are Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan,
Basque, Flemish
Government
France has a strong centralised government, and the centre
is Paris. A quarter of the work force (six million people) is
in some form of civil service or another. Napolean is given
much credit for establishing this 'army' of administrators.
Bureaucracy rules in France. The selection process guarantees
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