Background Notes: France
PA/PC
Source: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public
Affairs
Date: Nov 15, 199011/15/90
Category: Country Data
Region: Europe
Country: France
Subject: Travel, History, International Organizations,
Trade/Economics
[TEXT]
Official Name: French Republic
PROFILE
Geography
Area: 551,670 sq. km. (220,668 sq. mi.); largest West European
country, about four-fifths the size of Texas. Cities: Capital-Paris.
Other cities-Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nice, Bordeaux.
Terrain: Varied. Climate: Temperate; similar to that of the eastern
US.
People
Nationality: Noun-Frenchman(men). Adjective-French. Population:
(1989 est.): 56 million. Annual growth rate (1989 est.): 0.5%.
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African,
Indochinese, and Basque minorities. Religion: Roman Catholic 90%.
Language: French. Education: Years compulsory-10. Literacy-99%.
Health: Infant mortality rate-8.2/1,000. Work force (24 million,
1987): Agriculture-8%. Industry and commerce-45%. Services-47%.
Unemployment rate (1989 est.): 9.4%.
Government
Type: Republic. Constitution: September 28, 1958.
Branches: Executive-president (chief of state); prime minister (head
of government). Legislative-bicameral parliament (577-member
National Assembly, 319-member Senate). Judicial-Court of
Cassation (civil and criminal law), Council of State (administrative
court), Constitutional Council (constitutional law).
Subdivisions: 22 administrative regions containing 95 departments
(metropolitan France). Five overseas departments (Guadeloupe,
Martinique, French Guiana and Reunion); five overseas territories
(New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna Islands, and
French Southern and Antarctic Territories); and two special status
territories (Mayotte and St. Pierre and Miquelon).
Political parties: Socialist Party (PS), Rally for the Republic (RPR-
Gaullists/Conservatives), Union for French Democracy (UDF-Center-
Right), Parti Republicain (PR-center right), Communist Party (PCF),
National Front (FN), various minor parties. Suffrage: Universal over
18.
Defense (1987): 16.1% of central government budget.
Flag: Three vertical stripes of blue, white, and red.
Economy
GDP (1989 est.): $970 billion. Avg. annual growth rate (1989 est.):
4.5%. Per capita GDP (1989 est.): $17,320. Avg. inflation rate
(1989 est.): 3.5%.
Natural resources: Coal, iron ore, bauxite, fish, forests.
Agriculture: Products-beef, dairy products, cereals, sugar beets,
potatoes, wine grapes.
Industry: Types-steel, machinery, textiles and clothing, chemicals,
food processing, aircraft, electronics, transportation.
Trade (1989 est.): Exports-(f.o.b.) $160 billion: chemicals,
electronics, automobiles, automobile spare parts, machinery,
aircraft, foodstuffs. Imports-(f.o.b.) $167.8 billion: crude
petroleum, electronics, machinery, chemicals, automobiles,
automobile spare parts. Partners-FRG, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy,
US, UK, Netherlands, Japan.
Official exchange rate (1989 avg.): -- 5.7 =$ 1.
Membership in International Organizations
UN and most of its specialized and related agencies, including
the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
International Labor Organization (ILO), and the World Health
Organization (WHO); NATO; Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD); Western European Union; European
Community (EC); INTELSAT.
PEOPLE
Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade,
travel, and invasion. Three basic European stocks-Celtic, Latin, and
Teutonic (Frankish)-have blended over the centuries to make up its
present population.
France's birth rate was among the highest in Europe from 1945
until the late 1960s, when it began to decline. The annual net
increase of births over deaths stood at 250,000-350,000 until
1974. Because of this growth and immigration, the population
increased from 41 million in 1946 to 53 million in 1977. In the past
few years, the birth rate has continued to fall but remains higher
than that of most other West European countries.
Traditionally, France has had a high level of immigration. Most
resident aliens are southern Europeans (52% of total) and North
Africans (26% of total), the two principal nationalities being
Portuguese and Algerian.
About 90% of the people are Roman Catholic, less than 2% are
Protestant, and about 1% are Jewish. More than 1 million Muslims
immigrated in the 1960s and early 1970s from North Africa,
especially Algeria.
Education is free beginning at age 2 and mandatory between
ages 6 and 16. The public education system is highly centralized,
with a budget totaling about 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Private education is primarily Roman Catholic. Higher education in
France, which began with the founding of the University of Paris in
1150, enrolls about 1 million students in 69 universities in
continental France and an estimated additional 158,000 in special
schools, such as the Grandes Ecoles, technical colleges, and
vocational training institutions.
The French language derives from the vernacular Latin spoken
by the Romans in Gaul, although it includes many Celtic and
Germanic words. French has been an international language for
centuries and is a common second language throughout the world. It
is one of five official languages at the United Nations. In Africa,
Asia, the Pacific, and the West Indies, French has been a unifying
factor, particularly in those countries where it serves as the only
common language among a variety of indigenous languages and
dialects.
Cultural Achievements
Since the time of the Roman Empire, France's achievements in
literature, the arts, and science have profoundly influenced Western
culture. In architecture, the Romanesque basilicas, soaring Gothic
cathedrals, the formal gardens of Versailles, the imperial design of
Parisian boulevards and squares, and the modern designs of masters
like Le Corbusier attest to France's continuing influence.
French painting has spanned the centuries in greatness and
includes such names as Watteau (1684-1721), who depicted the
polished, elegant society of his time; David (1748-1825), the
neoclassical artist of the Revolution and Empire; Delacroix (1798-
1863) the romantic; naturalists and realists Corot (1796-1875),
Millet (1814-75), and Courbet (1819-77), who painted realistic
landscapes and scenes from rural life; the impressionists, including
Monet (1840-1926) and Renoir (1841-1919), who explored light on
canvas; and Cezanne (1839-1906), whose ideas about the treatment
of space and dimension are at the base of 20th-century modern art.
Other famous artists, such as Van Gogh and Picasso, were drawn to
France from other countries.
In music, Berlioz (1803-69) and Saint-Saens (1835-1921) in
the romantic period were followed by Debussy (1862-1918) and
Faure (1845-1924), who were inspired by the impressionist
movement in painting. In the 19th century, Bizet (1838-75) wrote
the opera Carmen, and Gounod (1818-93) wrote Faust and Romeo et
Juliette. Although born in Poland, Chopin (1810-49) spent his adult
life in Paris.
France has played a leading role in the advancement of science.
Descartes (1596-1650) contributed to mathematics and to the
modern scientific method; Lavoisier (1743-94) laid the
fundamentals of modern chemistry and physics; Becquerel (1854-
1912) and the Curies jointly discovered radium and the principle of
radioactivity; and Pasteur (1822-95) developed theories of germs
and vaccinations. Several important French inventors were
Daguerre (1789-1851), a theatrical scenery painter who invented
the daguerrotype, an early photograph; Braille (1809-52), a blind
teacher of the blind, after whom the system of raised lettering
enabling the blind to read is named; and Bertillon (1853-1914), an
anthropologist and criminologist who organized the fingerprint
system of identification. French scientists have won a number of
Nobel Prizes during the 20th century.
French literature is renowned from the medieval romances of
Marie de France and Chretien de Troyes and the poetry in Old French
of Francois Villon to the 20th century novelists Colette, Proust,
Sartre, and Camus. Over the intervening centuries, a number of
renowned artists flourished that included the Renaissance writers
Rabelais (fiction), Ronsard (poetry), and Montaigne (essays); the
17th century classical dramatists Corneille, Racine, and Moliere;
the 18th century philosophers Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean-
Jacques Rousseau; the romantics Germain de Stael, Victor Hugo,
Alexandre Dumas (father and son), and Alphonse de Lamartine; 19th
century novelists Stendhal, George Sand, and Balzac; realist
Flaubert; naturalists Zola and Baudelaire; and 19th century poets
Verlaine, Rimbaud, and Valery.
French filmmakers from Jean Renoir to Francois Truffaut have
won acclaim in recent decades.
HISTORY
France was one of the earliest countries to progress from
feudalism into the era of the nation-state. Its monarchs surrounded
themselves with capable ministers, and French armies were among
the most innovative, disciplined, and professional of their day.
During the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), France was the
preeminent power in Europe. But overly ambitious projects and
military campaigns of Louis and his successors led to chronic
financial problems in the 18th century. Deteriorating economic
conditions and popular resentment against the complicated system
of privileges granted the nobility and clerics were among the
principal causes of the French Revolution (1789-94).
Although the revolutionaries advocated republican and
egalitarian principles of government, France reverted to forms of
absolute rule or constitutional monarchy four times-the Empire of
Napoleon, the Restoration of Louis XVIII, the reign of Louis-
Philippe, and the Second Empire of Napoleon III. After the Franco-
Prussian War (1870), the Third Republic was established and lasted
until the military defeat of 1940.
World War I brought great losses of troops and materiel. In the
1920s, France established an elaborate system of border defenses
(the Maginot Line) and alliances to offset resurgent German
strength. France was defeated, however, and occupied in 1940.
Following 4 years of occupation and strife, Allied forces liberated
France in 1944. The nation emerged exhausted from World War II
and faced a series of new problems.
After a short period of provisional government, initially led by
Gen. Charles de Gaulle, the Fourth Republic was established under a
new constitution with a parliamentary form of government
controlled by a series of coalitions. The mixed nature of the
coalitions and the lack of agreement on measures for dealing with
Indochina and Algeria caused successive cabinet crises and changes
of government. The government structure finally collapsed over the
Algerian question on May 13, 1958. A threatened coup led
parliament to call on General de Gaulle to head the government and
prevent civil war. He became prime minister in June 1958 (at the
beginning of the Fifth Republic) and was elected president in
December.
On December 5, 1965, for the first time in the 20th century,
the French people went to the polls to elect a president by direct
ballot. General de Gaulle defeated Francois Mitterrand with 55% of
the vote.
In April 1969, President de Gaulle's government conducted a
national referendum on the creation of 21 regions with limited
political powers. The government's proposals were defeated (48% in
favor, 52% opposed), and President de Gaulle resigned. Following de
Gaulle were Gaullist Georges Pompidou (1969-1974), Independent
Republican Valery Giscard d'Estaing (1974-1981), and Socialist
Francois Mitterand (1981-present).
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
The constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by public
referendum on September 28, 1958. It greatly strengthened the
authority of the executive in relation to parliament. Under the
constitution, the president is elected directly for a 7-year term.
Presidential arbitration assures regular functioning of the public
powers and the continuity of the state. The president names the
prime minister, presides over the cabinet, commands the armed
forces, and concludes treaties. The president may submit questions
to a national referendum and can dissolve the National Assembly. In
certain emergency situations, the president may assume full
powers. The president is thus the dominant element in the
constitutional system.
Parliament meets in regular session twice annually for a
maximum of 3 months on each occasion. Special sessions are
common. Although parliamentary powers are diminished from those
existing under the Fourth Republic, the National Assembly can still
cause a government to fall if an absolute majority of the total
assembly membership votes to censure.
The National Assembly is the principal legislative body. Its
deputies are directly elected to 5-year terms, and all seats are
voted on in each election. Senators are chosen by an electoral
college for 9-year terms, and one-third of the Senate is renewed
every 3 years. The Senate's legislative powers are limited; the
National Assembly has the last word in the event of a disagreement
between the two houses. The government has a strong influence in
shaping the agenda of parliament. The government also can link its
life to any legislative text, and unless a motion of censure is
introduced and voted, the text is considered adopted without a vote.
The most distinctive feature of the French judicial system is
that it is divided into two categories-a regular court system and a
court system that deals specifically with legal problems of the
French administration and its relation to the French citizen. The
Constitutional Council rules on constitutional questions.
Traditionally, decisionmaking in France has been highly
centralized, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect
appointed by the central government. In 1982, the national
government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving a
wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected
officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected
for the first time.
In the National Assembly (577 seats), the Socialists and their
allies currently hold 271 seats; the Communists, 26. The center-
right opposition consists of the neo-Gaullist RPR (132 seats), the
UDF coalition (90 seats), and the UDC (Centrists-41 seats). Sixteen
members of the National Assembly have no parliamentary group
affiliation. The far-right National Front currently has one deputy.
The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Rocard, is composed of 47
ministers, minister-delegates, and secretaries of state.
ECONOMY
France is the fourth largest Western industrialized economy.
Its $970-billion GDP in 1989 was about one-fifth that of the United
States. It has substantial agricultural resources, a diversified
modern industrial system, and a highly skilled labor force.
For the past 2 years, France has enjoyed an investment and
export boom, enabling its economy to grow at an average rate of
4%. Keeping inflation under control has strengthened France's
competitiveness abroad. Government policy-stressing investment
promotion and maintenance of fiscal and monetary discipline-seeks
to ensure the franc's stability and strength within the European
monetary system.
Areas of concern exist, however, especially unemployment
(9.4% in 1989) and a moderate but stubborn trade deficit. Over the
last 2 years, 500,000 new jobs have been created, and although
inflation in 1989 was 3.5%, this is still below the average in the
European Community.
France's highly developed and diversified industrial
enterprises generate about one-third of the GDP and employ about
one-third of the work force. This distribution is similar to that of
other highly industrialized nations. The government continues to
exert considerable control over the industrial sector both through
planning and regulatory activities and through direct state
ownership.
The most important areas of industrial production include
steel and related products, aluminum, chemicals, and mechanical
and electrical goods. France has been notably successful in
developing dynamic telecommunications, aerospace, and weapons
sectors. With virtually no domestic oil production, France has
banked heavily on development of nuclear power, which now
produces about 80% of the country's electrical energy. Nuclear
waste is stored onsite at reprocessing facilities, although there is
currently a 1-year moratorium on site work. Underground storage is
under study.
Compared to the European Community's (EC) average of less
than 50%, only 10%-12% of the French work force is unionized.
Several competing union confederations include the largest, oldest,
and most powerful union-the communist-dominated General Labor
Confederation, the Workers' Force, and the French Democratic
Confederation of Labor.
Trade
France is the second largest trading nation in Western Europe
(after the Federal Republic of Germany). Trade with the EC countries
accounts for 60% of total French trade.
US exports to France have grown rapidly in recent years. Two-
way trade in 1989 totaled nearly $25 billion. US electronic
production and testing equipment, electronic components,
telecommunications, computers and peripherals, analytical and
scientific instrumentation, medical instruments and supplies,
broadcasting equipment, and film programming and franchising are
particularly attractive to French importers. Principal French
exports to the United States are iron and steel, machinery and
electrical equipment, aircraft, beverages, and chemicals.
Agriculture
A favorable climate, large tracts of fertile land, and the
application of modern technology have combined to make France the
leading agricultural producer in Western Europe. The EC's common
agricultural policy also has created a large, easily accessible
market for French products. France is one of the world's leading
producers and exporters of dairy products, wheat, and wine.
Although more land is devoted to pasture and grain, some of
France's best land is planted in wine grapes in strictly controlled,
small regions. Of France's total land area, 56% is under cultivation.
Balance of Payments
In 1988 and 1989, France's trade and current account deficit
grew slowly, while exports, pulled along by stronger demand
overseas, grew more rapidly. By 1989, the trade deficit was $10.5
billion (on a balance of payments basis), while the current account
deficit was $3.7 billion-0.4% of GDP, a figure that is easily
financed and that remains small by international standards. French
policymakers are nonetheless quite concerned with trade
performance in industrial goods where a surplus several years ago
had turned, by 1989, to a $13 billion deficit.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
A charter member of the United Nations, France holds one of
the permanent seats in the Security Council and is a member of
most of its specialized and related agencies.
Europe: France is a leader in Western Europe because of its
size, location, strong economy, membership in European
organizations, strong military posture, and energetic diplomacy.
France generally has worked to strengthen the global economic and
political influence of the European Community, attaches great
importance to its role in common European defense, and views
Franco-German cooperation as the foundation of efforts to enhance
European security. France is a firm supporter of the CSCE process
and other efforts at regional cooperation.
Middle East: France supports Israel's right to exist and the
implementation of Palestinians' political rights. It believes in the
necessity of a comprehensive Middle Eastern peace settlement that
would include Israel's withdrawal from all occupied territories and
the establishment of a Palestinian homeland. It believes this can
best be accomplished through an international peace conference and
supports direct involvement of the Palestine Liberation
Organization. France has been actively engaged in promoting a
political settlement and national reconciliation in Lebanon. In
framing its policy in the Middle East, France seeks to ensure oil
supplies and access to markets. France was among the first
nations to oppose Iraqi aggression in Kuwait and sent a large
military force into the region. As a permanent member of the UN
Security Council, France supported the resolutions calling for Iraq's
withdrawal.
Africa: France plays a significant role in Africa, especially in
its former colonies, through extensive aid programs, commercial
activities, military agreements, and cultural leadership. Key
advisory positions are staffed by French nationals in many African
countries. In those former colonies where the French presence
remains important, France contributes to political, military, and
social stability. France sent a large military force to Chad in
August 1983 to assist the government of Chad resist an invasion by
Libyan and Chadian rebel forces. In early 1986, France again
assisted the Chadian government in resisting armed incursions by
Libyan-backed rebels.
Despite reluctance to support Chadian President Hussein
Habre's reconquest of the Aozou Strip, France remains committed to
supporting Chadian territorial integrity.
Asia: France has extensive commercial relations with Asian
countries, including Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and China. However,
Japanese competition in automobiles, electronics, and machine
tools is a major economic problem. France has taken a leading role
in efforts to achieve a settlement to the Cambodian conflict and is
seeking to broaden its influence with Vietnam and Laos. Private
French groups play a leading role in humanitarian assistance to the
Afghanistan resistance.
Latin America: France and the United States agree on the need
for strengthening democratic institutions in Latin America, despite
differences on certain issues. There are large Latin American exile
communities in France, notably from Argentina and Chile. French
economic interests in the region are growing but remain only a
small portion of its worldwide economic activities.
DEFENSE
France is a charter signatory to the North Atlantic Treaty and
is a member of the North Atlantic Council and its subordinate
institutions. Since 1966, it has not participated in the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) integrated military structure,
although it remains a member of some alliance military or quasi-
military bodies. In addition, France maintains liaison missions
with the major NATO commands.
French military doctrine is based on the concepts of national
independence, nuclear deterrence, and military sufficiency. Its
armed forces are subject to national command, and any decision to
cooperate with its allies is subject to the sovereign decision of the
French president.
France maintains an army corps in Germany and one corps
stationed in France near its eastern and northern borders. France
also has reorganized its army. Five divisions were regrouped into a
rapid action force designed to intervene rapidly in a conflict in
Europe or overseas if necessary. Its navy is the largest in Western
Europe, and its air force has about 450 aircraft in operational units.
France is linked to its European neighbors through the 1948 Treaty
of Brussels and the 1954 Paris accords. It is an active member of
the Western European Union and has a close bilateral security
relationship with Germany based on the 1963 Elysee Treaty.
France maintains a strategic nuclear triad of manned bombers,
land-based intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and nuclear-
powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). It is modernizing
its nuclear forces, and a seventh SSBN will be launched in the late
1990s.
France participates in the Conference of the Committee on
Disarmament in Geneva (CCD), the Conference on Security- and
Confidence-Building Measures and Disarmament in Europe (CDE), and
the conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE) negotiations in
Vienna. France is not a signatory to the Limited Test Ban Treaty
and conducts nuclear testing underground at its South Pacific test
site. France has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty but
does follow its terms. The French government has endorsed the
Strategic Arms Limitation II Treaty. The French strongly support
the process of US-Soviet nuclear arms control and the ABM (anti-
ballistic missile) Treaty, but they object to inclusion of any French
nuclear forces in these negotiations and are wary of any moves
toward the denuclearization of Europe. France does not wish to take
part in negotiations on short-range nuclear forces (SNF), which are
to begin soon.
US-FRENCH RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and France are active and
cordial. President Mitterrand has met with President Bush on
numerous occasions. Bilateral contact at the cabinet level is
frequent.
France and the United States are allies who share common
values and have parallel policies on most political, economic, and
security issues. Differences are discussed frankly when they
develop and have not been allowed to impair the pattern of close
cooperation that characterizes relations between the two countries.
Principal Government Officials
President-Francois Mitterrand
President of the Senate-Alain Poher
President-Francois Mitterrand
President of the Senate-Alain Poher
President of the National Assembly-Laurent Fabius
Prime Minister-Michel Rocard
Minister of State for Education and Sports-Lionel Jospin
Minister of State for Economy, Finance, and the Budget-Pierre
Beregovoy
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs-Roland Dumas
Minister of Justice-Henri Nallet
Minister of Defense-Jean-Pierre Chevenement
Minister of Interior-Pierre Joxe
Minister of Culture, Communication, Major Projects-Jack Lang
Ambassador to the United States-Jacques Andreani
Ambassador to the United Nations-Pierre-Louis Blanc
France maintains an embassy in the United States at 4101
Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20007, (202) 944-6000.
Consulates are located at Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco,
and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Principal US Officials
Ambassador-Walter J.P. Curley
Deputy Chief of Mission-Mark C. Lissfelt
Minister Counselor for Political Affairs-Miles S. Pendleton
Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs-Janice F. Bay
Financial Attache-T. Whittier Wharthin
Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs-Melvin W. Searls
Counselor for Labor Affairs-John J. Muth
Counselor for Scientific and Technological Affairs-Michael Michaud
Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs-Diane Dillard
Minister Counselor for Administrative Affairs-Bruce W. Clark
Minister Counselor for Public Affairs-Robert J. Korengold
Defense Attache-Rear Adm. Philip Dur, USN
Consular Posts
Consul General, Marseille-R. Susan Wood
Consul General, Bordeaux-Judith M. Heimann
Consul General, Martinique-Raymond G. Robinson
Consul General, Lyon-Ann L. Stanford
Consul General, Strasbourg-Ints Silins
The US Embassy in France is located at 2 Avenue Gabriel, Paris
8 (tel. 4296-1202). The United States also is represented in Paris
by its mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development.
The G-7 Economic Summit
President Bush hosted the 16th annual G-7 summit for the
leaders of the major industrialized democracies-Canada, Germany,
France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States-and
the president of the European Community, in Houston, Texas, July 9-
11.
The summit was held against the backdrop of movement
toward democracy and freer markets in many parts of the world,
including elections in Eastern Europe and Nicaragua, increasing
momentum toward German unification, and political reforms in the
Soviet Union. The summit leaders agreed on most international
economic and political issues, but intense discussions were needed
on agricultural subsidies in the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade
negotiations, economic assistance to the Soviet Union, and global
warming before consensus could be reached.
Economic Accomplishments
-- Agreement on progressive reductions in internal and
external support and protection of agriculture and on a framework
for conducting agricultural negotiations in order to conclude the
Uruguay Round by December 1990.
-- Request to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World
Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
to undertake a study of the Soviet economy, to make
recommendations, and to establish the criteria under which Western
economic assistance could effectively support Soviet reforms by
the end of 1990.
-- Support for aid to Central and Eastern European nations
that are firmly committed to political and economic reform,
including freer markets, and encouragement of foreign private
investment in those countries and improved markets for their
exports by means of trade and investment agreements.
-- Pledge to begin negotiations, to be completed by 1992, on a
global forest convention to protect the world's forests.
Political Accomplishments
-- Promotion of democracy throughout the world by assisting
in the drafting of laws, advising in fostering independent media,
establishing training programs, and expanding exchange programs.
-- Endorsement of the maintenance of an effective
international nuclear nonproliferation system, including adoption of
safeguards and nuclear export control measures, and support for a
complete ban on chemical weapons.
TRAVEL NOTES
Customs: There is no visa requirement for US citizens who
travel to France for short-term visits of 90 days or less for
purposes of business or pleasure. Travelers who are planning to
work, study, or stay longer than 90 days will still need a visa. No
vaccination is required. Travelers must declare goods carried in
hand or in baggage and pass through customs inspection.
Clothing: Clothing needs are similar to those in Washington,
DC.
Health: No special precautions are needed. Standards of
medical care are usually acceptable. The American Hospital of Paris
is located at 63 Boulevard Victor-Hugo, 9200 Neuilly sur Seine (tel.
4747-5300).
Telecommunications: Domestic and international telephone,
telegraph, and cable communications are good. Paris is 6 hours
ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Transportation: Rail and bus systems offer good transportation
in all large French cities. Paris has an excellent subway system and
local rail services. Taxis are available at moderate rates in all
cities. Good air and railway service is available to all parts of
France and other European capitals.
Holidays and closing hours: July 14, Bastille Day, is the
national holiday. Shops and other businesses close from 1:00 pm to
3:00 pm daily. Many businesses close in August
Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington,
DC -- November 1990 Editor: Susan Holly Department of State
Publication 8209 Background Notes Series -- This material is in
the public domain and may be reprinted without permission;
citation of this source is appreciated.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. (###)